After both studying and teaching at Southern Methodist University, Macklin Fanning and his wife decided it was time for a change of scenery.  

Fanning first looked for collegiate positions, where he already had experience, before his wife suggested exploring private high schools in the Dallas area.

Eventually, their search narrowed to two schools: Shelton and Greenhill. He applied to both and got interviews at each school.  

Soon, Fanning realized that Shelton’s focus on special education wasn’t the right fit for him. This left Fanning with one option: Greenhill.  

“If I had been given a choice, I still would have chosen Greenhill because of the values,” Fanning said. “When I saw authenticity on the school homepage, I thought, ‘that’s cool,’ you don’t see that very often in the school’s mission statement, and that’s something I identify with a lot.”  

Before being hired, Fanning taught a demo class where he designed his own lesson plan for the day and led the class through a conversation. When the class started discussing, Fanning says he was impressed by student enthusiasm.   

“They were so eager and excited,” Fanning said. “I thought if all the kids are like this, it’s going to be an easy job and a fun job.”  

Fanning now teaches English 9, a required course for all freshmen at Greenhill, and aims to build strong relationships with every student. 

So far, the class has been more than content with Fanning, who has approached his classes with a determination to both educate and have fun through classroom discussions.   

Freshman Tamara Podolsky-Tagle used the words “respectful, understanding and kind” to describe Fanning.  

Not only has Fanning made an impression on students in his English 9 class, but he has also been popular during advisory, according to some members of his advisory. 

“He’ll help you out or make some jokes to cheer you up,” said freshman Shiv Nandipati.