Michael Meyer, a new social studies teacher at PHS, was once a PHS student himself — class of ’18. Since he graduated, he’s taught at various different schools, including West Windsor. This year, in his third year teaching social studies, he has returned to Princeton. Meyer is teaching both the United States History I and Racial Literacy courses at PHS.
“It’s like you’re sleepwalking and you know all these things. It’s been nice to [get] reacquaint[ed] with a bunch of my teachers … When I was here, we brought [Mrs. Birge] on board and she was amazing. … And Rick Miller, who is a supervisor, … was my APUSH history teacher. It’s just an amazing thing to work with local, homegrown [teachers],” he said of coming back to PHS.
Many of the teachers who taught him social studies now work alongside him in the history department. In addition to Miller, Meyer also had David Roberts in junior year for AP World History. However, many of the other teachers who he once had have already left.
“[There has been] a lot of retirement,” he said. “My freshman year, I had John Baxter. … He retired in 2017. I’ve only [met with] him a couple times since graduation.”
According to him, what hasn’t changed is PHS’s environment. He takes advantage of his unique vantage point as a past student to try and cater to PHS’s students’ needs.
“I always kind of think about … the conditions of the school … of this particular culture which I know well … and how I can channel that toward an interesting and fruitful classroom [experience],” Meyer said. “My experience as a student is central to how I approach teaching. … I definitely try to get in the head … of a student. [I look for] what’s interesting for them [and] what’s challenging for them.”
His interest in social studies stems not just from an interest in the past, but also relates to the present and our future. His point of view is that the past acts as a guide for what’s to come. It generates context for each succeeding generation.
“We have a tendency, and every generation has this tendency, to think that everything happening right now is so unbelievably unprecedented and untethered to anything that’s happened before … We can learn a lot about ourselves in the present and … where we should move in the future from the events [and] decisions of the past,” he said.
When he isn’t teaching, he likes to play board games, take walks, and sing. As a Princeton native, he also enjoys taking late night walks; one of his favorite places to walk being on Princeton University campus.
“I find that at night, a lot of campus is quite beautiful and quite dramatic — especially if it’s raining,” he said. “Specifically, I like the fountain at night … there’s something very beautiful about the evening, the emptiness, and [the sound of] the running water.”