One hundred fifty Septembers; one and a half centuries; 15 decades. However you look at it, the sum total of years dedicated to teaching at Nobles—shared among only four retiring faculty members—is impressive. 

As such tenures in schools become increasingly rare, the Nobles community is especially grateful for their decades of devotion to the school they called home for so long. The hallways of Shattuck echo from the void left by the departure of faculty members Don Allard, Mark Harrington, Tilesy Harrington, and Alden Mauck, but the good news is that they were up to something along the way. All four teachers—educators at the top of their craft and school people to the core—discreetly eased the transition for the community well before they left, mentoring the next generation of teachers with each interaction, lesson plans shared subtly and selflessly along the way to ease the inevitability of change upon their departure.

The thing about great teachers is that they are often the most humble people in the room. So when certain chapters—or great careers—come to an end and the honoring and celebrating begin, the spotlight is often the last thing they want. Allard, the Harringtons, and Mauck became educators because it is simply who they are—not for plaudits or praise, but for the kids and the collegiality. While they may be reluctant to stand in it, we shine that spotlight—one last time—on these four deeply devoted educators and their decades of dedication to Nobles.

Mark Harrington

Wise Mentor, Witty Storyteller

Each school year, the “Noblest” teacher, or the longest-tenured teacher at Nobles, speaks at Assembly. This year, Mark Harrington began his talk by explaining just how uncomfortable the task—and the title—made him feel. Of course, there was grammar involved. “It’s a superlative adjective,” he quipped about his title, “and I’ve never really thought of myself as a superlative adjective. Last year, I suggested I be called ‘the one who must be heard.’ I like that.” 

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Harrington traces the roots of his teaching career back to Cohasset, Massachusetts, where his fourth-grade teacher, Mr. McElhaney, inspired him. “After the fourth grade, I told myself I was going to be a teacher someday,” he recalls. Similarly inspired by his high school Latin teachers, he majored in Latin in college to prepare for a teaching career. Harrington was a strong sailor at a young age and started teaching sailing at the Cohasset Yacht Club at age 12. “I was pretty academic about it,” he said of his experience as a sailing instructor. ”I suppose it helped me develop some of the philosophies and practices that I use in class. It got me used to talking in front of a group of kids every day, having to be articulate and needing to be able to demonstrate what I was talking about.” 

It comes as no surprise that Harrington, whose most memorable moments from the past five decades at Nobles are the simple daily interactions with students and colleagues, would be ill-at-ease with a superlative for a title. Fortunately, his colleagues, adept at wordsmithing, found some alternative expressions of praise for his many years of dedication at Nobles, during which he taught all levels of Classics and chaired the Classics department from 1980–1997. Classics Department Head George Blake captures Harrington perfectly: “For so many years, Mark has guided and built the Classics program at Nobles, leading with his unwavering passion for the Ancient World. Year in and year out, his charisma, sense of humor, and endless knowledge of Latin have inspired students to embrace the language. So much of what Mark does leaves an indelible mark on students. He brings a Latin book to assembly every day, wearing his love of the language on his sleeve. In addition, Mark has mentored so many of us—showing us the Nobles way of being devoted to the craft of teaching, being professional about our responsibilities, and always finding humor and joy in the process. It is safe to say there will never be another Mark Harrington— a true ‘rara avis’—a rare bird!”   

Of the many proverbial hats Harrington has worn in his decades at Nobles, that of mentor surfaces repeatedly among his colleagues. “He taught me everything I know about lacrosse in our 25 years of coaching boys middle school lacrosse together,“ reflects middle school science faculty Chris Averill. “Also, he has reminded me what is important in our work here at Nobles—developing strong relationships and sharing what we love.” Middle school history faculty Don Allard, who joins Harrington in retirement, echoes the appreciation for his mentorship. “Using both his classroom and the playing fields,” says Allard, “he teaches students and athletes how to establish long-term trusting relationships that are salutary. For me, he has been a role model since I arrived on campus, bridging the culture of four different heads of school with his consistency of values, mission, and personality.”

Harrington attributes his inspiration for staying in the classroom all these years to the fellowship and great conversations he experienced at work each day. “There are a lot of times when I tell people, kind of half-serious, that you wake up in the morning and you can’t believe they pay you to do the job.” Suitably, Harrington considers humility and humor to be among the most essential qualities teachers need to excel in the classroom. ”

In her remarks last spring, Head of School Dr. Cathy Hall captured Harrington’s impact on the Nobles community perfectly: “As a teacher, Mark is among our standard bearers. He brings his passion for the Classics alongside his irreplaceable wit and warmth, leaving his students deeply inspired by and devoted to him. Perhaps one of my favorite memories of Mark’s teaching was during a fire drill, when I saw a group of his Class V Latin students standing together nervously holding books. I learned that day that Mark has a tradition of having the students grab Latin books with them as they leave for a fire drill as a way to ensure we ‘Save the Classics.’”

While Harrington might scoff at having a superlative for a title, the many colleagues and students he dedicated his life and career to over the past five decades would disagree with him on that one.

 

Tilesy Harrington

Teacher of Teachers, Advocate for Equity

During her junior year at Harvard, with a triple major in chemistry, math, and physics, Tilesy (Rivera) Harrington did something that would alter her plan to attend medical school and become a doctor like her father—she tutored local kids in math and Spanish at a school in Central Square in Cambridge, Mass. The schedule allowed for frequent breaks, during which Harrington would play basketball with the kids and get to know them. Energized by the experience, she began to change her course of study. Two years later, 20-year-old Harrington, nowthe longest-serving female faculty member in Nobles’ history, taught her first class at Nobles as one of 13 female faculty members and the first female faculty of color.  

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Being one of the first female faculty members at Nobles had its challenges, but the more trying moments in the classroom only fueled Harrington’s passion for teaching. In a meeting in the late ’80s with former Head of School Dick Baker, Harrington said, “If you give me time, I can teach anybody. Just give me time to give them the extra help and the support they need. It just takes time and maybe saying things four different ways until the right combination clicks. I can see it in their eyes and in their writing as they suddenly recognize that math is actually beautiful.”

Former Math Department Chair Sue Kemalian applauds Harrington’s unwavering commitment to student success and equitable access. “She initiated tutoring sessions for students lacking resources to procure assistance independently,” says Kemalian. “Tilesy has continually strived to level the playing field and empower all students to succeed.”

Harrington’s genuine, selfless dedication to her students and colleagues is widely revered. Science faculty Deb Harrison describes her decades-long commitment to Nobles as one that was “multifaceted, rooted in deep, sustained connections that have touched scores of students and colleagues in this community, not only in the math classroom, but also with the boarding program, girls crew, EXCEL, and Upward Bound.” 

Dean of Faculty and math faculty Maura Sullivan echoes the admiration for the humility inherent in Harrington’s work as a teacher. “Despite being a trailblazer in the math department during her career,” says Sullivan, “Tilesy never sought the spotlight. Year after year, she let her actions (and her teaching!) do the talking. Above all, she has been a steady force, an amazing role model, and a reliable friend.” 

Why did Harrington choose to remain in the classroom for so long? “My favorite time of day is when I go into my classroom,” she says. “I know my syllabi backward and forward and inside out, but you never know how a new group of kids will react to a piece of information, and that keeps you interested. I’ll be doing trigonometry with my 10th-graders, and it’s their first time through the theory, and when I see those connections happen, they think I’m a little crazy because I start jumping up and down or saying ‘Yes!’ just because I still get to see the first time that a kid gets it at a pretty high level. As long as that keeps happening, why wouldn’t I want to keep doing that?” 

Not surprisingly, a faculty chair was established for the math department in 2006, Harrington was named the first recipient. 

Head of School Dr. Cathy Hall’s remarks from last spring capture Harrington’s diverse strengths as an educator. “Tilesy has been a teacher of teachers at Nobles,” said Hall, “supporting her colleagues through the evaluation process with tremendous expertise, empathy, and care. An educator at her core, Tilesy has the unique ability to help her colleagues through challenging growth moments to ultimately find inspiration in their classrooms. Her great talent as a teacher is always balanced by her humility and kindness, a combination that has enabled her to make a lasting imprint on faculty growth.”

Alden Mauck

Eternal Student , Humble Mentor

Being selected as the faculty speaker at a major school event is among the highest compliments a teacher can get—and English department faculty Alden Mauck earned this praise more than once during his time at Nobles. At the 2004 graduation, Mauck shared a story about trading his second-hand Ford Maverick for a fashionable ‘62 Corvette. “Every now and then,” he said, “someone would walk past my ‘Vette with a look of profound sadness and say, ‘I used to have a ‘Vette, a ‘62. I had to sell it. Whatever you do, never sell that car.’” 

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But with time comes the inevitable shift in priorities, and coveted Corvettes take a backseat to the arrival of babies and kitchens needing renovation. “The moment that car went out of my driveway, it represented a part of my life that had passed into the realm of remembrance and story,” explained Mauck. Now, as Mauck trades in the lesson plans, classrooms, and ice times of the past three decades for unwritten chapters with the next generation of his family, he can rest assured that he leaves them in good hands, thanks to the guidance he imparted to students, faculty, and staff.

It was in college that Mauck first started to think about a career in teaching. “I got talked into it my junior year by Professor Robert Greenfield,” he explains, “who actually said to me, ‘If you teach, someone will pay you to talk about books,’ and that seemed a great deal more attractive than what my parents had planned for me, which was basically to go into New York City in a Brooks Brothers suit and do something down on Wall Street.” The Nobles community is forever indebted to Professor Greenfield for the wise counsel he gave young Alden. Consequently, he has been talking about books—and inspiring a love in others for doing the same—ever since.   

“Alden loves to read, and he reads broadly and deeply,” says English Department Chair Jess Brennan. “So often, we benefit from Alden’s reading, as he introduces us to fresh titles and shows us how they can enhance our curriculum, and, more importantly, open us to a bigger world. ”

The 2021 recipient of the Vernon L. Greene Award for Faculty Excellence, Mauck chaired the English Department from 1996–2001, coached the JV boys hockey team for each of his 29 winters at Nobles, and taught at Upward Bound for 20 summers. At the Head of School Dinner last spring, Mauck wrapped up his last official speech at Nobles with these poignant words: “What drew me to Nobles was the premise and promise that teaching matters here. The next generation of Nobles teachers is already here. They will arrive as strangers, and once here, they will learn from the stories, traditions, and models of what teaching at Nobles is all about, and they will be as inspired as I was when I arrived here in 1995. Chief Equity Officer Edgar DeLeon ’04, a former student of Mauck’s at Nobles, returned to work as his colleague, co-teaching the “Race and Identity” course with him. De Leon expressed, “His genuine character, unwavering reliability, and insightful guidance have made him indispensable to my professional and personal growth.”

Reflecting on Mauck’s humility and selflessness, History and Social Science Department Chair Louis Barassi says, “Alden demonstrates what it means to be an engaged school person who does not seek titles, reassurance, or praise, an empathic gentleman who truly cares about the well-being of his colleagues and students, and a dear friend who makes even the dreariest of February days better with his wry humor and earnest kindness.”

Mauck received the Coggeshall Award in spring 2024 for excellence in teaching, presented by Olivia Achtmeyer Boger ’99 and classmates Amanda Helming and Justin Dziama, whose words on the depth of Mauck’s impact brought the audience to tears. “How does one measure a teaching career?” began Boger. “Is it an award bestowed upon one as they retire? Maybe. Is it a party full of toasts and roasts? Hopefully. But maybe the best measure is simply looking out into a crowd and seeing the number of people that you’ve inspired. For you, Alden, there is no room large enough, for it is thousands of people—you are that name of a teacher that sits in so many hearts and comes to mind first when someone says, ‘Tell me about a teacher that you loved.’ And that is a measure that will hopefully inspire whatever you have planned after Nobles.”

 

Don Allard

Multifaceted Educator, Team Player

When middle school history faculty member Don Allard announced his retirement, Assistant Head of School and Head of Middle School John Gifford asked if he would speak at the step-up ceremony, held each spring to celebrate Class V students as they move on to the upper school. “It is a significant moment in my life as well,” said Allard, as he addressed the “fifthies.” “Together, we will venture into new and uncertain times and face challenges. The best piece of advice I can give you is to pick a good partner. For the past 27 years at Nobles, I have been surrounded by wonderful partners. The next chapter will offer you many opportunities to pick good partners and craft new relationships that can be built on kindness, empathy, and equity. Pick partners who will treat you with respect and, in turn, value these positive relationships and nurture these good friendships.”

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Allard came to Nobles with a background in coaching and private business, having worked as a sports administration intern for the Los Angeles Dodgers and as the head football coach for the Harvard freshman football team in the late 1980s.In 1997, Nobles was looking for a head football coach, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 “It was a little bit of a learning curve,” says Allard, recalling his nerves as he juggled his many roles: head football coach, assistant baseball coach, Class III dean, counselor, U.S. history teacher, and admission counselor. Fortunately, these varied roles came naturally to Allard, and over time, he demonstrated an uncanny ability to teach and coach—and thereby connect with students—at all levels. 

A true school person, Allard is regarded by his colleagues as someone who approaches each aspect of his job with selflessness, patience, and kindness. Gifford says, “While Don has worked with both upper- and middle-school-aged students, the majority of his career has been as a vital part of the middle school, teaching students civics and geography and teaching them just as powerfully on the football and baseball field. We have a mantra that we throw around in the middle school: ’We act and make decisions that are in the best interest of our students.’ Don Allard embodies that ideal.” 

“Don is someone who is as talented as the head varsity football coach as he is coaching a middle school team, who is as impactful in teaching Class III history as he is in Class VI geography,” says Head of School Cathy Hall. “His focus is always on where he can bring his talents and time to help our students, colleagues, and the Nobles community the most.”

What advice would Allard give to novice teachers? He points to what former Head of School and English faculty member Dick Baker told him 27 years ago—that his role at Nobles would be more dependent on his growth as a teacher than his success as a coach. “I always took that very seriously,” says Allard. “I worked on my craft of teaching, and I found good mentors. My advice would be to find good mentors, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.” 

There is perhaps no one better suited to capture the essence of a middle school teacher upon his retirement than a middle school student. “I would like to genuinely thank Mr. Allard for everything he has done for me,” shares Nate Brooks ’28. “He has been a teacher, coach, advisor, and mentor, and he has had a tremendous impact on me and my Nobles experience. What has been so special about Mr. Allard is not just his outstanding ability to teach and coach but his uncanny ability to give everyone around him extremely important life lessons that will stick with us forever.”

 


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