Author: Magnolia Limandibhratha ('24)
To students all across the world, three words come to their minds as they hear the word school: tests, exams, and grades. School can be described by some students as a “ticking time bomb of stress and anxiety.” Mr. Bob, however, wants students to keep in mind that “it is easy to feel worried, stressed, and anxious about how well you do in school, but no one is going to care about your GPA in 3 or 5 years, yourself included. So, remember that worry and anxiety don’t help, they only hurt. Go slow, take deep breaths, and don’t panic - because you know more than you think.”
Who is he?
Mr. Robert Stasko, mostly known by many as Mr. Bob, is a new addition to the BAIS family this school year and has lived in Columbus, Ohio before coming to Indonesia. He teaches science and math in BAIS, specifically Physics, Pre Calculus, and AP Calculus AB.
Photo Courtesy of Angel Gunaman
When interviewed, Mr. Bob gave some fun facts about himself.
He uses the words “fun, nerdy, and wild” to describe himself and said, “with the adjective nerdy in mind, I like to play games of all sorts: video games, card games, paper and pencil games, etc; those have taught me about creativity, innovation, reflexes, and how to take things lightly - to not be so proud and focus on winning, but rather enjoy the process.”
He said he has been trying to “be wild”, and he was when he was younger; however, it became hidden through many circumstances. Now, he says God is calling him to become unpredictable and go against the norm.
Furthermore, he is also interested in music, including classical, oldies, classic rock, folk music, bluegrass, heavy metal, movie soundtracks, video game soundtracks, and pop. He said, “Music teaches me to see the beauty of the world we live in and the people that inhabit it.”
Don’t panic! Why?
One interesting thing Mr. Bob says to all the classes he teaches is the phrase “Don’t Panic.” He explains that “school is not life”, and when we panic, we make rash decisions and begin to act hastily.
In addition, he says that adults tend to forget how exhausting it is to be a student. It is impossible to expect them to learn 6-8 subjects in a single day, every day. He explains that “Becoming a teacher in the first place led me to that, also examining my own life and growing up as an adult whether it be things like my relationship with God or other people, but particularly when I was learning Indonesian for a year and a half, for 4 hours everyday, five days a week, yet, when I was done, every single day I was exhausted and did not have much energy for anything else, and that's only one topic, try making it 6, 7 topics or more. It's amazing that students can do that.”
Motivations?
Mr. Bob’s motivation in life is to see people become who God made them to be, himself included. If he weren’t a teacher, he'd likely be a counselor or life coach as he likes to help people go through things in life so they can grow.
“I aim to be a master of living, and what I mean by that is to aim to have no difference between work and play; always doing both. I aim to live a life free of guilt and shame, and follow God my whole life while living towards what he has to offer,” Mr. Bob continued, “As people become who God made them be, one, it gives me a better understanding of the God I follow, because he is reflected in some way in that person. Two, it’s the most fulfilling to live to be what God made them to be.“
Photo Courtesy of Robert Stasko
When asked about who he looks up to the most, he answered his wife. Mr. Bob said, “She has helped me to see some more things about life in the world, she's opened my eyes. She's the most creative and toughest person ever.”
Moreover, when asked what event influenced his life the most, he continued, “I think the standard Christian answer would be when my relationship with Jesus began, but, when my daughter was born my whole life changed. She is like her mother: active, creative, beautiful, lots of fun, and very opinionated. When she gets something in her mind she wants to do, standing in her way is hard. I learned more about my relationship with God through my daughter. It means that God is my father and I could understand how he looks at me when I throw tantrums myself.”
Opinions on BAIS?
Mr. Bob said, “I love it here; the freedom to teach how I like to teach. I love the staff, students, and the facilities.”
Favorite Food?
Mr. Bob said, “A good breakfast sandwich.”