Mr. Creglia
Mr. Creglia is a Global History and Psychology teacher. In talking about his teaching here in Lindenhurst, he said, “Before I came to the high school I taught in the middle school for 3 years.” He currently teaches 9th-12th grade, as well as teaching 7th and 8th grade. “I have truly been all across the board!”
His third grade teacher fueled his passion for teaching social studies. “Mrs. Suffolk inspired me to become a teacher in the first place! She instilled in me a passion for school and learning,” he said. Another teacher who had fueled this passion was his eleventh grade AP U.S. History teacher. “Mr. Lecci showed [him] how captivating history can be when looked at the right way.” To those people, “[he] is forever grateful for the path they put [him on].” The teachers at the middle school “during [his] years of being a substitute teacher and part-time teacher helped guide, shape, and mentor [him] in some way.” Teachers who stood out in particular were: “Mr. Greenwald, who emphasized the importance of building rapport with students, Mr. Sinatra, who was always willing to share a lesson he thought worked well, Mr. Eve who demonstrated how students can use technology to enhance their learning, and Mr. DiVisconti, who brought history alive for his students through hands-on activities.” There are many more teachers that have “positively touched [his] life,” but “it would take me a year to write all of my mentors. They know who they are.”
As of now, “[they] are diving into [their] Sensation and Perception in Psychology. [They] are exploring the ways in which [their] senses and the way [their] brains interpret data can be completely different. While in Global History, “[they] are exploring the role religion played in Ancient Egyptian society during the Old Kingdom.” His preferred method of teaching is “definitely more student-based, where [he encourages] students to come to conclusions through primary sources.” The primary sources “are like windows to the past. If a student can look through that window themself and come to a conclusion [he thinks] that is extremely powerful. Bouncing off of this, teaching during the year of COVID was “such an interesting experience because it was uncharted territory for many educators.” Since he is a younger teacher, he felt “like [his] connection with technology assisted [him] greatly and allowed [him] to help less tech savvy colleagues who had given [him] so much advice and content previously.” It was “a challenging experience,” but “an opportunity to return the favor.”
His favorite part of teaching is “the ah-ha moment during the lesson where students have a moment of realization and begin to make higher level connections on their own.” Overall, Mr. Creglia’s main goal as a teacher is “to prepare students for the real world by developing critical thinking skills.” He hopes that with “[his] skill, [his] students can ultimately be better citizens and members of the community that impact it with positive change.