Argine Safari has overseen an award-winning choir program at Pascack Valley High School Watch video
HILLSDALE -- Argine Safari did not plan on becoming a music teacher.
Growing up in Armenia, she attended a prominent music conservatory in Russia before coming to the United States with her husband and young daughter in 1994.
"All that difficult journey was worth it because I found my true calling," said Safari, who teaches music at Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale. "I found what I love."
And apparently, she's quite good at it. After being honored as Teacher of the Year in the district, she went on to win the award for Bergen County. The honors culminated last month when Safari was declared the New Jersey Teacher of the Year.
"You can be a good teacher, but you have to find where you are supposed to be," she said.
Safari's students praised her teaching skills during a recent visit to her classroom, saying that she's a helpful instructor and genuine person.
During a recent class, Safari's piano was maneuvered every which way in her music room as she danced with the students to encourage them, sang tunes to get them on-key and skipped around the room to raise their enthusiasm level.
Her winnings for the award, sponsored by the New Jersey Education Association and Educational Testing Service, included a new computer and a trip to the White House. Safari said her trip won't likely happen until the new president's term, which has historically been planned for April.
As students filed into her class, she checked in with them -- where did they stand on their college applications? How were their weekends?
Then, it was down to business.
"2, 3, 4, ready go!"
They performed a song from "Hamilton," and sang along to Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours." As students became discouraged by not being able to hit some of the notes, Safari had words of encouragement:
"Move, and get into it."
"Everyone needs to be smiling."
"You have this!"
Safari's choral program has won a number of competitions and her students travel the country -- and sometimes beyond -- to sing.
Safari tries to give her students a broad understanding of the songs, the culture from which they came from and the languages in which they're performed. She also partners with other teachers so the students can learn the music from different perspectives, said Thomas DeMaio, principal at Pascack Valley.
"It's an education you won't find anywhere else," he said. "And the students don't even realize they're learning."
For example, Safari is collaborating with the theater teacher to educate the students on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The class will discuss how Shakespeare has been interpreted throughout the years and act out scenes. They'll also attend the Metropolitan Opera to see the play performed as an opera.
DeMaio said that the students have performed songs in at least 10 different languages and that about a dozen students have gone on to study music.
DeMaio said that Safari has also changed the culture of choir at the high school since coming to the school in 2005. In 2007, she started the "Bro Squad," an all-male a cappella group to encourage boys to join choir.
"I just needed something cool to get boys to join," Safari said, adding that she'd poke her head into the hall to get students into the classroom.
She said the Bro Squad has grown to include more than 20 students. She estimates that more than 100 students overall are in her choir classes.
"She pushed me as a teacher to go beyond what I was capable of," said Joe Ballesteros, who is now studying nursing at The College of New Jersey, and was once a member of the Bro Squad.
Outside of the school, Safari is a founding member of a non-profit theater arts company and choir director at her church.
As part of her award, Safari will take a six-month paid sabbatical to travel the state, meet with teachers and tell the state's Department of Education how the programs can be improved.
"I'll miss my kids," Safari said.
Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.