By Marisa Iati, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — Lower Middle School band teacher Christian Smith will retire at the end of the school year after teaching in the district for 37 years.
In 1974, immediately after his graduation from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, Mr. Smith began teaching music to fourth, fifth and sixth grades at Orchard Road School.
Mr. Smith joined the faculty at the Lower Middle School six years ago when the fifth grade relocated there.
In addition to music, Mr. Smith has taught chorus and band and directed several elementary school musicals. While working at Orchard Road in the 1980s, he began teaching only band, which has been his focus.
”At that time, I was doing the musicals and the chorus and general music,” said Mr. Smith. “The band director at the high school felt like he needed more help, and that’s when I started teaching band lessons. As the school continued to grow, I could no longer do the band and the chorus and general music, so I decided to go into the band portion.”
Mr. Smith said his favorite part of teaching in the district was directing the musicals.
”When I started teaching, it was my choral experience and being involved in plays that really sparked my interest in working on the plays with kids,” said Mr. Smith. “I enjoyed putting on those productions year after year.”
In 1999, when Orchard Hill became too big for Mr. Smith to continue to direct plays, he founded a community theater company called Sourland Hills Actors Guild. The Guild has produced more than 20 performances since its inception in 2000.
”I think musical theater has been the most fulfilling for me,” said Mr. Smith. “I’ve enjoyed doing that more than anything else.”
Mr. Smith said the most challenging part of teaching was disciplining students.
”When you’re a young teacher right out of college you think that because you have a great idea the kids are just going to follow you and do it,” said Mr. Smith. “It doesn’t always work that way.”
Mr. Smith said he eventually learned that young people enjoy limits on their actions.
”The rules help guide them and frame what they have to do,” said Mr. Smith. “When kids break the rules, they’re testing if the rules are really there or not. It made a difference in that I don’t get angry anymore.”
Mr. Smith said during his retirement, he plans to work with fourth grade students in the mornings before school. He also intends to help with the Music from the Heart concerts that teachers and administrators produce to benefit the Montgomery Township Education Association and to create scholarship funds.
”I enjoy building sets and doing tech work, so I would like to be involved in that,” said Mr. Smith. “My set-building skills have come from another part of my life, which is carpentry. I enjoy that, so I think some of my retirement time will be that.”
Mr. Smith also said he would like to do some farming.
”I would like to get a small farm up in Hunterdon County and grow my own vegetables and have some sheep and chickens and have a little relaxing farm to live on,” he said.
