Get to Know Jeremy Grisbee

I spoke with Jeremy Grisbee, a High School math teacher who teaches a section of grades 9 and 10 as well as the Analysis and Approaches HL International Baccalaureate (IB) course. As an undergraduate, Mr. Grisbee’s secondary education mathematics courses ignited his interest in “progressive education.” While researching philosophers and theorists like Alfie Kohn, John Dewey, and Maria Montessori, he found himself asking: “These people have it figured out! Why don’t we do it like this?” He was told that the real world doesn't work like that. 

After he graduated, Mr. Grisbee began seeking out progressive educational practitioners on blogs and social media. While teaching at public schools for four years, he continued to read educational philosophy—and became increasingly frustrated with the traditional educational system. His search for progressive educational freedom led him to apply for the math teacher position here.

Post Oak’s small environment is one of Mr. Grisbee’s favorite aspects of the job because he finds it gives teachers the flexibility to do things they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise and makes it far easier to build meaningful relationships with students. The “what would Montessori do” attitude in the High School environment—as opposed to exclusively teaching what someone else has dictated—has allowed him to be more creative. 

Being a math teacher can be difficult sometimes because not everybody likes math! He tries to make himself approachable as a person, and not only as a teacher, so that “students who don’t necessarily like math can still enjoy my class.”

That’s part of why he enjoys teaching Design Technology because he has the opportunity to connect with students who might otherwise not enjoy the other classes he teaches. 

Mr. Grisbee is a founding member of the High School math faculty and has enjoyed seeing it grow into a more flexible curriculum over the years. The addition of Matt Jacobs and Tamara Al karkhi has enhanced grades 9 and 10 math curriculum, allowing students to experience a variety of teaching styles and a newly restructured curriculum that enables students to participate in seminars and collaborative activities.

He sees a connection between the educational philosophy he applies as a High School teacher and his daughter's own in Post Oak Primary experience—watching her move through developmental phases in which she tries to be as independent as possible, which is similar to many incoming High School students’ paths. There’s a “scaffolding around her independence,” and that’s what the Post Oak educational framework also facilitates: allowing students to grow into their independence, with support from families. His educational philosophy can be condensed into “understanding that the path from independence through ninth grade is messy and different for every kid.” 

Mr. Grisbee sees many parallels between the IB program and the Montessori approach to education: both encourage students to be independent thinkers and create their own worldviews. He cites Montessori’s discussion of the last two high school years when students are enabled to do rigorous academic work that would have previously been outside of their abilities. To parents of students entering High School, he advises families to allow their children to find the degree of independence that works best for them, and support them in any way that they can along the way.

Outside of work, he enjoys being a part of Swimwear Department, which is “more than a silly band that does fun live shows.” Some of his favorite experiences with the band include the academic research they do to inspire songwriting. Currently, they’re reading Contested Waters, an in-depth examination of the history of public pools in America and their history of discrimination.