Josh Hembree has taught math and served as head varsity girls’ basketball coach since 2007. He also coaches boys’ and girls’ golf and is the faculty FCA sponsor. Mr. Hembree holds a B.S. in Mathematics Education and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Berry College, where he played basketball and was a member of the coaching staff. In 2012, he led the Lady Tigers basketball team to a school-record 27 wins and to the third round of state. He has been named Region 6A Coach of the Year on multiple occasions and was the 2012 Darlington Female Sport Coach of the Year. Mr. Hembree attended Vinemont High School in Alabama, where he was Class 3A Player of the Year runner up in 1999, an All-State selection and valedictorian of the Class of 1999. He and his wife, Amber, have two daughters, Alli Grace and Annaka.
How did you start working at Darlington and what were your first thoughts?
I was hired in May 2007. When I came here to interview, I actually did not want to come to Darlington. I had other job offers back home in Alabama, which is where my family is originally from, and I wanted to be closer to my family. I can remember standing in the parking lot and praying to God, asking for this door to be closed so that I could return to my home and family in Alabama. But from the moment I set foot on the campus, I was overwhelmed by the hospitality and generosity of the people here. The people were kind and cared for each other; it was just overwhelming.
How is Darlington now different than Darlington from years ago?
For me personally, in 2007 I was teaching in Coach Harrison’s classroom, so everything was a lot smaller. I was also teaching eight or nine students, but now I’m teaching around eighteen to twenty students. My first year here I taught Algebra 3 and Pre-calculus, but now I also teach AP Calculus and Calculus. Over the years, I have seen leaders from both students and faculty come and go, people like Dr. Mark Carleton, Gordon Hight, and now Max Roach. Next year, we’ll have a new leader at this school. If there’s one thing you can say about Darlington, it’s that it is dynamic; it’s always changing and always trying to improve. Also, I have seen a lot more students taking more and more advanced classes. It could be bad for some students, but we want students to push themselves and be successful, to be the best that they can be.
What is the most impressive experience you have had at Darlington?
When I first came here to interview, I came on a Wednesday. So that day, during the chapel service, I watched a young lady named Caitlin Davidson ('07). She came up to podium and talked about how she had just lost her father and how her faith and trust in God had allowed her to get through that. She talked about the great support system here and its great community. It was just an overwhelming experience, and it sealed the deal for me. This was where God had for me to be at that time. It was pretty awesome.
What do you recommend doing for people who want to do better in math?
I have a lot of students who sit in class and watch me work the problems on the board. At that time, it makes perfect sense to them, but when they sit down and try to get their ideas on paper, it’s very difficult. So math is very hands-on insofar as you have to do it on your own. You cannot simply look at a page of notes and say “I get it.” Math is something that you have to learn after working problem after problem after problem. You have to have a very good understanding of the subject, and students need to practice to get that kind of understanding. I tell my students to do a third of the problems in a given number of problems for homework. That way, if they want to do extra work to understand the topic, then they have two-thirds of the problems left for practice. It’s very similar to other skills; it needs practice.
