Laine Edwards

The standard science course usually involves earthbound topics, but George Binnicker has been taking students out of this world for the past 35 years.

Binnicker is Wando’s new astronomy teacher, and this will be his 35th year working in education. He started his career in Upstate South Carolina, teaching various science classes such as biology and chemistry. Recently, Binnicker decided to resign as the superintendent of Anderson School District so that he could return to doing what he loves most; teaching high school students. 

“I’ve been an administrator, principal, assistant principal, and taught all different types of sciences. I retired this past year as the superintendent of Anderson School District, which gave me the opportunity to do what I most enjoy in education. There is a certain amount of energy you get from being around young people all day that you don’t get from being surrounded by adults. I’ve always loved teaching, and this allowed me to do that again,” Binnicker said.

Senior class president Romy Thomas and senior Hope Harris both agree that Binnicker is a personable and kind teacher; he greets his students in the hallways and already knows all of their names. Thomas said she can tell he loves what he does and cares about what he teaches. Binnicker believes that gaining an understanding of worldly sciences is very fundamental; however, astronomy is even more important because the cosmic world is all around us.

“Science is the search for the truth,” Binnicker said.

Overall, Binnicker’s students described his course and classroom as convivial and hands-on. Students get to interact with real-life models and acquire knowledge and understanding of universal mysteries and deep topics. 

Harris said that Binnicker makes it a point to ensure everyone is included and actively participating in activities they do in class.  Recently, the class had the opportunity to go outside and learn firsthand how to measure the degrees of the planets, stars, and the sun by using the horizon. Thomas shared that even though astronomy may require a lot of studying and focus, Binnicker found a way to keep it enjoyable and lively.

“I have taken so many classes at Wando, and this is definitely one of the most interesting ones I’ve been in yet,” Thomas said.

Since the universe is so vast and mysterious, there is always something new to learn in astronomy class. In Binnicker’s astronomy course, students learn about constellations, black holes, Zodiac signs, and astrology. 

“It would be really difficult to nail down a particular science as my favorite. I really like and enjoy them all for many different reasons. Astronomy, though, is especially fascinating because the astronomical world is just so big, and there’s so much to learn,” Binnicker said. 

Thomas and Harris said that compared to other science courses at Wando, Binnicker’s course was a favorite. Binnicker is curious about his students and he tries to stay current by inquiring about what they have learned about the cosmos from popular social media apps, such as Instagram and TikTok. He also enjoys sharing spontaneous fun facts and fascinating anecdotes.

Binnicker heavily suggests to students looking forward to pursuing a career in science that they take advantage of all the amazing courses available at Wando.  

“Well in science, I would say you take as many science and math courses as you can. There’s a pretty significant link between science and mathematics. So I would suggest they take as many as the most challenging science and math courses that they can,” Binnicker said.

Like the cosmos, Binnicker inspires an atmosphere that is fascinating and exploratory; Thomas and Harris said students easily stay connected to the material and each other. 

“It’s important for people to understand how our world works, whether that is the physical world, chemical world, or you know, in the stars. And science is the search for the truth, we might not always get it right, but we’re most certainly looking for it,” Binnicker said.