Now learning the “strings” of teaching in the music wing, let’s welcome Mr. John Daniels as the newest student teacher working with strings teacher Mrs. Graham!
Where did you go to high school?
Hickory High School in Hermitage, PA.
Where are you going to college?
Westminster College for music education.
How long are you here at Beaver Area High School?
I will be leaving the first week of December and coming back for winter concerts.
Is this the job that you have always wanted to do or did your “path” change and lead you to this new occupation?
No it is not; I have gone through several job changes in my life. Growing up, I wanted to be a firefighter. When I got into high school I was really thinking about becoming a doctor, and then in my senior year of high school something clicked in me and I was like, “you know what, let’s go the music route.”
What is something you want your students here to know about you?
I am always here to help— being a man that is at times intimidating because of my size and my stature, I often get students who are intimidated by me at first because my size might make me seem scary, but I am always here to help.
What is your favorite part about being here so far?
You guys are very different from the setting I grew up in at Hickory . . . I love seeing that wood shop is still a thing, computer tech is still a thing—all those different things still exist here; a lot of them got nixed my freshman year of high school.
Did where you grow up have an impact on your occupation choice?
Yes, Steve Garry (the band director at Hickory), had such a community presence . . . he was a part of all of these things [community organizations] . . . and seeing that community outreach and seeing them [Garry and other music teachers] being not only involved but also the community having such a positive outlook on the teachers.
What is your biggest strength that will help your students here at Beaver Area High School?
My presence.
What is the most satisfying part of your job?
Getting to work with amazing teachers.
If you could study any other subject what would it be?
Biology.
Who was/is your biggest inspiration?
My grandfather was my biggest inspiration. He passed away in 2018. Growing up I always heard stories about him and talked with him . . . He started working in 1950 and did not stop working for 42 years and never took a day off. He always put his family first and he fought for his late wife, Nancy, and he did everything he could to marry her and provide for her and his kids. Even after he passed away, he was able to give that inheritance to my dad, and that completely changed my dad's life and changed his sister's life. The legacy he left was just astounding as he was from Illinois, and I can go anywhere in that town that he grew up in and be recognized as a Daniels.
What is one thing you wish your students would take away from you and remember for life?
I want my students to understand that failure is an option, but continual failure is not.