Teacher of many talents joins Manville faculty

Raymond Cwieka has taught math and science in Colombia, Venezuela and Japan; written books on European formal and ballet dancing; studied Asian art in Hawaii and been a county college instructor.

By: Krzysztof Scibiorski
   This summer has seen an influx of new teachers in the Manville School District. They will bring a wealth of experiences to their new schools.
   Raymond Cwieka, the new mathematics teacher at Manville High School, has a range of interests and accomplishments that are sure to make him one of the most unique educators in the district. In today’s world of narrow specialization, Mr. Cwieka stands apart: He has taught math and science to students in Colombia, Venezuela and Japan; written books on European formal and ballet dancing; studied Asian art in Hawaii; and been an instructor at both Essex and Middlesex county colleges.
   His educational background provides a glimpse into the diverse fields that capture his interests. Mr. Cwieka holds both a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in history from Rutgers University, as well as an electrical engineering degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also studied Asian art at the University of Hawaii, but does not hold a degree in that field.
   As wide-ranging as this list is, it does little to indicate what Mr. Cwieka describes as his "greatest passion," the study of the history and development of European — and especially Polish — formal dancing. Mr. Cwieka has pursued this interest with a great passion, living in Poland for three years in order to research this subject. Not content with simply researching the history of dance, Mr. Cwieka has self-published numerous books on the subject and hopes that even with his new responsibilities at Manville High School, he will find the time to work on the second edition of his books.
   When describing his command of foreign languages, Mr. Cwieka modestly claims that his Spanish has gotten rusty since his stays in Colombia and Venezuela, but he can "at least fake it." Through living in Poland and studying the history of dance, he also has mastered the Polish, Russian and German languages.
   Recently, Mr. Cwieka taught electronics at both Essex and Middlesex county colleges, in addition to working as an electronic technician for the U.S. Postal Service. He had wanted to resume his teaching career at the high school level and said he is happy to have joined the Manville School District.
   He said he hopes to be able to share his interests in dance, astronomy and physics with the school community. He also will continue to teach electronics courses at Essex County Community College.