Brian Haldenwang fell in love with biology thanks to a “great teacher” he had as a freshman at West Islip High School — Dianne Munno, who, he said, “just made class exciting.”

He ultimately became a biology teacher at the same high school, and the two were colleagues for years before her retirement in 2021.

“The kids absolutely love him,” said Munno of her former mentee, whom she described as “one of the best teachers West Islip has ever had, I’m proud to say.”

Haldenwang, 48, said he tries to incorporate the unexpected, for example teaching students to build their own scientific equipment for labs.

“I want them to see how exciting biology actually is. And it’s all around you — it’s your body, it’s how you interact with the environment,” he said. “That’s where I focus. The grades are

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