Since the days he was a Cub Scout leader, working with kids to make learning a hands-on activity has been the core of Dr. Greg Scott’s love for teaching. In his 12 years at Mitty beginning with college prep Chemistry, Dr. Scott now teaches everything from AP Physics Electricity and Magnetism to Science of Music to Introduction to Astronomy. He has always loved science, which he believes is more than just “a whole bunch of facts that you have to memorize and write down the equations.” He instead believes science is “a creative process of understanding what’s really going on.”
After graduating from college, Dr. Scott served in the army as part of the ROTC program, ending his four years with the role of Captain. Six years later, he earned his PhD in electrical engineering and continued working with Sun Microsystems and Apple developing electronic chips. However, Dr. Scott never lost his passion for working with children throughout this time.
From this moment on, Dr. Scott’s career as a teacher was born.
Dr. Scott believes that curiosity is at the heart of all science, and his classroom clearly displays this commitment to continuous learning. His philosophy as a teacher has always been, “We’ve got to see it. We’ve got to see how this works. Everything I teach, we try.” He also understands the value of bringing one’s personality into their role as a teacher. It’s no surprise then that as a member of a jug band, physics-themed parodies of songs accompanied by his famous guitar riffs are not unusual sights in his classes. He sees these moments as opportunities to “get to have fun and really, really connect with the students.”
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Scott is an avid enthusiast of all things space. Growing up in rural Maryland, the night sky was an indispensable part of Dr. Scott’s childhood. Every night, he “would just go up and love to look up at the sky and look at the stars.” This love for the unknown beauty of space carries through his time at Mitty, where he has taught the Introduction to Astronomy course and moderated the Astronomy club. To him, astronomy brings out what he loves most about science: “how there really is no absolute truth.”
One of the most fundamental understandings that comes with astronomy is the recognition of how truly insignificant humans are in the scope of the universe. However, “rather than feeling even more insignificant with this vast universe,” Dr. Scott is “amazed at the wonder of being able to comprehend and appreciate what’s out there.” What does it mean for humans knowing that we play such a small role in the grand scheme of things? This is where Dr. Scott turns to his core belief that there is an inherent dignity and worth in all humans. Ultimately, it is in this shared sense of community that he finds meaning in something so much larger than ourselves.
These are the words Dr. Scott hopes are never taken away from the spirit of learning. For current students at Mitty, he encourages all of us to always “have the imagination to figure out why the world works.” The challenge now belongs to us to stay curious and always keep our eyes on something greater than ourselves, carrying our sense of wonder to everything we do. And for all his fellow space lovers, never stop looking up.