Math teacher Laura Petras was selected as the third member of the New York State Master Teachers program from Manhasset Public Schools.
The Master Teachers program is a professional organization that brings together STEM teachers from across the state.
Petras started with Manhasset in 2010 and comes from a long line of teachers. Three of her grandparents and both of her parents are teachers. Two of her daughters are now teachers as well.
“Basically, it just runs in my family,” Petras said.
But not everyone in the family has followed the same subject matter. Petras was taught AP European History by her father. “He was one of those teachers that everyone loved,” she said.
But Petras was more drawn to math. “I like math because it’s got an answer,” Petras said. “It’s got a process.”
Derek Jones and Robert Krakehl are two other Manhasset teachers who are members of the program.
Jones, another math teacher, started with Manhasset in 2012. Jones said math always came easily to him, so he sought to find more difficult problems as he went on to college.
He also had family in education: his aunt was a principal. And Jones also pointed to his ninth-grade biology teacher, Mr. Dipaulo, as a mentor.
Dipaulo’s biology class was “one of those classes you don’t forget about.” Jones said, “At the time I probably didn’t realize it, being in ninth grade,” but he was an inspiration. Jones still keeps in touch with his old teacher.
Krakehl planned to go into electrical engineering, but he changed professions because he wanted to work with people.
When he realized that teaching was for him, his first thought was to be a math teacher until one of his friends convinced him otherwise, saying, “Why do math when you can do physics? Which is just math with explosions.”
Krakehl was convinced and started with Manhasset in 2017.
Krakehl’s physics teacher, Keith Lundquist, was in the first cohort of the Master Teachers program, and Krakehl followed his mentor’s lead just three years ago.
Last year Krakehl helped host a robotics competition for teachers from across the state and Jones ended up winning.
“Being able to put on events like that that push ourselves and other teachers in ways that think outside the box for STEM is a huge highlight for the program,” Krakehl said.
The program is mainly for mid-career teachers, but applicants must have at least four years of teaching experience.
To apply, one must take an exam in their subject, undergo an interview, submit three letters of recommendation, and provide any other supplementary materials to demonstrate their commitment to teaching.
The program requires teachers to complete 50 hours of professional interaction, which can be achieved in a variety of ways.
There are cohorts of Long Island teachers, professional learning teams, and opportunities to learn new content.
Opportunities beckon to go to labs, environmental sites, and conferences, while other teachers help build question banks and lesson tasks for teachers to use
Some teachers focus on vertical alignment or making sure that what’s taught in elementary carries to middle and high school.
“It’s really a wide spread, but it all boils down to basically improving us in terms of our professional abilities,” Krakehl said.
Petras, Jones, and Krakehl each spoke on how rewarding teaching is.
Petras said the application process was also powerful in that it forced her to reflect on her whole career thus far.
“I’m definitely more towards the end of my career than at the beginning of my career,” Petras said. “But I still want to grow as a teacher and learn more.”
