By: Abhigyan Arya and Roma Kapoor
“Duxbury is kinda like one of the multilayered Scandinavian protagonists he teaches. He’s the coolest dude on campus but also an incredible nerd. He has a sharp British wit but also a deep sense of humanity. Room 9, which could be the name of a hip poetry club, is the place to be.”
Mr. Rusk, Debate Team Coach, on Mr, Duxbury
Welcome to Husky Howl’s teacher interview section. For this issue, we interviewed Mr. Harrison Duxbury, one of the English teachers here at the Prep. Mr. Duxbury has a BA in English and History from CSU Long Beach and a Masters in English and American Literature from the University of Kent. Being one of the youngest teachers at the Prep, Mr. Duxbury shares his passion for literature and art with his students daily. Now that it is his third year teaching here let's learn a bit more about Mr. Duxbury.
Interviewer: Roma Kapoor
Mr. Duxbury states that our questions are terrible and he doesn't want to answer them.
Roma (R): What is your name, and what do you teach?
Mr. Duxbury (D): I don’t understand why I’m being recorded [using voice memo]. I would prefer if I could just type out my answer.
R: People are going to read this, but [the voice recording] is just for the record
D: I feel like I'm being interrogated. He pauses for a second and then continues. My name is Harrison Duxbury, and I teach AP Art History, AP Literature and Composition, and IB History of the Americas HL1/HL2.
R: Interesting. What is your favorite class to teach?
D: AP Literature by far, I love literature personally so its my favorite class
R: What inspired your love for literature?
D: I went to a very conservative christian HS, and so i didn't get to read many things, and in my senior year, I read the Mayor of Casterbridge which isn't that well known of a book, but in the first two chapters, the man sells his wife and his daughter, just for 5 bucks, and I thought “literature can be this evil”? Who knew?
R:How do you pick books for your classes?
D: I just pick books based on what I like. Here's how I pick them: There has to be a lack of internet resources for them. No sparknotes, no litcharts, nothing. If there's a good book that I like, I assign it regardless. I want to assign engaging and interesting literature to my students and I feel like you can only do that if there isn’t anything off the internet for them.
R: How is being a high school teacher in your 20’s?
D: I really enjoy it because of how close you are able to get to students. Most of my students are upperclassmen (and sometimes mature) so we are able to have deep conversations and really engage with the text.
R: Why teach high school?
D: I think the long term goal is to become a college professor. However, what makes it enjoyable is students like Vivian Tien who are just perfect students in every way. (For the record, Vivian is a Fairmont Alumni (class of ‘22) )
R: Do you think I'm a perfect student?
D: Ummm...For the record, Mr. Duxbury hesitated...yes you are perfect.
R: Why did you choose to teach high school?
D: In any normal job [besides teaching], I wouldn’t be able to spend this much time with literature, so that makes it enjoyable. I started off teaching only online and hybrid, so that was terrible, just because of COVID, but I am enjoying it now.
R: What was your high school experience like??
D: It was fine, overly religious, too constricted
R: Is there any moment that you severely regret in high school
D: I don't have any of those
R: What did you do in high school?
D: I existed… I played baseball, I hated it. I played tennis, that was a bit more fun. My parents forced me to show up to class. I don’t know what else you want me to talk about, I was just a student.
R: Wow ok, never mind…Do you regret not trying more in HS?
D: No, I [tried very hard] in high school [because of strict parents]
R: Why didn't you go to Fairmont for High School?
D: Because my parents wanted to send me to a religious school
R: Who is your best teacher friend?
Mr. Rusk, who has just walked in, says:
Mr. Rusk: He doesn't talk to anyone.
R: What about lunch, do you not eat in the teacher’s lounge?
D: I work. I work during my lunch break…etc.
R: Can you Anonymously Describe your Best and Worst Student
D: Best: Never wrong, always does the reading. Yep that's it.
Worst: [No answer given]
Roma begins a speed round, and Mr. Duxbury responds with satirical answers.
R: What is your dream job?
D: Homeless drifter
R: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
D: Accumulating enough stuff to be a homeless drifter
R: Do you want a PHd
D: It is true, I would use my PHd to help build the tent that I will live in
R: Fun fact about you?
D: I’m left handed
R: You mentioned that earlier…..
R: What does your one tattoo symbolize?
D: It is a tattoo of kafka after my favorite author
R: What is kafka’s most meaningful theme to you?
D:Too personal.
Abhi (A): What do you like about motorbiking
D: Well, everyone likes to go fast sometimes
A: Dream place to live
D: Somewhere cold, Germany maybe.
A: Dream college to be a professor at?
In reference to a non-recorded response of Mr. Duxbury wanting to be a Professor.
D: Somewhere cold again, probably one of the Northeast region colleges.
A: Favorite Artist
D: Radiohead
A: Favorite Classical Artist
D: Schubert
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