Norm Kerman, Social Studies Teacher at Pinkerton Academy
Norm Kerman knows Pinkerton Academy is special. From showing Pinkerton’s campus to out-of-state friends to teaching in the same classroom where he used to sit as a student, Norm can’t help but recognize Pinkerton’s impact, especially on his life.
From a student at Pinkerton to a teacher
Since middle school, Norm knew he wanted to be a teacher. From collaborating on projects to bringing out the best in others, Norm figured he’d end up in a classroom one day just like his mom.
A veteran teacher, Norm’s mom taught at Pinkerton for more than 30 years, retiring just a few years ago. Determined to pursue a similar career path, Norm graduated from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 2021 with a history degree, but he still wasn’t quite sure where he’d teach and if he’d ever get to teach at Pinkerton.
When the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in his original teaching plans, he decided (with a little encouragement from his mom) to give substitute teaching at Pinkerton a try in October 2021. Norm subbed for several teachers — sometimes for just a day or two and sometimes for a week or more. When a social studies teacher took maternity leave, the Pinkerton team asked Norm to help fill in for three months. He did, and at the end of the school year, a full-time position opened up. Without hesitation, Norm applied and was hired as a full-time social studies teacher.
Despite attending Pinkerton as a student and getting to teach where his mom taught, Norm pointed to the breadth of options at Pinkerton and the caring teachers as the main reasons for accepting the position.
“The schedule is great, but the impact stood out to me,” said Norm. “I wasn’t a reader growing up at all, but I had great teachers throughout elementary school and middle school who pushed me to read and grow. They truly wanted the best for me. Looking back, I now recognize the value in what they did for me, particularly for someone like me who just didn’t know how to focus their energy in the correct direction. For me, that was a moment where I realized I could make an impact — solidifying what I wanted to do when I grew up.”
Supporting students in the classroom and on the baseball diamond
Now a familiar face around the Pinkerton campus, Norm enjoys teaching freshman students and recognizes the pivotal point in their lives.
“Pinkerton has absolutely everything,” said Norm. “If there’s something students are interested in, they can find it on campus. If they can’t, there are so many resources here. With the sheer size of Pinkerton, there is at least someone on campus — if not dozens — guaranteed to have the same interests.”
Despite those great opportunities, Norm also recognizes that it takes a team to support each student — just like when he was a student and his teachers helped him read and grow.
“I had a student last school year who didn’t complete any of their work, didn’t have an interest in school, and just knew that they had to be at school because the law said they had to be there,” said Norm. “I kept in contact with the student because I would see them now and then. Since then, they’ve taken so many positive steps forward — not just in their academic abilities and their effort, but in their choices. They’re doing great things with their life right now and seeing that growth is just incredible. Someone at Pinkerton is impacting them — whether that was me or another teacher down the hall or even a friend that happens to be here at Pinkerton — someone is doing it and it’s awesome to see.”
Those growth moments stick out to Norm and are something he’s also got to see outside of the classroom. A former high school baseball player, Norm grew up practicing on Pinkerton’s diamonds and today, is an assistant coach for the varsity team.
“Last year, I helped out the freshman team and that was great because I was also teaching most of them,” said Norm. “It was cool to see them not just in the classroom, but also out on the field and having those different conversations.”
A close group that supports everyone
In March, a group of teachers from Pinkerton attended UNH History Department’s Second Annual History Day. The event gave history and social studies teachers from the surrounding areas a chance to join UNH’s staff for a day of professional development and learn new knowledge and materials to help support future classroom instruction — just one of the many professional development opportunities available for teachers at Pinkerton.
A tight-knit group, Norm can’t help but smile when talking about his colleagues in his department.
“Everybody knows everybody,” said Norm. “People know each other’s kids and they know what their kids are doing. I’m 24, almost 25. I don’t have kids, but I know my colleagues’ kids and I’ve met most of them. We’re a pretty tight-knit group and the support level is high, especially in our social studies department.”
Those relationships extend out of the social studies department too, and Norm often has conversations with other colleagues about specific students, teaching strategies, and advice for working with former students.
“Those conversations are super beneficial,” said Norm. “It’s helpful because things often change from freshman year. Circumstances change. People just change. Our rooms are critical for those conversations and I try to help provide insight when someone else might not have the complete picture of a student.”
Those relationships and bonds are long-lasting and a huge reason Norm enjoys being around Pinkerton so much. In fact, there are a few former Pinkerton students who work on campus now in some form.
“Each year, we all go on stage after our big meeting before the official start of the school year and take an alumni photo with all the faculty and staff that work at Pinkerton. We fill up the stage each time and our group keeps growing.”
And that in itself, speaks volumes.
