Taliff, Edward M.

By: Kendra Williams

Name: Edward M. Taliff
Department: Business and Computer teacher
Education: Mount Union Area High School, PA; Juniata College, PA; Masters in Business at Shippensburg, PA; Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University.
Previous Jobs: Lifeguard for 15 years, 3rd grade teacher at Shirley Township Elementary School, PA for one year, teacher at Huntingdon Area High School, PA for 15 years
First year at MBHS: 1999.
Hobbies: Weight training, scuba diving, snorkeling, and traveling to new places.

Dr. Edward M. Taliff has been a business and computer teacher at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland for the past four years. Before coming to Blair, he worked in various places in Pennsylvania. Taliff has noticed many differences between Pennsylvania and Maryland, and has had many interesting experiences in both places.

Taliff was inspired to become a teacher by his job with the American Red Cross. In this job, he taught children how to feel comfortable in the water. "We'd conduct swimming lessons for little kids who did not know how to swim," commented Taliff. This job unveiled his love for teaching.

Although he enjoyed teaching, Taliff could not give up his passion for technology, which started when he worked with programmable calculators in high school. Taliff realized that he could combine both of his interests by becoming a business and computer teacher.

He began his teaching career with third grade students at Shirley Township Elementary School in Pennsylvania. "That was probably the toughest job I ever had," said Taliff.

He spent one year with the third graders, then decided to find another job. In 1984, Taliff became a computer teacher at Huntingdon Area High School in Pennsylvania, which had a population of about 900 students.

After 15 years of teaching at Huntingdon, Taliff realized that he had nothing more to contribute. "I had achieved pretty much everything in my job there," said Taliff. "I didn't see any more challenges on the horizon."

Taliff then began his search for a new teaching job. He followed his friends' advice to visit high schools in the Washington, D.C area. After visiting Montgomery Blair High School, Taliff knew that he wanted to pursue the job. In 1999, he secured a position as a faculty member of the Business and Computer Science Department at Blair.

Taliff has found many differences between Blair and his school in Pennsylvania. Because of Blair's large population, Taliff knows only a small proportion of the staff and students. "At my old school, I knew everyone by name," said Taliff.

Blair is also much bigger than Huntingdon Area High School. "My last building was on one floor," said Taliff, in contrast to Blair's three levels and numerous portables.

Taliff has become very happy at Blair because he enjoys changes and meeting new people. Although he is not sure what the future has in store for him, Taliff wants to contribute something that has "a lasting impact" on society. For the time being, however, he is perfectly content with his teaching job at Blair.