Celebrating ‘Kirk’ and his 48-year Hingham Public Schools legacy

June 10, 2020 by by Carol Britton Meyer

Jim Kirkcaldy -- affectionately known as "Kirk" to his colleagues and friends -- is retiring this month after spending his entire 48-year career at Hingham High School, first as a social studies teacher and later as K-12 director of social studies, and loving every minute of it.

"I'm one of the luckiest people I know. I actually loved my job with a passion," he said. "I found my calling at an early age and loved being in the classroom, teaching a subject that I love. It never seemed like work to me."

Besides spending time with his family, what he enjoys most is teaching. Even after stepping down from the director role in 2015, Kirkcaldy continued to teach one class of AP European History for five more years.

Now in 2020, it's official -- Kirkcaldy will retire this month as the members of the Class of 2020 also wrap up their time at HHS.

He will no longer teach the HHS AP class, but he will continue to lead various workshops throughout the country and currently teaches US and World History at the college level.

'Wonderful colleague'

Principal Rick Swanson has "enormous respect and admiration" for Kirkcaldy. "He's someone who loves history and working with kids who found exactly the right way to spend his adult life," he said. "He was completely happy in his work, which contributed to his excellence. His expertise in the history field is unparalleled in our district."

Swanson also called him a "wonderful colleague. There's not one person in the entire school who doesn't feel the way about Kirk. He is universally loved and admired and will be greatly missed."

Current Director of Social Studies for K-12 Andy Hoey recognized Kirkcaldy for his long service to the HPS during a teleconference School Committee meeting earlier this month.

"As a teacher, Kirk has positively impacted thousands of students, and as a department director and professional development provider, he has impacted countless more. Hingham’s social studies department is strong today because of the solid foundation that Kirk established long ago," Hoey said.

Kirkcaldy began teaching at HHS in 1972 after graduating from college in 1971. "I was the youngest teacher at the high school!" he recalls. In 1993 he was appointed to the position now held by Hoey, continuing in that role until five years ago.

Student accolades

"During his nearly half-century of service, Kirk has built a reputation as not only a master teacher, but also as a beloved teacher," Hoey said in his remarks.  "As tributes have been pouring in from former students — from the 1970s to the current year — it’s amazing how consistent the comments are."

HHS alums fondly recount that Kirkcaldy developed in them a lifelong appreciation for history; helped them learn how to learn; made history interesting; treated each class of students the same -- engaging, respecting, and challenging them; brought the scope of history to life; taught his classes the value of critical thinking; and held them to high standards while supporting them along the way.

Kirkcaldy was known for speaking to students as he walked through the halls, even if he didn't know them. On one occasion he complimented a student who had recently performed a jazz solo during a school assembly.

Three years later when she was a student in his class the young woman told him how much his stopping her in the hallway to show appreciation for her solo had meant to her.

"Former students recall his warm smile, his friendly demeanor, and especially his quirky sense of humor — including his famous dead fruit collection," Hoey said.

Kirkcaldy explained to the Hingham Anchor what that comment meant -- a very funny example of his sense of humor. "I was 'famous' for the dried-out banana I used as a pointer. I didn't tell the class what it was until a student asked me about it, and I responded, 'a dead banana!'"

Kirkcaldy was "overwhelmed" by what he referred to as the School Committee "zoom party," which featured a student playing the bagpipes as a tribute to his Scottish heritage, and which he used to play himself.

'I want to be like you'

A Class of 1983 student recalled Kirkcaldy as being "knowledgeable, engaging, caring, strict, and kind at the same time . . . . I still want to be like you when I grow up," he said.

A member of the Class of 2000 shared that being in Kirkcaldy's class "gave me a lot of confidence and made me feel smart and capable . . . . I can walk into nearly any art museum and I know something about why the art was painted the way it was, or what the historical significance of the subject matter is."
That's because Kirkcaldy brought his students to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for field trips, integrating art into his social studies classes to help put into perspective what they were learning, since art is a reflection on society and the times. "Knowledge is power," he said.

From a Class of 2011 student: "I’ve had many remarkable history teachers in my academic career, but you stand out for your endless enthusiasm, patient encouragement, and kooky humor."

From a member of the Class of 2020: Your jokes, funny stories, love for history, and immense appreciation for art were a bright spot in my school day."
Kirkcaldy finds the accolades posted about him on the blog created by Hoey to be "heartwarming."

Looking back, Kirkcaldy has always had a love for this subject. In subsequent years, he decided he wanted to teach history, attending Bridgewater State College to earn his bachelor's degree. He also holds a master's degree in history from the University of Rhode Island.

He will always feel gratitude for Ruth Butterfield, director of social studies at Hingham High at the time he was hired -- for "seeing something in me" during a time when jobs were scarce and "having the faith in me" to hire him as a teacher.

"If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be the happy man I am today," Kirkcaldy said. "I couldn't have worked in a better school system than Hingham's."
'I would make students smile and laugh'

He never took the students in his classes for granted, which is one reason he was such a successful teacher. "I would make them smile and laugh, and then everything else would fall into place," he said. "The kids want to be challenged, but also treated fairly and as equals."

Perhaps one of Kirkcaldy's biggest achievements has been building a cohesive, collegial department. "When he first became director, Kirk had been the youngest teacher in a department of veterans. Since then, he has hired nearly every member on our staff," Hoey said.

It's a fitting tribute to Kirkcaldy that this year the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies recognized the HHS social studies department for its inaugural Recognition of Excellence in Teaching Social Studies Award, just as the Council awarded Kirkcaldy the Outstanding Social Studies Supervisor award in 2015.

"As a master teacher of A.P. European History, traveling around the country and Canada to lead professional development workshops and A.P. Institutes, Kirk’s influence is truly international!" Hoey said.

Long legacy

As Kirkcaldy prepares for his June 17 retirement, Hoey had this to say in his closing remarks: "I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that HHS is losing an institution, but his legacy will long continue. One tangible way is through our newly-created junior book award, the James J. Kirkcaldy Award for Excellence in History. But even more so, those of us who have had the privilege to have been hired by Kirk, mentored by him, and worked alongside of him, are all better teachers because of him. Future HHS students will therefore continue to benefit from Kirk’s love of history and his joy in teaching it."

Kirkcaldy praised the HPS for having the foresight to coordinate its social studies program -- starting at the kindergarten level -- providing continuity in teaching and a smooth transition for students from grade to grade.

He also expressed appreciation for the HPS teachers, administrators, and staff, who he said "really care about the kids."

Kirkcaldy looks forward to spending more time with his family -- including his four grandchildren, who live nearby --and reading history (his favorite) and other books. He also hinted that he might like to be a guide at the Museum of Fine Arts or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where he spent many happy hours with his students.