Faculty Focus on Mr. Vincent Bonina: It's All About the Students

For the past five years, BT High School science teacher Vince Bonina worked at Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY), overseeing academic summer programs for students in grades seven through 10. While there, he also developed curriculum in physics, astronomy, and engineering.

But then Mr. Bonina sought a change of pace – moving from program oversight to classroom instruction.

“I transitioned to teaching because I wanted to have a greater day-to-day impact on the students’ education,” comments Mr. Bonina. “I wanted to put into practice many of the teaching strategies that I had learned in my previous position.” And that’s when he applied to teach at Beth Tfiloh.

“When I first came to the school, I immediately got a strong feeling of community, not just between the students but also the faculty,” observes Mr. Bonina, noting that BT’s unique focus on each student’s individual learning makes for a “valuable and interesting challenge to apply in the classroom.”

But it was BT’s educational philosophy that ultimately appealed to Mr. Bonina. “I chose BT because I was interested in a school whose values and goals matched my previous experience at CTY… keeping teaching student-centered, making decisions that are in the best interests of our students, and holding students to the highest degree of respect for others,” he notes. “These values form Beth Tfiloh’s foundation.”

He also found the high school’s accommodating facilities appealing as a science teacher. During the interview process, Mr. Bonina got a glimpse of the physics equipment. “I could see from the volume and quantity that BT takes its science courses seriously. It was an easy decision!”

Once on board, Mr. Bonina discovered that BT’s small class size has many advantages, allowing teachers to get to know their students, both in and out of the classroom. “I see a lot of siblings in each of my classes, and it didn’t take long to get to know students that I didn’t even teach. This interconnectedness really improves both the student and staff’s daily experience at school.” It’s that special combination of academic excellence and community that attracts talented teachers like Mr. Bonina to Beth Tfiloh.