Andrew Banker

Director of Education

Background: 

I spent most of my childhood (13 years!) living in Beijing, China. Between my time in Minnesota and China I have experienced nearly every type of schooling: public school, private school, homeschool, one-room-schoolhouse, and international school. I then moved to Minnesota and went to college at Hamline, got married, and now I am also a dad to a 3 year old. Love it!

Hamline Experience:

I majored in Chemistry and Education at Hamline and became a licensed chemistry teacher in Minnesota. I had great friends who I studied with over my years there. I wouldn’t have made it without them! In my chemistry experience, one of my favorite things that I did was use an X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy device to analyze the different metals present in objects. I also fell in love with spreadsheets (I know, I know…it’s weird). My senior year I wrote about science and ethics, focusing on how innovation and funding follows the values that decision-makers hold. Sometimes those values are biased and worth critiquing. 

Goals:

  • I want to teach part time so that I can enjoy teaching and have a lot of time with my daughter. 
  • I want to facilitate an interfaith student group so that people from different faith/philosophical backgrounds can learn about each other and connect on common values. 
  • I want to get my Masters of Teaching by writing about the style of teaching I developed over the last 3 years teaching chemistry in St. Paul. 

Other Interesting Things:

  • I speak conversational Mandarin.
  • I LOVE to play soccer.
  • I write songs and play guitar.
  • I blast music in my car.
  • I am a coffee fanatic.
  • My favorite place to be is sitting on my front step.