He hikes up his left pant leg and crosses it over his right, exposing his worn-down black slip-ons, and moves his hands over his mouth in anxious anticipation. He waits for one of his students in IB HL World History to answer the thrilling question of why Joseph Stalin had so rigorously attached himself to Vladimir Lenin’s legacy. When a brave soul raises his hand and offers a possible solution, Mr. Paul Ferentinos nearly leaps forward in excitement as he explains Stalin’s political tactics. If only Stalin had as much positive energy…
The energy doesn’t end with Stalin. Mr. Ferentinos, a world history teacher at George Mason, teaches through a variety of time periods with equal energy describing the apartheid in South Africa as he does while showing the political unrest leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“He loves his job. He has a twinkle in his eye…the dude is so happy…even when we’re talking about genocide,” said senior student, Nico Ferrara.
Lesson plans in Ferentinos’ class usually include a quick review of homework, going over notes, small discussions over key points, and- if we’re lucky- a slideshow of his travels across the globe. As one of his IB World History students, I’ve had the pleasure of hearing and seeing his experiences in Hawaii, Vietnam, South Africa, and more.
“I think as a teacher you’re a role model and you’ve got to show your students how history is meaningful to you,” Ferentinos said. “When I travel, it’s a wonderful way to learn about these other places in the world. It’s one thing to read about it in a book, to see a few pictures, but it’s another thing to walk that place, to smell its foods, to talk to its people and if you really want to get to know a culture, that is the ultimate way of doing it. That’s why I share my stories with you; to get that across that if you really want to know a place, jump on a plane or car and go.”
While traveling to Laos would be complete and utter confusion and fear for me, for Ferentinos, he’s simply returning to one of his many homes growing up.
“The first language I spoke was Laotian,” Ferentinos said. “My mother was taking care of my siblings and so I hung out with the maids and gardeners who taught me perfect Laotian. On the boat back to America, my mom started to teach me English.”
With a father working 35 years the CIA, Ferentinos’ family spent most of their time in Vienna, Virginia, but spent time in Laos, Thailand, and Greece. Ferentinos attended William and Mary, and his upbringing led him straight to his major.
“When I went to college, I wanted to learn about all those different cultures and peoples [that I experienced] when I was young, and that’s how I became a History and Government major,” Ferentinos said.
After graduating, Ferentinos worked as a substitute teacher in Fairfax County and realized he wanted to go back to school to earn his teaching certificate. During this time, he also worked as a night teller at a bank with his future wife.
“She was about to start graduate school at GMU and we were both late night tellers, so we would bring our music in and deal with the customers and that’s how we met,” Ferentinos said. “Two years later in 1990, we got married in her hometown of High Point, North Carolina. There’s a church basically in her parents backyard and we got married there.”
With his wife working in the federal government, Ferentinos made the career move from teaching in Fauquier County to Falls Church City. He often refers to this time period in class as “B.C.” which means “before children.”
Ferentinos and his wife have a 9th grader and a 6th grader, Alex and Jason.
“Two good greek names of course,” Ferentinos said. “My older son is also named for a lake in Minnesota, Lake Alexander, not just Alexander the Great. And my son Jason is from Jason and the Argonauts. Of course I put a lot of thought into this, that’s what happens when you teach History.”
Ferentinos is not only renowned among Mustangs for his slideshows, but his incredibly quick grading, sometimes placing test grades into PowerSchool hours after an assessment. One senior suggested that my next “Iconic Duos” article should be Mr. Ferentinos and his grading skills.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t be a hypocrite, and for me to not be a hypocrite is to get that back to you in a timely manner,” Ferentinos said. “After all, how could I expect you to get me something on time if I didn’t grade it in a timely manner? I regard that as my job.”
No complaints here.
Ferentinos’ colleague, Mrs. Chincheck, teaches the HL History students in their junior year and passes them to Ferentinos for their senior year. The two have become a pair who pride themselves on their coordination.
“He keeps me updated on all IB information that I may have missed. We have been able to create a great professional team to make sure our students are prepared for the IB exams and college,” Chincheck said. “Our students have always scored above the international average…no pressure IB HL senior History students!”
“I think he’s amazing. He’s so in love with history it makes me want to love it. He can barely contain himself,” said senior Andrea Dilao.
When students in his class connect a certain lesson to a family experience or memory, Ferentinos leaps at the opportunity to explore the impact of the historical event.
“I think the goal of any teacher is that students gain that intrinsic love of learning and that no matter how much we can try to motivate you in the classroom, ultimately a teacher has succeeded in some way when that student goes beyond class and starts connecting what they’ve learned to their own lives,” Ferentinos said. “That willingness to strive and to learn comes from within, be it your head or your heart and I think that’s the ultimate goal of any teacher.”
Ferentinos’ teaching philosophy centers around instilling a deep love of learning in every single student, ranging from the freshmen in his World Civilizations class to the seniors his IB HL World History. His passion for teaching history is undeniable, and comes through in every energetic outburst.
