By Molly Gunther
There was a phase in elementary school where Nancy Griffith would come home after school and teach her stuffed animals what she had learned that day.
“That went away and I wanted to be a biologist which I ended up being,” Griffith said. “Then somebody said to me ‘why don’t you try teaching? I think you’d enjoy it.’ So I got a job as a classroom aide and just loved it.”
Griffith started her teaching at the middle school level and now she is the new principal at Mark Twain Middle School. The position was posted in July, which meant a hectic move for Griffith. She is still in the process of shifting everything from her home in Talent, Ore.
“I had the second interview and as I was driving back down to Talent, the superintendent had called and offered me the job at a rest area,” Griffith said.
Griffith was assistant principal at North Medford High School. She missed working with middle school students, and when the position at Mark Twain opened, she seized the opportunity.
“My dream job has always been to work at a small middle school,” Griffith said. “I’ve been at North Medford High School which has 1,700 plus students. I’ve wanted to move to a smaller district and a smaller school where you can really get to know the staff, students and parents.”
Silver Falls Superintendent Andy Bellando said Griffith brings many years of teaching and administrative experience to the position at Mark Twain and understands the importance of middle school education.
Mark Twain principal
Family: Husband, Troy,
three dogs, three horses, a cat.
High School: Regis, Stayton, Ore.
College: Bachelor of Science, biology,
Southern Oregon University;
Masters in Education, Willamette University;
Initial Administrative Licensure,
Southern Oregon University
Favorite middle school class: Choir
What she’s reading: It’s About Time:
A Framework for Proficiency-based Teaching
and Learning and the draft of a
friend’s historical fiction novel
Griffith said she was a shy student in middle school, and insists now she enjoys working with the age group because they are still willing to have fun.
“They can be a little crazy but they’re also learning to make decisions for themselves and I love seeing that process,” Griffith said. “They fail sometimes but they try again. I really like that part of the development of people, that transition phase.”
Griffith has fun outside of school, riding horses, going on day trips to the coast and hiking with her husband, Troy. They were married at Crater Lake National Park. Now, she is looking forward to the start of the school year and to learning different things along the way. Already she has a clear and simple approach to discipline.
“Discipline is problem solving,” Griffith said. “You have to know what the rules are and what the expectations are first. When those are broken, there has to be an explanation, why this was an issue and how can we make this better.”
Griffith’s primary mission is to keep everyone focused on the goal of student success.
“This success is not only academics, but also citizenship and positive relationships,” Griffith said. “An effective school is one where the students and staff build relationships that allow for learning to take place. Students can then grow both academically and emotionally and be prepared for what lies ahead.”
