By Max Watzky (IV) This fall, Pingry welcomed Mr. Eric Bulakites to the Middle and Upper School language departments. He will be teaching French 1B in the Middle School, as well as French 2 and French Film in the Upper School.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in French and Sociology from Georgetown University, Mr. Bulakites went on to do graduate studies in French at Johns Hopkins University. While earning his undergraduate degree, Mr. Bulakites studied abroad in Paris for two semesters; although Mr. Bulakites was already interested in French film and culture before university, his time in Paris was what “ultimately convinced [him] to become a French teacher.”
Before coming to Pingry, Mr. Bulakites taught English to French students and served as a high school theater and elementary school teacher in Washington, D.C. Mr. Bulakites enjoys Pingry’s “small class sizes and flex time,” which he explains has “[helped] him get to know [his] students better.” He hopes to “help [his] students engage with material outside of the classroom,” and he emphasized the importance of using media to help students gain a fuller understanding of the language and culture. This year, Mr. Bulakites’ main goal is to “get involved with Pingry’s clubs and athletics;” however, in the future, Mr. Bualakites also hopes to “organize a French medical class, maybe with some help from the Science department.”
Outside of the classroom, Mr. Bulakites enjoys the outdoors and is eager to help with environmental sustainability efforts and organizations at Pingry, such as the Middle School Green Group. Mr. Bulakites’ experience and passion for French will undoubtedly prove valuable for the community, and we wish him the best of luck this year!