Kelle Griffin
Kelle Griffin is a Career & Technical Education (CTE) teacher at the high school. She grew up in Brookline, attended the Lawrence School, and now lives in Cambridge. As a former English teacher, she likes to read in her free time. She also enjoys yoga, cooking and dining out. Over the summer, she participated in professional development and travelled to Vermont.
Are there any memories that stand out from your childhood?
At the corner of Harvard Street and Beals Street there was a penny candy store, Irvings, and it was there for sixty years. It closed down a few years ago because it was owned by a couple. [After] he died, the widow lived many years more and continued running the store until she passed away. So, that was wonderful. My grandfather owned a restaurant on Harvard Street, so I spent a lot of time there, stealing pickles from the pickle jar.
What drew you to teaching in the first place?
I actually knew in high school that I wanted to be a teacher. I think part of my choice had to do [not only] with not having incredible experiences [in school], but also having a couple of really incredible teachers. In particular, my math teacher took a deep interest in his softball players, and I just felt like such an important person. He made me feel valuable.
What drew you to teaching in the first place?
I actually knew in high school that I wanted to be a teacher. I think part of my choice had to do with not having incredible experiences [in school], but also having a couple of really incredible teachers. In particular, my math teacher took a deep interest in his softball players, and I just felt like such an important person. He made me feel valuable.
What do you like about Brookline High School?
I love coming home. I feel like Brookline has always been a place that I love and being a part of the Brookline community again is just wonderful. I like biking to Brookline. It is a great location for me, so when I work, I get to bike to work, which is so much fun. I mean when we went into remote learning, I had not realized how active I was just working, and then all of a sudden I was not biking to work, I was not running around a classroom all day, so that is what I miss second to being with students.
What is something about you that others might find surprising?
I used to be painfully shy, but no one believes that now; I’m such a social butterfly. I’m also galeophobic, which means the fear of sharks. People say that they are phobic, and they just mean that they are really afraid of certain things, but I am actually phobic. When I’m in a swimming pool, I panic sometimes because I think I’m going to be eaten by a shark.