Mr. Foster, now an HPRSS teacher, began his teaching career in math.
In just a couple weeks, a number of admirable faculty members will be departing from the Choate community. Among them is Mr. Tom Foster, an HPRSS teacher who has worked on campus for 40 years. Before coming to Choate, Mr. Foster taught at the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island. After leaving the Moses Brown School, Mr. Foster came to teach at Choate. Over the course of his time here, Mr. Foster has served Choate in a number of departments.
In addition to teaching history and multiple HPRSS electives, Mr. Foster has held an impressive number of positions in the community. He initially taught math, but has since become more involved in the HPRSS department at Choate, teaching classes in which he enjoys connecting with students over group discussions and individual writing. He also served as an adviser to sophomore and junior girls in McCook House. Between 1990 and 1993, he was a form dean.
As a coach, Mr. Foster has worked with student athletes in boys’ and girls’ squash, as well as girls’ soccer, lacrosse, and tennis. Additionally, Mr. Foster has worked in the Choate administration. He was an adviser to the Student Council and the Director of the Spears Endowment for Moral and Spiritual Education. In the arts, Mr. Foster has taken great pleasure in playing the trombone with Choate’s Jazz Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra, and in the pit for the spring musicals.
There is little doubt that Choate has benefitted from Mr. Foster’s versatility. He feels that his positive interactions with Choate students have allowed him to appreciate his time here. “Working with young people keeps us forever young,” he said.
Ananya Karanam ’18 a member of Mr. Foster’s environmental policy class said, “He’s such an engaging teacher who communicates well with students and really cares about our opinions.”
Baji Tumendemberel ’18 another member of the environmental policy class said, “Under Mr. Foster’s knowledgeable instruction, my spring term at the KEC has been filled with insights and discoveries. Every single group at the center has been sad to leave his class at the end of the year, but we’ll be especially sentimental as this is his last year. Regardless, I’ll cherish his teaching and his advice, always.”
For the time being, Mr. Foster will continue to live on campus with his wife, chair of the HPRSS Department, Ms. Amy Foster. He plans to take a “year off” and, beyond that, has no clear blueprint for his retirement.
