Sean Prahalis shows a strong sense of passion for teaching and being an active role model for students as a Global History teacher, Class of 2026 adviser, and Debate Club adviser.
Prahalis went to high school in Hauppauge where he talks about his academic and athletic involvement.
“I went to Hauppauge High School, where a lot of the advanced courses that I took in that high school were primarily the history and mathematics courses, because for a while I didn’t know if I wanted to become a history teacher or a math teacher. […] My primary focus outside of academics […] was definitely baseball. I played all 4 years, and that was my biggest passion, and still is,” said Prahalis.
There were many teachers along the way who influenced Prahalis’ interests.
“I had a slew of great history teachers, one right after the other that made the topic very interesting and fun. […] I like geography a lot, and once I got the geography piece then came to know the timeline; and it’s a kind of big puzzle piece that made sense to me. I like seeing all the intricacies within it,” said Prahalis.
Prahalis went on to get his bachelor’s degree in adolescent education.
“I went to [SUNY] Oneonta for my undergrad [bachelor’s degree], where I got my degree in adolescent education, in social studies grades 7 through 12; and then I went to Queens College and got my degree […] to become a special [education] teacher as well,” said Prahalis.
Prior to his current job, Prahalis was a dog walker, then worked at Starbucks, then worked as a roofer, then became a preschool teacher, before finally becoming a middle school and high school teacher.
“I wanted to be in this role […] at least since eighth grade. […] I didn’t know whether I wanted to become a history teacher or a math teacher, but I knew I wanted to teach. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I’ve worked tons of odd and horrible jobs over the years,” said Prahalis.
Prahalis describes his involvement when he first came to Commack as a student teacher.
“Oneonta […] allowed me to come back home to Long Island to student teach, and I found placement here with [Jesus] Valdez, and then at the middle school […] and then eventually I did my student teaching here. Eventually in October of that year, I started to work here as a sub, and a [teaching] spot opened up, and I’ve been in Commack since,” said Prahalis.
Prahalis has already taught many social studies courses.
“I’ve taught varying degrees of seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade, eleventh grade, and twelfth grade. And for those taking [Advanced Placement] AP World History [: Modern], I will be teaching tenth grade [next school year]. […] I’ve always taught ninth grade global history, and then I’ve also taught eleventh grade US History, […] now [International Baccalaureate Personal and Professional Skills] IB PPS and Holocaust Studies,” said Prahalis.
Social studies teacher Crystal Curcio explains the benefits of teaching a shared course with Prahalis.
“Mr. Prahalis and I have been teaching ninth grade Enriched Social Studies together for the past few years […]. It’s been really nice to […] collaborate on lessons together, and we do a really nice job of sharing information and coming up with fun activities for our students to engage with,” said Curcio.
Additionally, Prahalis said the difficulty level of his courses is a bit high.
“I think that AP World is one of the most challenging courses you can put yourself through, and arguably the most challenging history course in this school. It’s a lot of content […], and it’s a lot of independence at an age where you’re 15 or 16, so it’s a responsibility with college level standards […]. I would argue that tenth grade history can be harder, and in my opinion is harder than eleventh and twelfth grade because I think by then you have a little bit more maturity and responsibility […] and you’re more accepting of individual responsibility,” said Prahalis.
Prahalis is also involved in school activities, including being an adviser for the Class of 2026. However, he was originally an adviser for the Class of 2024.
“To make a long story short, what happened was with the [class] of 2024, […] I was originally a part of that grade [as their class adviser]. And as that grade was moving into their junior year, the class of 2026 were becoming freshmen and they needed an adviser. So they split us up between me and my partner at the time,” said Prahalis.
Prahalis is also the adviser of the Debate Club, which he revived in the 2023-2024 school year alongside Ishana Chadha, who graduated in 2025.
“I also became the debate coach. […] What happened was a few years ago I had a really passionate girl in my class. Her name was Ishana Chadha, and she’d been trying to get a Debate Club started since her eighth grade year. […]. We worked across her sophomore year to create the Debate Club by the time she became a junior,” said Prahalis.
Many teachers also had very good impressions of Prahalis when they met him.
“I met Mr. Prahalis when I was student teaching at Commack High School and my first impression was that he was a really good teacher that had a good relationship with his students and that he knew a lot about the courses he was teaching,” said Curcio.
Curcio and Prahalis have created memories since her first day as a teacher.
“I’d say a memory is my first day, getting my classroom set up when I was first hired. Mr. Prahalis came and offered some fun posters to put on my wall, which I thought was a really nice way of including me into the Commack community as a new teacher,” said Curcio.
Prahalis can be described as an active role model for students.
“I think that he is a role model for students because he truly cares for them. I think the characteristics you see are charismatic, knowledgeable, and [he] really wants the best for his students,” said Curcio.
Many students in Prahalis’ classes, clubs, and organizations feel that he is a great teacher for a variety of reasons.
“I am currently enrolled in Global History I Enriched. […] He’s very engaging with the class. He moves around the class a lot, which keeps […] kids engaged,” said freshman Jared B.
Students also describe Prahalis’ class as very interesting and engaging.
“[I am currently enrolled in] Global History. Overall, I actually like [his class]. For me, I always stay focused because [he] keeps it interesting,” said freshman Benjamin T.
Students enjoy how Prahalis keeps attention through movement.
“I like his teaching style [because] I like how he moves around the room, sort of to every student,” said freshman Mason L.
Additionally, Curcio highlights the interactive and engaging nature of Prahalis’ lessons.
“I think that Mr. Prahalis has a very student centered […] approach to teaching […] and he really does his best to make it so that lessons are interactive and engaging […] for the students in his class,” said Curcio.
Students who had Prahalis as a teacher in previous years recall his teaching style and how it prepared them for future social studies courses.
“When I was in ninth grade, I had Global History Enriched with him and also he’s my class advisor for the class of 2026. To be honest, overall, when I had him […] his teaching style was very good. To be honest, excellent, because when he made me think critically, it prepared me for AP World and my other history courses,” said senior Boris C.
Even if not all students participate directly in his classes, Prahalis provides opportunities that allow students to be engaged in different methods.
“In this class, I always just felt engaged in one way or another. For example, he would always be asking us open-ended questions, making us think, and […] that forced me to think, and try to answer his question. […] He also has open-ended questions throughout his note packet, which let’s say if you don’t want to speak in class, you can write it down. So he has you engaged in one way or another,” said Boris.
Students claimed that the knowledge they have gained from their classes has had an impact in their lives, and makes them understand the world much better.
“I am going to Italy in July […] and I think after learning more about the Roman structures, it will help me understand the history of how it happened,” said Jared.
Students discussed how learning new information about history has significantly improved their grades over the course of the year.
“I have learned all about Asia and the Middle East. […] It has helped me […] [because] in the beginning of the year, I wasn’t getting very good grades, and I feel like I listened, and I learned, and I paid attention, and my grades have went up a lot, so I’ve got higher overall averages in my report card,” said Mason.
Prahalis provides an important tip on how students should always have time management and that he is trying to work on himself.
“One of the things that I often encourage my kids, [to work on is] […] time management. So in my personal planning in the grading components, I think I can do a better job, and I’m always working towards trying to be a better time management person,” said Prahalis.
Students utilized the knowledge that they gained from his classes to help them take exams and write essays.
“I learned how to create a good thesis statement for social studies essays in general. And it still has helped me to this day…,” said Boris.
Prahalis provides advice to future students who will be taking his classes in the coming years, which he gives on syllabus day to his ninth grader students.
“The more familiar you are with the geography and the world timeline, and the effort to put that puzzle piece together of knowing where certain countries and spots and regions are [then] it’s an upgrade tremendously […], if you know certain spots in the world, the content is a lot more malleable,” said Prahalis.◼️
