Faculty of the Week: Tatiana Waterman
By JINMIN LEE, LILY RAMPE, and JANIBEK SUBKHANBERDIN
Waterman shows a circuit to her physics class
Courtesy of the PEA Facebook
When asked why she decided to come to Exeter, Instructor in Science Tatiana Waterman said, “The question is why I stayed for twenty years: a first-rate group of students — in heart, mind and talent, and a group of caring adults who together make a community that inspires me every day to be my best.” Although Waterman shared the stories of students and faculty who inspired her and pushed her to be her best self, she has likewise made an impact on the lives of countless students and faculty throughout her time at Exeter.
Although Waterman enjoys physics for “its crisp, clear reasoning; its demands of creativity in ideas and instrumentation,” she originally did not plan on pursuing it as a career. “I was going to be an English Literature major, and maybe dabble a bit in Art History,” Waterman said. “Until my advisor put some sense into my plan, and pointed out where my talents were. I was quite upset by the demotion, as I thought anyone could do math or science — they are easy… but she was right after all.”
After earning a Bachelor of Science at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a Master of Science at Brown University, teaching was meant to be a temporary phase in Waterman’s life. “When I was looking for research jobs after graduate school, I only had a ‘green card’ but not citizenship yet,” she explained. “My advisor suggested that I teach while waiting for my papers; I thought he had lost his mind; teaching was the furthest thing from my mind then.” But that bewilderment disappeared soon after, as Waterman realized her love for the position: “When I did get a teaching job, it filled my life with purpose; 37 years later I still think it was the best “temporary” decision I made.”
In 2004, Instructor in Science Chris Matlack’s recruiting effort paid off, and Waterman joined the Academy. Since then, many colleagues have impacted her. She owes gratitude to Lew Hizrot ’60, Rich Aaronian, and Matlack, all instructors in science, who helped her in her early days. She also received guidance from important mentors at Exeter: Emeritus Instructor in Science Peter Greer ’58, a legendary English instructor and coordinator of new teachers at PEA, whom she described as “a remarkable mentor, advisor, and friend”; Admissions Officer Susan Hearney “for showing what it takes to admit a stellar class”; and Dean of College Counseling Elizabeth Dolan “for her spot-on counsel when [Waterman is] perplexed about the progress of particular students.” She appreciated faculty like Instructor in Health Education Courtney Shaw-Smith, for her caring about students’ integral health, and Instructor in English Courtney Marshall, instructor “for living the dictum ‘love is our currency in Kirtland’.”
Inspired by the stellar faculty around her, Waterman has since contributed to the community in many ways beyond the classroom as an admissions reader, dorm faculty, and a member of the Lamont Poet committee. She has also served as coordinator of the easing into the Academy of new-to-PEA colleagues, and has assisted in coaching indoor track. Yet, a common theme among these diverse roles is Waterman’s unwavering commitment to increasing students’ “confidence in themselves, not for their rank but for their discovered self-worth,” as well as their “curiosity about the world [and] spirit of intellectual generosity.”
Even after twenty years of teaching at the Academy, Waterman still enjoys every facet of it, from the conversations around the Harkness table and dorm life to the relationships she fosters with new students every year. “There are no dull moments here!” she exclaimed. “My six years in Merrill, eight in Bancroft, and now six in Kirtland have had many magical moments of joy and goodness, laughter and tears, in the common room, in the kitchen, or outdoors.”
Having formed deep connections with Waterman throughout her decades at Exeter, many other faculty expressed glowing praise for her. “I’ve known Ms. Waterman for at least 20 years now. We’ve worked closely for the whole time,” said Instructor in Science James DiCarlo. “I’m continuously impressed with the speed and depth that she gets to know the students at her table. She has a knack for keeping all the details straight.”
Waterman regularly applies this meticulous attention to detail to caring for other faculty members and students. “She organized weekly meetings for the new faculty, introducing us to a variety of teaching tools and supporting us. I remember looking forward to our cohort getting together every week,” agreed Instructor in Modern Languages Ning Zhou. Instructor in Science Townley Chisholm, who has worked with and been a close friend to Waterman for 20 years, concurred, saying “Ms. Waterman and I share the same goals for our students: we both want them to be challenged, engaged, and happy in our classes, want to give them honest feedback about their work.”
Waterman’s engaging and energetic approach to teaching extends to her colleagues: “It’s really fun when Ms. Waterman and Mr. Cosgrove have a friendly rivalry,” said lower Ezra Segal.
Most found it challenging to describe Waterman in just a few words. “Loyal, fiercely smart, hilarious,” answered Waterman’s long-time friend and Dean of Faculty Eimer Page, who began at Exeter the exact same day as Waterman in 2004. “I needed four words.”
“Straightforward, polymath, and curiously relentless,” began Instructor in Modern Languages Inna Sysevich, who has known Waterman for more than 20 years. But most of all, Sysevich appreciated “her straightforwardness, because there is a deficit of it in the world, and it’s easy to pretend to be someone that we’re not.” Chisholm similarly described her as “honest.”
This honesty, according to faculty, stems from her natural kindness. Both DiCarlo and Matlack used the word “caring” as a reflection of Waterman’s character. Sysevich agreed that “Ms. Waterman is always her genuine self. She is truly kind at heart, and that means she will say what is best for you, not what will simply please you; she won’t pretend to be kind just to make you feel good. She’s going to be honest with you because she cares about you.”
Page highlighted “Her generosity of spirit and genuine care for students. She goes to see them in their performances, writes them recommendations, stays in touch with alums, thinks about books and articles they might like. She’s an incredibly thoughtful person.”
When students described their experiences with Waterman, common themes emerged of her wit, empathy, and passion for their success. “Ms. Waterman’s most valuable quality as a teacher is that she truly wants what’s best for her students,” remarked upper Roy Liu. “Though she can be harsh at times, it’s just a form of tough love.” Similar to Sysevich and Chisholm, senior Kamsi Amaechina said, “I think her most valuable quality is her honesty [or] bluntness. I love that she isn’t afraid to speak her mind.”
Complementing that sincere and straightforward approach to teaching, Waterman’s banter consistently brightens the classroom and her students’ days. “I would laugh at least once every time I had class with her,” lower Olivia Pierre recalled. Lower Joseph Kim agreed on her ceaseless effort to make physics fun, saying that “She puts in effort to make classes engaging for students, sometimes by cracking a joke every once in a while”.
Many others lauded Waterman’s unique approach to teaching, one that builds bonds and instills confidence in her students. Segal explained, “She’s not like any teacher I’ve had before because she leaves a lot of the work to the students in a way that empowers us to learn the material.”
Pierre recounted that this style of teaching that leaves students to collaborate and communicate fosters “an environment where we first [go] to our peers for help.”
However, Waterman understands the balance students need between work and fun, incorporating a mix of activities to keep them engaged. These activities include “salt mine breaks,” in which, Liu recounted, “we would just stop working and rest for about three minutes as she talked about some random topic of her choosing.” Upper Cam Khater similarly remembered Waterman showing his class 2001: A Space Odyssey and explaining every detail of the first 20 minutes of the film.
“We were neighbors for some years,” reminisced Dean of Faculty Eimer Page, who witnessed first-hand Waterman’s dedication to making her class fun, “and during the pandemic our family constructed and decorated a candy chute with plastic spiders, rats and bats to allow the neighborhood kids to trick or treat. We attached it to our front step bannister. Ms Waterman took a photo and turned it into a friction problem for her Principles of Physics class. I love that she sees the world through the lens of physics and science, and also literature and music.”
Beyond her classroom, Waterman has left a lasting impact on her students and remains a figure that they can rely on for support, advice, or even just a fun conversation. “I took physics with Ms. Waterman as a lower, and it has lived on to be one of my favorite class experiences at Exeter,” detailed alumna Shantelle Subkhanberdina ‘22. “Ms. Waterman is clearly dedicated to her work and to her students, and though I came into the course intimidated and unsure of my potential to do well, she made a point to remind us to not take ourselves so seriously.” Looking back on her experience, Subkhanberdina concluded, “I greatly admire and respect Ms. Waterman for her sense of self and for the energy she imparts to those around her, and I feel lucky to have crossed paths with her.”
Another alumna, Aryana Ramos-Vazquez ‘22, reflected that “Ms. Waterman was such a strong force in my development as a student and, most importantly, as an individual.” Furthermore, Ramos-Vazquez shared, “When I’m asked about influential teachers in my life, she’s one of the first people I talk about, and it’s hard to really capture her wittiness, fierceness, and also kindness on paper. I always try by starting with ‘She’s a force to be reckoned with,’ and I mean that in absolutely the best way possible. She was one of the few teachers that made me feel truly seen in and out of the classroom, and even though I struggled in her class, she had unwavering confidence that I could succeed in any path I set for myself, and even further, make a palpable difference in this world.” Ramos-Vazquez also noted that Waterman’s connections to her former students do not end at graduation: “I still keep in contact with her, as I continue to figure out my path, and I am truly grateful to have had the privilege of being in her class, and also being able to call her a mentor.”
Waterman’s personal hobbies extend far past her role and the study of physics, and this has not gone unnoticed by her fellow faculty members. “I walk at the beach in all kinds of weather, especially when the tourists aren’t there; I love being outdoors. Give me a good book and I can be happy anywhere. And if I have a lot of free time, I cook. I love languages, and history,” Waterman shared about herself. “ I canoed in most of the Adirondack lakes and I love Scottish country dancing.” She also enjoys supporting students in athletic competitions and at music concerts, where you can always find her in the back right row of the Bowld.
Faculty members noticed these interests and talents beyond Waterman’s discipline. When asked about favorite memories with Waterman, Instructor in English L. Todd Hearon said that he “loved listening to her give her meditation in the Phillips Church a few years ago. It was beautiful. All of her students should ask for a copy. She combines her love of physics with her love of poetry, showing how the disciplines light up each other.” Sysevich advertised that Waterman is a wonderful cook as well.
But “nothing can make me happier than seeing the ‘little preps’ grow and ready to fly the nest at graduation,” Waterman shared, “or [a] chat with recent graduates when they return with new appreciation of their PEA training for ‘the business of living’.”
For students still experiencing this training at Exeter, Waterman’s advice is to “listen to yourself, and not to the external sirens of rank or title. Figure out what you like, what makes you happy doing it, and pursue it. Don’t measure your success by what others think, but by doing what fills your heart. Mr. Weatherspoon and Aristotle agree on the secrets to contentment: (a) gratitude for what gifts we each have and (b) giving to others in any form we can. My grandmother taught me to admire intelligence only when it comes with humility, to appreciate wealth only when it is shared, and to be kind, always, even to those who don’t deserve it, because it reflects on you.” Waterman added: “I hope the readership will look up the poem ‘What Is Success,’ attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Take good care of your health; it is the driving force of your happiness.”
Most of all, Waterman declared, “Don’t go [at] it alone! Asking for help is not a weakness. Find and make friends — it’s not easy but it is very important to have a good support group around you. Most of us are transplants here, away from the networks we have left behind at home.” And it is safe to say that Waterman has become that support for the many colleagues who can now call her a friend, and for the students who will always recall her as a mentor.
