Derek Porter is Greenhill’s newly appointed associate director of equity and inclusion and an eighth grade history teacher.

Porter grew up in Minneapolis. He later attended the University of St. Thomas where he received a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education and teaching.

He says he never knew that he was going to be a teacher, but what pushed him was his mom, who was also an educator at the time.

“As you learn new stuff, it makes you more curious about it,” Porter said. “But at private schools, you can teach more freely than in public schools with a curriculum.”

He taught at Washington Jesuit Academy in Washington D.C., and St. Christopher’s School in Virginia, both of which are private schools. He says he looks forward to this school year to being curious and learning new things.

“He’s pretty amazing,” Middle School History Department Chair Paige Ashley said.

Ashley, who was part of the interviewing process that led to Porter’s hiring, says that she became aware that he had a lot of experience in teaching history.

“Dr. Porter has many opinions and a lot of valuable and honest things to say,” Ashley said.

Students say that Porter’s classes are more student centered rather than lecture based. Eighth grader Kyle Goodman says that Porter gives interesting homework and research topics.

“Dr. Porter has a unique teaching style, but I like it because it makes the class more engaging and wanting to go to his class,” said Goodman.