Mrs. Worthington on Shakespeare, Curiosity, and Connection

In Episode 30 of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Mrs. Ashley Worthington, University School English teacher, Head of McCarraher House, and Anderson Scholars and Humanities advisor. She takes us back to a childhood spent between Virginia, Boston, and Ohio, growing up with her twin brother in a close-knit family led by a remarkable single mother, and to the books that first shaped her imagination, from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to Goosebumps and The Babysitters Club. From there, we follow the path of a student who loved language, literature, and learning, was deeply influenced by a ninth grade English teacher who changed her life and eventually found her way back to school after time in the corporate world to study English at Ohio State. Mrs. Worthington reflects on how Shakespeare kept calling her back, how teaching always felt like her true direction, and how her first visit to University School, right in the middle of finishing her thesis, quickly made clear that this was where she wanted to be.

From there, the episode becomes a conversation about what great teaching actually looks like: not just delivering material, but building curiosity, community, and real human connection. Mrs. Worthington opens up about teaching literature at an all-boys school, making Shakespeare accessible rather than intimidating, and why works like Hamlet still matter because of how powerfully they capture the human experience. She talks about the purpose of daily writing, the creativity behind the annual Shakespeare Assembly, and the challenge of guiding students through long-form humanities research without losing sight of wonder. More than anything, she returns to a simple but powerful philosophy: education should help students feel that what they do matters. And at the center of it all is her why: to care for students well, to help them grow as readers and people, and to make sure they leave her classroom, their house, and this school feeling fulfilled, seen, and connected to something meaningful.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.