Following in his family’s footsteps

“So far it’s great — the students have been wonderful, colleagues have been very welcoming and it is definitely a very positive environment,” says Edward Griffin, new band teacher and marching band instructor at West Essex with a pleasant outlook at the work in front of him this school year.

Griffin said he’s had a great start to West Essex, being welcomed by the teachers and students helping him work his way into a new school. This is Griffin’s first time teaching on the high school level; he had previous experience with younger students, but said he’s excited by the opportunity to take the reins of a high school marching program.

“I taught middle school before this, it is very different but around what I had expected coming in,” Griffin said.

He said one of his favorite parts of his work is how teaching music gives him the opportunity to get to know the same students throughout several years of high school. After looking and researching this job opportunity, he knew it was for him. Especially the fact that his professor told him and explained how it was a great job, district and overall place he knew he had to try for it.

Music is something he has always been interested in and passionate about, his father was and still is a band director to this day.

“The fact that I get to see students come in the beginning of 9th grade and see them when they leave at the end of 12th grade is pretty cool, I think that is probably my favorite part”.