Dean of the Week: Johnny Griffith

By Otto Do and Celine Gu

In his 14 years at the Academy, Dean of Health and Wellness and English Instructor Johnny Griffith has served in many roles—many of them athletic. He has been a dorm affiliate at Dow House and Browning, a dorm head in Main Street, and an assistant coach and coach of Junior Varsity Girls’ Basketball, Varsity Girls’ Basketball, Club Basketball and Club Soccer Coach. 

Griffith’s involvement in coaching at Exeter reflects his own interest in sports. “If you’ve ever been inside of his classroom, he has decorations of different baseball teams, books about baseballs and physical signed baseballs on his bookshelf,” senior Hassane Fiteni said. Griffith also enjoys playing pickleball, running and boating in his free time.

In addition to sports, Griffith hikes frequently. “He just began hiking the 48 4000 footers in New Hampshire. He is up to six so far but hopes to finish under five years,” Dean of Academic Affairs Laura Marshall said. Griffith hopes to travel to Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Greece and Ireland, taking his passion for hiking to new terrains.

Though Griffith now considers New England to be his home, he hasn’t lost his Texan charm. Upper Matthew Chen described how Texas lives within his accent. “It only comes out on certain syllables, particularly the ‘wh’ sound in words such as ‘when’ or ‘why,’ which come out more like ‘hwen’ and ‘hwhy,’” Chen said.

Griffith is well-known for his elaborate haunted houses every Halloween. According to Marshall, “he begins his planning process in August, and it takes an entire month to set it up. Obsession is really an understatement.” This hard work pays off, as many of his close friends recall his annual haunted houses as being some of their fondest memories together.

As an English Instructor, Griffith finds great joy in making connections with students. “My favorite type of conversation is one in which I feel like I’m able to connect with a student’s experience and help the make sense of that experience, whether in the form of writing a personal narrative or personal essay about that experience or just figuring out how that experience figures into their overall development as a human being,” he said. “I went into education because I love being with students, and I guess some of my favorite memories of being with students is working with them in the classroom as an English teacher but also being with them out on the soccer pitch or the basketball court.”

Marshall, who met Griffith at the Wolfeboro Camp School, noted that Griffith cared for teenagers, particularly those who struggled, long before he arrived at Exeter.

Senior Hassane Fiteni commented on Griffith’s impact as an instructor. “When I first met him, he came off as very knowledgeable, very intelligent as many [at] Exeter are,” Fiteni said. “He balances intelligence, kindness and helpfulness. He cares for his students like they are his children but treats them with the respect of adults.”

Fiteni elaborated on the specific ways Griffith has helped him grow. “One part of his Harkness rubric is non-verbal participation. I learned that inviting others to speak is just as important as being confident in my own words,” Fiteni said. 

Beyond English, Fiteni has held many prolonged conversations with Griffith. “When I conferenced my papers with him, I got to talk to him about other things as well. He started telling me about the history of the Academy and about changes the English Department has undergone. He gave me a more holistic appreciation for Exeter,” Fiteni said.

Griffith has even made an impact during the community’s virtual spring. “During our spring term online, Mr. Griffith gave us opportunities to talk about racial violence and global pandemics and offered our English class as a safe discussion space,” senior Hannah Lee said.

Fiteni also noticed Griffith’s eagerness for social change. “During the Black Lives Matter protests, Mr. Griffith talked to us about anti-Black and anti-Asian racism. When I talked to him about social justice, I could tell that he was well-read and knowledgeable,” Fiteni said. “He is one of the more ‘woke’ English teachers, so to speak.”

This year, Griffith has stepped into a new administrative position. “I have enjoyed being part of a team working to find solutions and meet the complicated demands of all the new challenges we’re facing,” he said. “Every hour of every day is a little different. There’s an element of unpredictability to the work that is both interesting and exhausting. But mostly interesting.”

Still, his focus on student lives remains ever-present. “My best day would be a day when I feel like I am able to make a positive impact on behalf of at least one student in need of support or assistance while also taking care of myself by getting outside for a hike or a game of tennis,” Griffith said. “There would also be a place in there to spend some time with my family.”

 “Before Exeter, I tried to imagine what the teachers would be like—were they the kind that I would remember as life-changing?” Fiteni said. “Mr. Griffith is definitely one of those teachers for me. When I think about legends in the English Department, Mr. Griffith definitely stands among them.”