English teacher Mr. Anthony Pariano has high expectations for all of his students, and rightfully so. His teaching style is a testament to his deep passion for education, his intellectual curiosity, and his commitment to creating an environment that challenges his students to think beyond the “common, casual, and careless reader,” and truly engage with literature on a profound level.
In a recent interview, Mr. Pariano, who had just returned to work from a brief time away due to a family emergency, reflected on his approach to teaching, the impact of his curriculum, and how he connected with his students. While his first day back was emotional, he was eager to share his insights, not just about teaching, but life in general.
At the heart of Mr. Pariano’s teaching philosophy is the extraordinary time and effort he invests in understanding the subject material. For him, teaching is about asking the right questions, not providing all the answers.
“I want to be confident enough in the subject matter that I’m not self-conscious about not knowing everything,” Mr. Pariano said.
This openness allows him to embrace “detours” in the curriculum and encourages dynamic, student-driven discussions and answers.
“I never want to be part of the game that school can sometimes be, where students can only get something correct if they arrive at the answer the teacher is imagining,” Mr. Pariano said. “It ultimately shuts down conversation and limits learning.”
Instead, Mr. Pariano designs questions that allow for diverse perspectives and various student methodologies, ensuring the class is far from a rote exercise in trivia; this can only be done successfully with a vast knowledge of the subject matter.
This flexible approach stems from his own curiosity, which he continues to nurture. He views his classes as interconnected yet unscripted—a place for moments of recognition and understanding to arise organically.
“The classroom looks highly organized so we can be chaotic in our thoughts. If the classroom is chaotic and we’re chaotic in our thoughts, English class would just be a big mess!”
Mr. Anthony Pariano
“I have a theoretical understanding, but then I trust that moments of connection will happen,” he said. “There is nothing about the way I construct lessons that’s mindless for me. I’m very much engaged, which is why I’m always exhausted at the end of the class periods. With these frameworks, I’m giving students room to shape their own learning experiences too. It’s not like a jigsaw puzzle, in that pieces might connect to pieces they didn’t originally fit with.”
The physical setup of Mr. Pariano’s classroom mirrors this balance of structure and freedom. The carefully maintained organization creates a space where students can explore ideas freely while still feeling grounded.
“The classroom looks highly organized so we can be chaotic in our thoughts,” he said. “If the classroom is chaotic and we’re chaotic in our thoughts, English class would just be a big mess!”
Mr. Pariano’s assignments and activities are designed to be dynamic and responsive.
“It’s not about having students do the same thing again and again and again because I say so, but to create scenarios where we hit a point of flow, know we’ve hit it, and build off of that,” he said. “Again, it’s exhausting, but in a good way.”
Mr. Pariano believes expanding and contracting is essential; keeping classes moving is critical for learning, and changing the conditions and how students move within this often static environment is what good teachers do. He credits this method to the influence of his own best teachers and mentors.
“I feel fulfilled by having good relationships with people and knowing I’m doing my job to the best of my ability, but I don’t take credit for students’ ideas.”
Mr. Anthony PAriano
Nuanced, Mr. Pariano is also deeply reflective about the role he plays in teaching and the rewards it brings. He claims that once he becomes conscious of the difference he’s making or the reward that comes with it, then he should pause and change his approach—because that’s “not what it’s about.”
“It’s not about the fulfillment—I feel fulfilled by having good relationships with people and knowing I’m doing my job to the best of my ability, but I don’t take credit for students’ ideas—I no longer do that in my career,” he said.
Mr. Pariano then acknowledged that some of the most significant moments in teaching are ones he never anticipated.
One such moment happened during his first year of teaching, when he assigned Ezra Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro,” a poem about someone who watches trains pass amongst a crowd looking like “a wet, black bough.” Mr. Pariano asked students to reflect on their own “train stations.”
One student, who had been struggling, defiantly refused to share her thoughts at the time. A decade later however, she sent him a letter describing her station in detail and expressing her gratitude for the exercise.
“What I thought was insignificant was huge to her,” Mr. Pariano said. He then turned to me and said, “Maybe you’ll look back on this moment ten years from now and see the value in it. Or maybe you’ll think it’s stupid! Or maybe it’ll be a mix of both.”
Mr. Pariano values building connections with his students while maintaining a healthy professional boundary. “I like getting to know my students, but there needs to be a healthy distance between us,” he said. “That’s another reason why this room is pristine: for you to feel comfortable sharing ideas—but not so comfortable that you feel at home.”
Mr. Pariano’s teaching embodies a rare blend of intellectual rigor, thoughtful reflection, and genuine care for his students’ growth. His dedication to his craft and his willingness to embrace the unpredictable moments of teaching leave a lasting impression and don’t go unnoticed, shaping not just better students or thinkers, but better humans.
Having taught for more than 25 years, Mr. Pariano’s teaching philosophy has solidified. “As lame as it sounds, I just want to create an environment where students can learn and grow,” he stated. “In some ways, what I’m preaching is anti-conventional ‘school,’ and Haverford is a pretty conventional place. But I’m not doing it to be unique. I’m at the point in my career where I just want to be me.”
