She’s Making Herstory: Checking In With Miriam Paterson in Her First Year As History Department Chair

Maybe you’ve seen her iconic outfits and Halloween costumes; maybe you’ve heard her shoes clicking as she walks down the stairs, or her loud laugh, present in all her conversations; or maybe you’ve been lucky enough to have her as a teacher. Regardless of how you know her, Miriam Paterson is completely unforgettable. In her 20th year at Fieldston, she is the new Department Chair of History – her first time in the position. Six months in, she is making the role her own.

When the previous department chair, Jennifer Tammi, stepped down last year, she left a void few could fill. Paterson didn’t raise her hand or seek out the role; instead, members of the department reached out to her, encouraging her to pursue it. She had reservations, but after talking to Tammi and her current colleagues, she decided to dive in. On the eve of her third decade at Fieldston, Paterson said she thought, “It was the perfect year to start this role.”

But she had her doubts. “I didn’t think I would like this job,” admitted Paterson. “I was afraid of it for a lot of reasons.” For starters, Paterson feared the possibility of conflicts between administrative responsibilities and teaching. The role of the department head significantly increased over the past few years. They’ve been asked to take on a lot more responsibilities than when Paterson first began teaching in the Upper School. “On the surface, the job seemed unmanageable, said Paterson. “But I actually really enjoy being Chair, even though I didn’t think I would.” 

Another one of Paterson’s concerns stemmed from her “fear of the unknown.” However, it’s not Paterson’s first time in a new role: last year, she started teaching Humanities, a relatively new Fieldston course where Ethics, English and History mesh into one yearlong class. Paterson declared, “What I’ve learned, especially from teaching Humanities for the first time last year and doing this for the first time this year, is that I don’t have to be afraid!”

Paterson’s main initiative as chair centers on her fellow teachers. She calls it, “Internal Professional Development.”The project began organically: Paterson and Taylor Torres, a Fieldston History teacher, started discussing a reading on Nat Turner and the Africanization of Christianity, and Paterson volunteered to speak to Torres’ class. Also including their fellow History Department colleague, Halle Amore Bauer, all three teachers began visiting each other’s classes. Torres and Paterson observed Amore-Bauer’s Socratic Seminar, something Paterson had never done with her students before, and Torres and Amore-Bauer plan to see a Humanities lesson. “We’re not doing it for any reason other than to make the teaching experience better for us and the kids,” said Paterson. “We all have skills as individual teachers that we can and should develop. We all have something to learn and something to teach.” Paterson looks to make “Internal Professional Development” a more official practice of the History Department by organizing small groups of teachers who will discuss and learn from one another. Excitedly, she exclaimed, “I’m going to make a chart!”

A lot of teachers can say, “It’s for the kids.” Paterson doesn’t just say those words, she lives by them. For her, connecting with kids includes three main parts: teaching them how to engage, to disagree and to think about the future. It’s the specific “ah-ha” moments – when a student says something that clicks, gets excited about learning something new, or even has a ‘mind-blown moment’ – that mean the most to her. “It gives meaning to what we do, and it makes me feel good for being here,” Paterson explained. “I want to do that and I want my whole department to do that. I see myself as creating ways for them to do that.” 

Paterson recognizes that disagreement in classrooms can be uncomfortable. That, however, is where she sees the chance for growth. She strongly encourages kids to feel at liberty to disagree, whether that’s disagreeing with her or with each other. She believes that Fieldston students have a special need to grow because they represent the future leaders of tomorrow. Paterson hopes that “the kids who [go to Fieldston] will choose life endeavors that will use the power and privilege [they have] for good.” The kids make Paterson’s job rewarding: seeing them light up; respectfully and confidently sharing their opinions; and implementing all their learned lessons when they go off to college and beyond. 

Jennifer Kim, a first-year teacher at Fieldston, works in the History Department and co-leads a Form III advisory – where spirited charade games occur – with Paterson. To Kim, Paterson’s greatest strength as an educator is “her ability to connect with students and her desire to do so. Regardless of who the students are, what their interests may be and what their level of love of history is, she finds a way to connect with literally every single person.” 

Sylvie Poisson (Form V) took a history course with Paterson all three years of her high school career so far: freshman year World History, sophomore year Humanities and junior year Anatomy of a Social Movement. She augmented Kim’s praise, “Paterson has taught me to question the status quo and interrogate the history we are learning. I never go to a class without being fully engaged and immersed in the material we are learning.”

Paterson’s superpowers extend beyond her lesson plans. She knows her students face enormous pressures inside and outside the classroom. To her, students are multi-dimensional. She cares about them as a whole. “She is supportive and always cheers me up when I’m having a bad day,” said Poisson. “I don’t know who I would be today without taking one of her classes.”

Paterson has devoted her career to making an impact on her students. The new role, she said, has challenged her and pushed her to work even harder to make a difference. She explained, “I’ve always wanted to be a better teacher, but there are moments where I just said that to myself and became complacent. I wanted to hold myself to a higher standard. If I didn’t take on these new responsibilities, I wouldn’t grow and be held accountable. It is so rewarding.” Her passion ties all facets of her job together: teaching, leading, collaborating, facilitating, etc. She’s only halfway through her first year being department chair, but she’s already making herstory.