Brian Alvarado, News Editor
December 5, 2023
Maxwell Guido is a teacher at Port Chester High School who deserves great recognition for his work in the school’s science department. Having graduated from SUNY Binghamton University with a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry, Mr. Guido would then go on to receive his Masters in Science Education at SUNY Stony Brook University, which would then lead to him becoming a teacher at Port Chester High School. This year is Mr. Guido’s sixteenth year teaching at Port Chester High School.
Initially, Mr. Guido taught Living Environment, a biology-based NYS Regents course. Soon after, he realized that he was far more enthusiastic about teaching chemistry, and so he took on the challenge of teaching IB Chemistry and Honors-level Chemistry, both of which he’s done an outstanding job with for as long as he’s been teaching them.
When asked why he began teaching, Mr. Guido fondly recalled his experiences working as a camp counselor during his college years, a work study job that was far more meaningful to him than just the economic aspect of it. Mr. Guido always found joy in working with kids, and being a camp counselor enhanced his passion. As for the profession of teaching, Mr. Guido stated, “Teaching has always been a profession I’ve respected.”, expressing his thoughts and values towards the career.
“One of the things that I really like is when students come back after graduating and they reflect upon how much the IB chemist prepared them for college chem and how much it has made their chem experience easier or familiarized them with it, kinda giving them a break in that area so that they weren’t overwhelmed. I really like hearing that to know that not only am I doing my job well, but I’m also having a positive impact on their future science endeavors, so to speak.”, said Mr. Guido, demonstrating his passion, care, and outstanding ability to teach chemistry.
Outside of the classroom, Mr. Guido is a respectable father with two twin, 6-year-old sons. Given his profession, he spends the majority of the free time he gets with his kids, playing in the house or backyard and simply engaging in their relationship.
Besides work and family, Mr. Guido is a musician who enjoys playing the drums. In the past, Mr. Guido has covered for some bands that played hard rock and metal, but is currently not actively pursuing anything further than the simple enjoyment he receives from playing the drums and learning new songs on the kit. Mr. Guido does in fact consider himself a horror genre enthusiast and he’s been growing a new passion for reading.
Mr. Guido hopes to stay modern and consistent with his approaches to teaching which is why he’s always updating the ways he teaches his curriculum. It is also why he’s created an online presence, a goal he used to have. For the past couple of years, Mr. Guido has been utilizing a website he created to support his students via online. His website helps students stay up to date with classwork and prepare for exams, either the ones in his class, the IB Chemistry exam, or the NYS Regents Chemistry exam. This, all the more, show how determined and passionate Mr. Guido is at doing his job well.
Mr. Guido is an important member of the Port Chester community, being an excellent teacher and mentor in the Port Chester High School’s science department who has given many students remarkable chemistry experiences. He has had great success in teaching science for the past sixteen years and hopes to continue his success for sixteen more.