English

Words and language fascinate me. I love to read fictional novels and I believe I am a fairly confident and creative writer. I love to talk to people, articulating whatever happens to be on my mind at the time and listening to what they have to say. Hopefully there’s usually a balance between the two! I also enjoy television and movies, particularly if I can get lost in someone else’s drama for a little while. During the summers I teach English as a Second Language to international teenagers. Learning about other cultures and languages is exciting and enlightening for me. I also love to run. I have coached cross country and track and field over the years, and I often participate in local road races and have completed three marathons. The past few years have been busy and momentous for me. I got married, purchased a home and started a family. I now have two wonderful little boys who keep me active, supply me with constant entertainment and wonder, and fill me with more pride and happiness than I ever thought possible. If you stop by my classroom or catch me in the hallways, I’m sure you’ll wind up hearing about them! Three words that describe me well are sensitive, proud and frenetic. Bringing these traits into the classroom, I believe, has made me a strong and happy teacher.

Thomas grew up in Jamaica Plain and went to high school at Catholic Memorial in West Roxbury. After graduating from Tufts with a major in English, he stayed at Tufts to coach in the men’s basketball program. Thomas also enrolled in the Education Department and started working toward a master’s degree. A year of coaching, graduate school work, and student teaching in the Medford and Somerville schools convinced him that he wanted to teach and coach at the high school level. The following fall he started teaching, coaching, and running a dormitory at an independent boarding school in southeastern Massachusetts. After nine years, the Mannings decided to move back to the Boston area to try day-school life, and he happily landed at Beaver in the fall of 1990 as an English teacher and basketball coach. It has been exciting to be part of Beaver’s growth and development over the years, and he continues to enjoy his work with Beaver students and their families.