A Farewell to Mr. Griffiths

William “Bill” Griffiths joined Deerfield Academy in the fall of 2020. Prior to Deerfield, he taught at a private college preparatory school in Kansas City, Missouri for seventeen years. At Deerfield, he taught mathematics, served on the Admissions Committee, and coached Junior Varsity Football and Thirds Basketball.

Max Peh ’24, who is in Mr. Griffiths’ AP Calculus BC class, said that his ‘Philosophy Days’ will be memorable because they “made [mathematicians’] work more interesting.” Peh added, “He makes everyone in his class feel welcome; I’ve never been afraid to speak or ask questions. It’s a really safe and productive learning environment where everyone is able to enquire about what they want to learn about.”

Emily Feng ’22, who is also in AP Calculus BC, commented, “He’s the most supportive teacher and mentor and person […] He always made me feel that I was being supported and never felt that I was asking as stupid question. […] He emphasizes improvement and makes sure that we understand everything.”

She added, “He genuinely cares about his students […] and makes sure they’re okay,” and that they are “confident and comfortable in their abilities.”