Mr. Musto has been teaching for almost a decade, but this is his second year at BHS. He teaches Global History and U.S. History; and is the advisor for the Model UN club at BHS. We were excited to interview the newest addition to the social studies department.
TEC: Tell us about yourself.
Mr. Musto: I’m Mr. Musto. This is my ninth year teaching. It’s my second year at Bethpage. I taught in New York City in Queens for five years, and I taught at a bunch of Long Island districts for my first two years. I’m a social studies teacher. I’ve always loved social studies. I love the ability to connect with the curriculum, so you can travel to the bed that Abraham Lincoln died in; you could travel to these different places like Gettysburg and kind of put yourself in the situation that you’re teaching your students in history. Both of my parents are teachers: my dad is an art teacher; my mom was actually a social studies teacher, so we’d take vacations…and every once in a while, we’d go on a vacation it was somewhat historical or go to museums and things like that. And again, I think that’s where I developed the interest in being able to actually be where people in history had been and connect with these moments in history that we learn about.
TEC: What’s your favorite historical place you’ve visited?
Mr. Musto: I would probably say Ford’s theater, maybe Gettysburg, just because again, they’re, monumental and important to American history, but it was very cool to be at Ford’s Theater and then to see the, where Abraham Lincoln was sitting before he was shot, and then to see the the bed that he died in in his house, I think that was probably the the coolest historical connection I’ve ever made.
TEC: What’s one piece of advice you would give to somebody who wants to become a teacher?
Mr. Musto: I would say interact with as many kids and parents as possible and and really develop a love for teaching, because I think that if you’re a good teacher and you can connect with with children and, you know, your coworkers and even their parents that that’s really what makes teaching valuable. And then you can always craft your curriculum after.
TEC: If you had the opportunity to teach any other subject, what would be?
Mr. Musto: I’m not a math and science guy, so I think it would have to be English. That was what I was between when I was in college. I was deciding if I wanted to teach history or English, I just never really found that love and connection for English, like I did with history, which is why I stuck with it, but I would say probably that, or maybe physical education, because I do love sports.
TEC: What’s the funniest moment you’ve had while teaching?
Mr. Musto: Funniest? I want to say in one of my demo lessons when I was interviewing for a position, a kid farted while I was doing the lesson, and I think that was probably like the hardest thing about the entire demo lesson that was making sure I kept a straight face so the kids would keep a straight face, even though everybody in the room knew that the kid had farted. And it was not a silent one. It was rather loud. So, you know, it kind of stood out.
