About Me

Welcome to my website. This site is intended to be a resource for the students in my 7th grade math classes at Southern Lehigh Middle School.

Dear SLMS Students and Parents,

The 2019-2020 school year will be my 35th year teaching math. Throughout my career, I have taught math in grades 6 through 12, in seven different schools: Pennridge High School, Saucon Valley High School, Saucon Valley Middle School, Harrison Morton Middle School, Raub Middle School, William Allen High School, and currently Southern Lehigh Middle School. I have been teaching math at Southern Lehigh Middle School since 2002. Teaching math has been a rewarding experience for me. Each new school year presents a variety of interesting and unique students, changes, and challenges.

My wife, Susan, and I grew up in Allentown and are graduates of Central Catholic High School. I obtained my degree in mathematics from East Stroudsburg University. She is a graduate of Cedar Crest College and Lehigh University. She is a biology and environmental science teacher at Parkland High School.

We have two sons, a daughter, a granddaughter, and a grandson. Andrew, 33, is a graduate of Parkland High School, West Chester University, and The New School University. Timothy, 25, is a graduate of Parkland High School and East Stroudsburg University. Laura, 30, is a graduate of Parkland High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point. Her husband Joseph is also a West Point grad. They both served in the U.S. Army for five years and were Captains in the Air Defense Artillery branch. They currently live in Collegeville, PA with their children Holly and Teddy. Our family has lived in Allentown, Fountain Hill, and for the past 23 years in Orefield. We also have a dog named Lucy.

My personal hobby is fly fishing for trout in many of our nearby Pennsylvania streams, and I enjoy creating my own flies. I also enjoy listening to music, attending concerts, exercising, working on home projects, going to the beach, spending time with family and relatives, and attending sporting events, mostly at the youth, high school and collegiate levels. Sports have always been a very big part of my life. In addition to teaching, I have coached football at Parkland High School, William Allen High School, Northampton High School, Salisbury High School, Saucon Valley High School, and Muhlenberg College.

Throughout this school year, I will learn a lot about each of my students. Together, we will . . . learn, teach, think, question, share, discuss, debate, explore, analyze, agree, disagree, and laugh. I look forward to working with all of you. Hopefully, I can enrich your knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of math, and inspire you to do your best in all your endeavors!

Sincerely,

Mr. Andrew Baranek