6th Grade Science Teacher Mr. Banos sat down with Iselin Middle School reporter Avneesh Naresh for a basic Get to Know You interview for the Panther Press.
Panther Press: Good Afternoon Mr. Banos! How are you today?
Mr. Banos: Good Afternoon Avneesh, I am doing well today, how are you?
Panther Press: I am doing great Mr. Banos! Just a few questions for you, Where did you graduate, and why did you want to be a teacher?
Mr. Banos: I went to Edison High School in Edison and graduated from Dominican College in New York. I wanted to become a teacher because it was one of the things I wanted to do, and I was deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up, and being a teacher was my passion to work with kids.
Panther Press: So how many years have you been teaching in Iselin Middle School? And which year did you start teaching?
Mr. Banos: I’ve taught since 2002, so I have taught for 23 years.
Panther Press: Oh wow! That’s a lot of years! What grades do you teach?
Mr. Banos: I currently teach 6th and 7th grade, but I have taught all three grades over the years.
Panther Press: What did you want to be when you grew up?
Mr. Banos: I wanted to be a teacher.
Panther Press: What medals/awards did you win during your childhood years?
Mr. Banos: For baseball, we won some tournaments, some things like that.
Panther Press: Coming to your teaching years, what challenges did you face as you were teaching?
Mr. Banos: Just different classes bring different problems.
Panther Press: What accomplishments did you get during your teaching years? For example, teacher of the year, etc?
Mr. Banos: I have won teacher of the month a few times. I think I won teacher of the year a long time ago.
Panther Press: Wow! How do you remember each student’s name?
Mr. Banos: If they are full year, I just try to remember their names, but with a block schedule, I get twice the amount of students then I normally have, but now it’s pretty easy to remember student’s names.
Panther Press: What was your best moment while teaching, if you could remember any?
Mr. Banos: Nothing much actually.
Panther Press: Do you give any awards for students, like Certificate, Medal, Homework Pass, etc?
Mr. Banos: Nope, I don’t give anything of that sort.
Panther Press: How do you teach? For example, do you begin with a Do-Now and use any other websites, or perhaps class notes?
Mr. Banos: Well, yes, obviously we watch World A to Z with Carl Azuz, and I try to choose as many things as possible for each class.
Panther Press: What are some areas where students struggle, and areas that students exceed?
Mr. Banos: Well, I think now students struggle with attention, meaning that they need it too much, instead of just getting their work done. Now, students are more tech-savvy.
Panther Press: How many tests/quizzes do you assign per Marking Period?
Mr. Banos: Usually around five.
Panther Press: Thank you, is there anything else you would like to add?
Mr. Banos: Nope, thank you for interviewing me!
Panther Press: Thank you for letting me interview you, have a great day!
Mr. Banos: Alright Avneesh, have a great day.
