Going on his 16th year of teaching and his 12th year at Manhasset, Mr. Jeremy Berman continues to be a positive force in the community. He’s taught 14 courses throughout his time at Manhasset. His favorites? The classes he’s teaching this school year, AP Seminar and Social Studies 9 Honors.

Mr. Berman has always been set on being a teacher. However, when he was in college, his father wanted him to go to law school. Mr. Berman says he was inspired by Mr. Holland’s Opus as a kid, seeing the joys of teaching children. “Giving back and doing something in the public sector was what was instilled in me and led me to be a teacher,” explained Mr. Berman. However, when Mr. Berman was in college, double majoring in history and political science at Northwestern University, his father wanted him to go to law school — but, said Mr. Berman, “I went to one LSAT prep course, and I hated it!” He did not want to become a lawyer. Instead, determined to become an educator, Mr. Berman attended Columbia’s Teachers College for grad school, where he got his master’s in Secondary Social Studies. 

Before joining Manhasset Secondary School’s staff, Mr. Berman worked at Roslyn for four years. There had been an opening for a temporary position there, as a teacher had gone on maternity leave. Once the teacher had returned, Mr. Berman had to find a job. In January of 2014, Manhasset needed to fill six different Social Studies Department positions so Mr. Berman applied. It was a very long process — he did not get the job until Memorial Day weekend.  “President Harry Truman did it for me,” he recalled. Mr. Berman had been asked who his favorite President was during his last interview before receiving the teaching position. Now, Mr. Berman keeps a plaque on his desk in room 261, with a quote by Truman: “the buck stops here.”

Beyond his love of teaching, Mr. Berman says he chose Manhasset because of his “long ties to this community.” “In May, I will have my 40th birthday at Villa Milano, like my 4th birthday.” When searching for a job, Mr. Berman substituted for one of Mr. Robert Novak’s 9R English classes. He was teaching The Odyssey, and saw how much Mr. Novak cared for and valued his students and lessons. Mr. Novak’s passion and teaching methods made Manhasset a no-brainer for Mr. Berman.

Mr. Berman considers himself a “movie buff.” He watches everything, from classic films to new releases, and then writes movie reviews. He is also a self-described “long-suffering Mets Fan.”

Manhasset has changed a lot over time, says Mr. Berman. To him, the school is both more stressful and more casual. When he started here, it was a lot more “preppy.” Students and teachers would dress a lot fancier. Though one thing has been constant for him: “kids want to be here, and the families have been so good to me.”