Faculty Spotlight: Miles Harlow

Miles Harlow has been a member of the Eaglebrook community since 2019. While he has recently been named the Chair of the Math Department, Mr. Harlow was originally hired to serve as a teacher, advisor, and coach. He teaches mathematics to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Forms, and coaches soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball in the spring. 

Name: Miles Harlow

What College/Grad School did you attend?: Macalester College for a Bachelor of Arts and Smith College Master of Arts in Teaching. 

What are your roles at Eaglebrook? Chair of the Mathematics Department, Student Advisor, Baseball, Soccer, and Ski coach, Center for Middle School Teaching & Learning member, and residential faculty. 

Proudest Achievement At Eaglebrook? Chair of the Math Department was my first inclination, but this past October we invited the students from the Class of 2020 who missed graduation due to initial Covid restrictions back to campus, and seeing the hard work in mature form was very special and made me proud. Watching students from three years ago reflect upon their journey at Eaglebrook validated the work we do and our approach to youth development.

What is the last book you read? I am in the middle of reading In the Hurricane’s Eye, by Nathaniel Philbrick. He was supposed to come to speak at a Hilly Chase this year but was canceled due to a winter storm. I really enjoyed reading In the Heart of the Sea, one of his other historical non-fiction works, so I decided to try a second. I am learning that winning the American Revolution was far more luck than my middle school history teacher lead me to believe. 

What movie you would recommend? This might be a cop-out because I used the same film in my last faculty spotlight four years ago but “Remember the Titans”. The film is an all-time favorite.

What is your favorite food? Growing up I always asked for ribs and lobster rolls on my birthday, with cheesecake for dessert. I don't know that my food taste has matured that much since high school, those are still some familiar favorites. 

What is the best advice you've ever received? Measure twice, cut once, the person who gave me the advice, my father, no longer adheres to this advice, but he used to say that often. I take it to mean be intentional in your actions and not responsive or emotional. Be direct, and make sure to think twice before you take action. 

What brought you to Eaglebrook? I think my pedagogy is parallel to Eaglebrook, and the ability to teach the whole child and build relationships that can be leveraged in the classroom is paramount in education. When I was working in public school I was teaching executive functioning skills that wouldn’t translate because I only saw my students for 45 minutes a day. Here I can teach organizational skills alongside mathematical content and mix in Saturday night parties and Home Nights to help build relationships that help facilitate learning. 

What are your interests/hobbies? Some hobbies are the things that I get to do at Eaglebrook such as skiing and playing baseball, but I also like to explore with my dog, go on new hikes or visit new places. I enjoy spending time with my family and my six nieces (Aoife, Niamh, Charlie, Olivia, Maddie, and Thea). I enjoy reading, traveling, and playing with my dog Ruby Moon.