Mr. Bryan Konshak, math teacher for 15 years at NDA, has been nominated for the Golden Apple Award. His inspiration for teaching–and teaching math in particular–has been “good math teachers when I grew up, especially the math teachers at Green Bay West.”
His role model today here at Notre Dame Academy is Mr. Doug Guyette, whom he calls a “positive, hard working and good mentor/friend.”
Even though he really loves his career choice and teaching math, Konshak finds classroom management to be the toughest part of teaching, but emphasizes the positives outweigh the negatives. The biggest positive that Konshak enjoys is when students have that ah-ha moment or time that the information being taught clicks and makes sense to the student.
“These are some of the best moments in teaching,” he said, “and I am sure every teacher out there will agree about this.”
Also rewarding to any teacher is being nominated for the prestigious Golden Apple, and Konshak used the word “flattered” for having been nominated.
Here at NDA, he teaches Algebra B, Geometry and some IB classes. He enjoys each one of these and has learned over the past 15 years that he really cares for people. One of his teacher friends, Mr. Cassidy McGowan, says that Konshak has a heart of gold.
The math teacher stressed he does not want any student to fail, that it is his philosophy to really get kids to pass at all levels, whether it is a lower-level math course or an accelerated course like IB math.
Many people don’t realize that teachers have a life outside of school, but Konshak enjoys swimming, bonfires and just last year made a play house for his kids out of pallets. He also enjoys his annual fundraiser to benefit the NDA Closet: a spring-time Pancake Walk/Run for students and staff. And as Christmas approaches, he might be the man in red and white who always thrills GRACE kids that visit NDA’s Christmas program.
No wonder when asked to describe himself in one word, he said, “Fun.” Too bad everyone can’t be in this Golden Apple nominee’s classroom, for every student would want to come to school to learn and have “fun.”
