Faculty of the Week: Jack Gronau
Kaylee Gong / The Exonian
By CARLY CANSECO, KAYLEE GONG, JUNE KOH, and ANDREW YANG
Down the hall of the Academy Building, a classroom’s door remains wide open. Inside, maps and posters adorn the walls. “Keep Your Mind Open” hangs above a cork board, and each sign, with its own flare of color and personality, brightens up the room. As always, in the center of the room sits a classic Harkness table. At the table sits a smiling Jack Gronau, Instructor in History, open to giving advice to his students, passionately discussing his current and future courses, and, of course, wearing an immaculate outfit.
Before coming to Phillips Exeter Academy, Gronau received his PhD in World History and taught at Northeastern University for over six years. “I always knew I wanted to teach history,” he said. “It’s all I ever studied for undergrad, master’s, and PhD. It’s something I love and am dedicated to, and I’ve been studying and teaching history for over fifteen years.”
As a relatively new member of the history department, being in the middle of his second year, Gronau described his decision and first impressions of the institution. “I knew I would like it when I took the job, but I like it a lot more than I even anticipated,” he noted. “I really love the teaching style. I also like being at a boarding school and being able to interact with students in different ways, through sports and being in a dorm.”
Prep Faye Yang detailed Gronau’s ability to propel learning and conversations in class. “He’s fostered a very comfortable environment that allows me to express what I think about the readings without fear of judgment,” she said. “He brings up good points and connects all of our discussions together. He relates them together to a bigger idea and makes analyzing everything a lot easier and clearer to us.”
Lower Ethan Lu added, “He’s always struck me as an exceedingly kind and fair teacher. I think he does a great job of cultivating a respectful environment during class, and I always feel challenged but well-prepared for his assignments.”
Other students noted their appreciation for Gronau’s demeanor and dedication. “He makes class and Harkness interesting, and his relaxed attitude makes it so that you can speak without much pressure,” upper Robin Dao said. “Dr. Gronau really explores some of the more creative ideas that you have, even within history. He’s also so passionate, and he helps draw out some of the most interesting points on your own.”
“I think Dr. Gronau has a very interesting and effective Harkness method when it comes to teaching history,” added lower Ezequiel Martinez. “He allows students to explore topics at their own pace. He won’t intervene until we figure it out; then, he’ll make sure we understand. It’s very helpful because students leading the conversation is a very effective way of learning and is the core of Harkness.”
Fellow history instructor J. Troy Samuels commended Gronau’s passion at and outside of the Harkness table. “I have gotten to know Dr. Gronau over the last year that he’s been at PEA, and I think the kind of excitement he emits in taking on various aspects of the school makes him a great teacher.”
Grouau’s presence reaches beyond classroom 130 in the Academy Building. On campus, he lives in Front Street, and he coaches JV girls’ volleyball and softball throughout the year.
Dorm head of Front Street Dormitory and coach Kerry McBrearty described her first impression of Gronau: “[He reminded me of] a beacon of light. He is kind and friendly. He is a warm soul and is always smiling. Even when he’s not smiling, it still feels like he is.”
Senior Paco Sze described, “He puts on sports games when he’s on duty in his room, where students tend to congregate often. He fosters a welcoming and jovial environment and connects well with everyone in the dorm.”
“He’ll have dinner in his office whenever he’s on duty, and then we sit on his couch, and we’ll just talk and laugh,” Martinez elaborated. “It’s always a good time when Dr. Gronau is on duty. Although, I can’t really say it’s a very productive time, but it’s okay.”
As the only other resident faculty member in Front Street, McBrearty described interactions between dorm members and Gronau. “The boys in the dorm love him and loved him instantaneously,” she said. “He jumped right into the dorm culture and did not miss a beat. He is always more than happy to help — it’s not something that he feels like he needs to do, it’s something that he wants to do. It’s worked out really well because we’ve been able to kind of team parent the dorm together, which has been really nice.”
Many note that a distinct feature of Gronau is his expansive sneakerhead collection. “His sneaker collection is really cool,” Martinez said. “I’m a big sneakerhead, so sometimes we would talk and bond over shoes. It’s really cool to be able to talk about that stuff with my history teacher.”
Overall, despite only being integrated within the Exeter community for about two years, Gronau’s passion for history, easygoing disposition, and vast sneaker collection have positively affected students and faculty alike. Thus, it is not a surprise that several students, such as Dao, describe Gronau as their “GOAT.”
