Justin Merriam will join the Darlington Community later this summer as the science teacher for grades 3-5, effective Aug. 1.
A science buff since middle school, Merriam looks forward to sharing his passion with his students, teaching the subject in tangible and memorable ways.
“I think it’s really important for students to have a variety of different kinds of exposure to content, especially with hands-on tasks and the creating of something,” said Merriam. “Learning from a lecture and a textbook can be a good start, but there are so many more ways to apply the information to your life and your daily activities. It’s really about kids stepping outside of their comfort zones.”
For the past 12 years, Merriam taught at St. Mary's Catholic School in Rome. He has eight years of experience teaching fifth grade, and has also taught first through third grade. While at St. Mary’s, he served as the athletic director for two years and also coached baseball. In his most recent role, Merriam served as the sole fifth-grade teacher for several years.
”It gave me the opportunity to try things that I wouldn’t have tried before,” said the new faculty member. “It was freedom in how I thought instruction was best, and to carry that out and try those new ideas.”
In 2012, Merriam was acknowledged as an exemplary teacher by his colleagues with the Archbishop's Honoree award. He was also chosen during the 2013-14 school year to participate in the Archdiocese of Atlanta Principal Formation Program. As a part of the leadership experience, he learned more about system-wide academics and school governance. Each year, only four employees within the archdiocese are chosen for the leadership development program.
A native of Snellville, Ga., he first came to Rome as a freshman at Berry College. During his time as an undergraduate, Merriam pursued opportunities at Camp Winshape as a counselor because he knew he wanted to work with children. It was on Berry’s Mountain Campus that he first discovered his desire to be an educator.
Merriam holds both a B.S. and an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Berry College, where he also received his ESOL endorsement. As an undergraduate student, he studied abroad in Greece, where he visited different schools and studied about language acquisition and methods used to learn how to read, write and speak.
“There's a big element of building relationships with children in teaching, because when you let them know what happens to them at home and in their academic life is important to you, it builds trust,” said Merriam. “They are more willing to participate in the experience. If you don’t combine the instruction with that relationship, the students miss out.”
Having worked not only at St. Mary’s but also as a student teacher at Berry College Elementary School, and as a practicum student at both Glenwood Primary and West Central Elementary schools, Merriam has been exposed to many teaching styles and has continued to polish his own way of facilitating the learning experience.
“I am not one to follow one teaching strategy—you do what you need to for the kids you have in that particular class during that particular year,” said the teacher. “You must look at the whole child, to see what they already have and what they need.”
Merriam is excited to join the Darlington family, and to jump right into the mix of the teachers at Thatcher Hall.
“I’m really drawn to the fact that the School has a great group of people working and collaborating, and because of that there is that opportunity to learn from and be a part of a vibrant group of educators,” he said. “It is a very supportive learning environment. The administration wants to help you help the kids as best as you can.”
Merriam is an active member at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and coaches baseball in the Rome Little League. He enjoys spending time outside hiking, camping, kayaking, playing tennis and mountain biking, as well as reading and playing the guitar.
