History — something many people enjoy learning about especially when one has a teacher as quirky as John Cislo.

Cislo grew up in Parkdale, a place where he says the poor kids grew up, but some could say that his past is what made him who he is today.

“A poor white man from Parkdale,” Cislo said. “A poor kid with Trax tennis shoes.”

Today he is not that same poor kid from Parkdale. He spends his day monitoring children and teaching classes, and at night he gets to go home to his wife.

“She is neat,” Cislo said.

His favorite things are cool summer days, walking through the fields on dewy mornings, and seeing the growth of freshmen throughout the year. Cislo enjoys the simple things in life like Joe Stalin (who he thought was misunderstood) and Toody.

“[Toody a] basketball guru from the mean streets of Philly,” Cislo said.

Cislo, the boys head basketball coach, he said that one of his pet peeves is when basketball players wear sleeves when they don’t need to. His love of basketball comes from his high school days when he was an athlete at CMR, graduating in 1987.

“6’ 5” of twisted steel,” Cislo said.

He said he loved to play the sport since he was so tall.

Being a teacher of 14-15-year-olds, Cislo said he gets to act like one, making the class interesting and something kids want to attend.