"What's Up Annapolis" Spotlights Mr. McNally!
What drew you to teaching, and specifically to Indian Creek School?
I am drawn to complexity, and teaching is one of the most intellectually demanding professions there is. In research, variables can often be isolated, but a classroom is a dynamic environment where the “variables” change every day. I find that variability incredibly engaging compared to more static technical roles.
I am drawn to complexity, and teaching is one of the most intellectually demanding professions there is. In research, variables can often be isolated, but a classroom is a dynamic environment where the “variables” change every day. I find that variability incredibly engaging compared to more static technical roles.
I chose Indian Creek because it values innovation and autonomy. The administration encourages me to operate as an engineer within the school ecosystem. I’ve been able to build enterprise-level software to solve logistical problems like course scheduling, and I helped design our new makerspace, CREEK Lab. Indian Creek allows me to wear the hats of both an educator and an engineer simultaneously.
How do you design courses around student interest, and what do you hope students take with them?
Because Indian Creek is agile, I can design courses that mirror the rigor of undergraduate studies rather than follow a standard high school script. I build my curriculum backwards from what students will face in technical university programs. The most gratifying feedback I receive is when alumni say they felt more prepared than their college peers.
Because Indian Creek is agile, I can design courses that mirror the rigor of undergraduate studies rather than follow a standard high school script. I build my curriculum backwards from what students will face in technical university programs. The most gratifying feedback I receive is when alumni say they felt more prepared than their college peers.
Beyond content, I want students to develop scientific habits of mind. I want them to be comfortable with uncertainty, to objectively assess evidence, and to understand that scientific knowledge is provisional and evolving. I want them to be thinkers who run toward problems, not away from them.
How do you prepare students for a future shaped by AI and emerging technologies?
I teach students how to navigate the unknown through abstraction. Computer Science helps us create tools that handle the details so we can solve bigger problems. AI is simply the next massive layer of abstraction. The danger is trusting the tool blindly. I focus on “human-in-the-loop” engineering, ensuring students understand foundational principles well enough to verify AI’s output.
I teach students how to navigate the unknown through abstraction. Computer Science helps us create tools that handle the details so we can solve bigger problems. AI is simply the next massive layer of abstraction. The danger is trusting the tool blindly. I focus on “human-in-the-loop” engineering, ensuring students understand foundational principles well enough to verify AI’s output.
If students can use powerful tools to amplify their thinking without losing critical judgment, they’ll be adaptable no matter how technology evolves. It’s a radical shift in education, and I enjoy keeping my curriculum on that edge.
Indian Creek School
Indian Creek school is a co-educational, college preparatory independent school, located in Crownsville, Maryland. Students in Pre-K3 through grade 12 receive a vibrant educational experience based on excellent academics steeped in strong student-teacher connections.
