The S Word podcast is back in session with its first episode of the 2020-2021 year: a conversation with new interim principal Nicole Griffith. In an exclusive interview with The Shield, Griffith talks about her Texan childhood, her time in the Australian Outback, the benefits of project-based learning and her first impressions of the Mac community culture. Photo courtesy of Nicole Griffith.
Griffith: Authentic tasks create best student experience
What did new principal learn in Chicago, Australia and Paris that she will bring to Mac? Listen to our podcast to find out.
August 23, 2020
Interim principal Nicole Griffith wasn’t the only new voice in our first podcast of the year. The audio engineer and the hosts were also new. The episode allows listeners to travel from Texas to Chicago, to Australia, to Paris and back to Austin without leaving their homes. Graphic by Theo Roe.
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![This is Paul Pew's high school graduation photo. The 2023-2024 school year marked his 34th year of teaching. He began his career in Washington, then came to McCallum where he has taught for the past 17. At heart though, he’s really a musician. One that grew up in many different places, including Chicago and California, who took interest in teaching from a young age. His high school choir experience, along with some international singing in college, persuaded him that teaching was his path. He knew he wanted to be able to help create works of art in the fine arts department as well, so he joined McCallum. He’s worked on many of the musicals over the years, even before Joshua Denning, the former theatre director of the fine arts program arrived. Before him was a different director: Tatum.
“I was the music director for all the musicals,” Pew said. “[Mr. Tatum and I] worked very hard, and I just got to the point where I was satisfied with it.” Although he may not be as prominent of a member in the musical theatre community at McCallum anymore, he still plays piano. “I still do a lot of music down at the Music end of the building,” Pew said. Photo courtesy of Paul Pew.](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Paul-Pew-1974-888x1200.jpg)
