Math teacher John Kaminski is retiring after 23 years in the classroom.

He will be sorely missed by students and faculty alike.

Kaminski currently teaches algebra support, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, honors software engineering (HOSE) and also claims to teach AP Ninja Stealth, although no one knows what period that is offered. 

He also advises the Slavic culture and stock market clubs.

Kaminski attended Ursuline College where he earned his MA in education, the University of Akron for his BAs in mathematics and English and minor in Computer Science, and The Ohio State University for his BS in Mathematics. He worked in the corporate world for 13 years, seven of which he worked mainly as a statistician for Sherwin Williams.

He ultimately switched into teaching, explaining that even though the job can be challenging at times, he prefers it as it has given him more freedom than an office job.

“I’m often asked, are you glad you left the corporate world to go into teaching?” he said. “[The answer is] yes.” 

“[Teaching] became a rougher job in the last quarter century,” he added. “[But even so, I felt] more comfortable in a classroom than in a corporate cubicle.”

One thing the math teacher finds rewarding is seeing his students grow in more dimensions than just academics.

Moving forward, Kaminski plans to spend more time enjoying nature and advocating for the environment. He was once a boy scout and still enjoys the great outdoors today.

He is currently a member of the Friends of the Crooked River, an environmental activist organization focused on the Cuyahoga River and the surrounding region.

Back here at BHS, the school is looking for new teachers to take over AP statistics and AP Computer Science and HOSE, which were exclusively taught by Kaminski in recent years.

Seniors Mayer Bergman and Dotan Dana really enjoyed Kaminski as a teacher.

Bergman is currently taking HOSE, and formerly had Kaminski for AP computer science as well. Bergman appreciates Kaminski’s surprisingly pleasant demeanor.

“[I admire] his sense of humor,” Bergman said.

Kaminski’s signature teaching method subtly works in funny stories. For example, half his word problems are quirky stories involving cat food or gambling.

Dana has taken three classes with Kaminski: AP Statistics, AP Computer Science and HOSE. 

“He’s really funny, and he’s a good math teacher,” Dana said.

He enjoyed the final HOSE project, which was to code a project with potential real-world applications.

“He let us do whatever we wanted,” Dana said. “[I] helped make a project to help Billock’s daughter raise money for a fundraising mission.”

English teacher Dr. Casey Matthews says she has had the privilege of getting to know Kaminski through their children’s common involvement in Scout Troop 124 in Mayfield Heights. 

“Kaminski is the funniest person on the planet because you never expect it to come out of him.” Matthews said. “In 2016, [Kaminski] was the MC of trivia for spirit week. One of the questions was about the Ariana Grande song ‘Bang Bang’.”

“No one knew the answer, so Kaminski gave the answer ‘She got a booty like a Cadillac,’” Matthews said. “That was so funny because in a million years, you never expect [those words] to come out of his mouth.”

Another thing Matthews likes about Kaminski is his adaptability in teaching.

“Trends in education change frequently, and that is one of the reasons John is such a great teacher, because he adapts. That’s what makes him an exemplary teacher,” she said. “He remains the best teacher possible.”

Kaminski would like to share a quote with students that has inspired him.

“This is a quote that one of my favorite high school teachers said to my senior class. I still think of it periodically more than 40 years after my graduation,” he wrote in an email. “‘To whom much is given, much is expected.'”