Who is Mr. Petercsak?
Mr. Petercsak has a variety of qualities that melt into making a high school Physics teacher, but also a friend. Mr. Petercsak Received an academic scholarship to York College in Pennsylvania and utilized his amazing persistence and positive attitude to attain his goals. He originally graduated with a degree in biology but found his true passion in teaching physics which he was educated for at Stony Brook University. He now teaches Regents Physics, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics Electricity and Magnetism at Hauppauge High School and is a one-of-a-kind teacher whom I was lucky enough to have for the last 2 years. He previously taught chemistry, IB computer science, and Biology as well. He simultaneously coaches the Science Olympiad!
Teaching Methods
Mr. Petercsak is a teacher who makes learning an enjoyable experience. Consistently over the last two years, he has shown me the importance of autonomy in com
pleting my work while also being there to support me along the way. Petercsak compiles note packets and practice questions which he takes the time to hand-make. He is also passionate enough about us having good material to email physics YouTube creators, such as Dan Fullerton, and discuss his teaching methods with them. Being able to have an interactive experience in a classroom I consistently feel comfortable in is something that should be treated with the utmost regard. His teaching style helps his students thrive and focus on doing work that they are proud of. The grade on paper is not significant, but the effort you put in is. When a teacher recognizes your effort instead of labeling you to a number, they are doing an excellent job. On top of this, whether it be an extension of an assignment or working to help students derive a crazy equation, Petercsak is always there to lend a helping hand while also encouraging you. He impressively quickly adjusted to teaching one of the most challenging courses offered at our high school. For the first time, I look forward to a double-period science class that pushes me to my limits
Impact
Mr. Petercsak’s impact on his students, specifically myself, is one that simply can not be forgotten. Petercsak’s impact on his students extends beyond the classroom. I have never felt truly challenged the way I do in his class while also enjoying the work I am doing regardless of my grade in the class. Petercsak does not hold his students to an unrealistic standard. My overall stress levels have decreased, and the quality of my work has increased. Although I’ve never had a teacher like Mr. Petercsak, I’m so happy I got to experience his teaching for the last two years. My thinking has become more analytical and my confidence in my ability has increased. School always came easy for me; I never had trouble with the work I was completing. Yet, when I first came into AP Physics C it was a truly humbling experience, to say the least. Without Petercsak reminding me that struggling doesn’t make me any less smart, I don’t think I would’ve survived the year. On top of academics, he makes sure to cultivate personal relationships with his students and relate challenging topics to fun projects such as building our own speakers! I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone creating work, and will likely continue to for my life after high school. Whether it be giving a diabolical test or giving us an impossible lab with a 10,000% error he truly has made a lasting impact on all of his students aside from myself by creating a comfortable classroom environment to not just challenge yourself, but have fun at the same time. I have never left his classroom without a smile on my face or without laughing at least once, except maybe on test day… I can’t thank him enough for every problem we went over and every extra help he came in early for!
Included above is a picture of the speaker project built by Matthew Brosnan and I.
