Hobart Hardej

Instructor of mathematics Hobart Hardej has worked at Exeter for 31 years, and in that time, he has proved himself to be an invaluable asset to the Exeter community. Hardej has made an impact on the lives of generations of Exonians as a teacher, mentor, track coach and summer school faculty member.  However, he is not one to boast about his role in the community.  His wife, the academy’s attendance specialist Linda Hardej, noted her husband’s humility.  “[He] is someone who does not like to be in the ‘spotlight’ or toot his own horn,” she said.

Hardej knew he wanted to teach because his own teachers were his role models when he was young. After graduating from Bowdoin College, Hardej started teaching at the Western Reserve Academy, a boarding school in Ohio. He enjoyed the many roles he could have on the campus.  “I loved working with kids in the dorm, coaching them, and teaching them,” said Hardej. After becoming the Dean of Students at Western Reserve Academy and teaching at the Groton School for a few years, he decided to come to Exeter because of its proximity to his family.

Hardej works to interest his students in math by creating lively discussions, and he places emphasis on supporting the students as much as possible. “I try to have a really lively and encouraging classroom,” he said. “I compare my teaching to coaching; an important part is that I think students think of teachers as grading them down, while coaches are building them up. I try to see how complicated their lives are and remember that math is not all that they do here.”

“I think students think of teachers as grading them down... I try to see how complicated their lives are and remember that math is not all that they do here.”

He said that he likes to keep a classroom where students have fun and learn, a goal students say he has achieved. “Our class atmosphere is very friendly,” lower Gordon Chi said. “He always takes a very light-hearted approach to the class. When we make mistakes, nobody is angry with each other.” Hardej not only teaches the students how to solve problems—he also explains the key principles of the problems to the class after each presentation. “Mr. Hardej is really good at making sure that he explains every problem in a way that the class understands, and he always makes sure that we are straight on everything,” lower Charlie Neuhaus said. “I think that a lot of the times he goes even further to talk about all the differences in the mathematical principles that are involved in each problem, so that we really know in-depth how it [the problem] works.”

Due to his expertise, Hardej served as the Chair of the math department for five years. When his appointment was over, he was gifted an Exeter “dad” mug, a sign of the high regard Hardej is held in within the community. “The sentiment was that he took care of everyone. He’s a man that is a good mentor, mediator and problem solver.  He cares about having not only his students succeed, but his peers,” his wife said.

Hardej has done more than teaching in the math department during his tenure at Exeter. He was also the throwing coach for Exeter’s indoor and outdoor track teams. Although this is the first year he has not been coaching track, his influence still extends to the team. Lower Harrison Murray, a thrower, participated in track last year, and Hardej left quite an impression on him. “He was a super caring coach,” Murray said. “He had lots of funny ways to help us learn key points of throwing and also cared about our safety.”

Murray recalled how Hardej had certain words he would use to get them excited. “My favorite was exuberance,” Murray said. “It was just a great all-around word.” Murray also enjoyed the phrase, “pull the trigger,” because it helped him keep his good form at the end of a throw.

Hardej’s hobbies outside of teaching include spending time outside. He said, “I do very different things from the academic and intellectual things we do here. I have a whole other life different from the work I do at school.” He and his wife have a home in Maine, where Hardej builds decks and the frames of houses with wood he splits. The house is on a lake, so he does boating and water sports. However, in between enjoying these summer pastimes, Hardej devotes much of his time off of school to education.

Hardej was the Director of Summer School at Exeter from 1995 to the early 2000s. The student body changes every year, but the faculty continually return to work at the summer school. According to Hardej, the student body is “incredibly diverse.” Reflecting on this job, Hardej said, “Summer School is one of the great programs in the school. The concept of the school is to let people really experience Exeter. “Kids get to be Exonians, even if for a short period of time.”

Hardej has spent most of his tenure at Exeter living in a dorm. He worked in Main Street until 2001, and after 14 years as dorm faculty, the students came to know Mr. Hardej for his red bathrobe. Hardej is currently affiliated with Kirkland House, which is close to his home, and therefore convenient when he is on duty.

What brings Hardej back to Exeter every year is not Exeter, but the people. “The students and the faculty and staff make this place special. This room is old, not special. It’s special when you guys are here.”