Drew Polly '99
Drew Polly '99 is a professor in the elementary education program at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Charlotte. He spends his days teaching future teachers and working in schools to help teachers improve how they teach math to elementary school students. Polly is currently in his 27th year of coaching youth soccer and 25th year as a teacher or professor.
In his career, Polly has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. According to Polly, he is most proud of "teaching over 800 future teachers and teachers who have made tremendous impacts in the lives of children."
When asked how William & Mary has shaped his career, Polly has two highlights that still resonate with him. First, encouragement to explore interests. William & Mary faculty and people with whom Polly interacted stressed the importance of a liberal arts education with a focus on specific interests. In his case, Polly was interested in exercise science (Kinesiology) and teaching (Elementary Education). He had support from faculty in both departments to take advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom – coaching youth soccer, volunteering for Kinesiology research projects, and volunteering in various educational projects that involved tutoring and teaching. Polly was given advice to take advantage of opportunities and see what areas he was most interested in.
The second highlight that resonates with Polly is partnerships and community interactions. As an education major, he was placed at D.J. Montague Elementary School for an internship. Montague was a school where William & Mary faculty and students visited and spent time in consistently working together with teachers as collaborative partners to help all of the students. This type of partnership model is something that Polly has established with schools in Charlotte. His Charlotte team won a national award for their partnerships, and Polly will be awarded with a national award in March 2024 for his work with school-university partnerships.
"In addition to constant mentorship during my junior and senior years, I had a number of experiences during my senior year that carried over for multiple years after graduation. Dr. Margie Mason and Dr. Dana Johnson gave me the privilege to work closely with them during my senior year and for a few years after graduation on summer mathematics projects," Polly says. "I also had the privilege to work with Dr. Robert (Bob) Hannafin, a former faculty member, on various educational technology projects. In both of those experiences, each of them mentored me and taught me so much about the work that I do now - how to teach college students, adult learners who are teachers, and be a support to teachers in multiple ways."
