Homestead welcomes new teachers

For the 2015-2016 school year, Homestead welcomed nine new teachers to the building. Read below to learn about five of the newest additions to the Homestead community.

Drake Zortman, math specialist

Where can a student find you?

In Classroom 512.

What classes do you teach?
I am the high school math specialist. I work with both regular and special education students and teachers.

What are your goals for this school year?
A yearly goal I always have is for all students to grow academically and socially. Especially as it pertains to mathematics; all students can learn significant math, and they deserve it!

If you couldn’t be a teacher, what other career would you pursue?
If I couldn’t be a teacher, I would like to be a heavy equipment operator or a professional fisherman.

What is your favorite family tradition?
Sunday Funday with my wife, Mrs. Jennifer Zortman and our three awesome kids, Grace, Lee and Paige.

Why Homestead?
I worked at Homestead from January 1998 to June 2011, then I left for four school years. Now, I am back in a new and exciting role as the math specialist. Our family lives in Mequon, and our children attend school here in the district. There isn’t another place I would rather be.

What are your classroom philosophies?
Zero is not an option. Grow a little bit every day. When given the chance, showcase your talents. Be proud of your accomplishments.

Bob Bruch, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) teacher

Where can a student find you?
The Project Lead the Way classroom is 111, but I also operate a little bit out of the woodshop and the auto shop.

What classes do you teach?
Currently I am teaching the Project Lead the Way engineering course. This year we are running Principles of Engineering (POE), Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) and Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM).

What are your goals for this school year?
My main goal for this year is to revise and expand the engineering offerings at Homestead and increase the PLTW program’s enrollment in the future by offering additional courses such as digital electronics and robotics.

If you couldn’t be a teacher, what other career would you pursue?
If I could not be a teacher, I’d want to be full-time instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School or a civil/structural engineer.

Why Homestead?
I chose Homestead because I got the feeling that the school administration and the M-T community was very interested in expanding the engineering program and was willing to dedicate the time and resources to doing it right.

What are your classroom philosophies?
“Fail often when it doesn’t count to succeed, sooner when it does.”

Ms. Kelly Denk, english teacher

Where can a student find you?
I teach in room 804.

What classes do you teach?
I teach English 9 and Honors English 9.

What are your goals for this school year?
To get my students as excited about To Kill A Mockingbird as I get– if that’s even possible!

If you couldn’t be a teacher, what other career would you pursue?
If I could not be a teacher, I’d like to be an athletic trainer.

What is your favorite family tradition?
I love cutting down a real Christmas tree with my dad every December.

Why Homestead?
I was shocked to even get hired here as a first-year teacher. It’s such an amazing school with a direct mission and concrete goals for students and teachers.

What are your classroom philosophies?
Classroom community is just as/if not more important than content itself.

Mr. Eric Moser, English teacher

Where can a student find you?
I teach in room 803.

What classes do you teach?
I teach three sections of English 9 during first trimester. In addition to English 9, I will be teaching junior level Expository Writing/British Literature during second and third trimesters.

What are your goals for this school year?
My goals for this year consist of adjusting to a new environment and becoming a better teacher through continued professional development. I’ve been teaching for 15 years, and one of the reasons I wanted to come to Homestead was because of its reputation for professional development.

If you couldn’t be a teacher, what other career would you pursue?
If I wasn’t teaching? I honestly have no idea. I would probably pursue a career working for a non-profit organization related to politics, social justice, or social reforms. If I was very lucky, I would have time to pursue writing some young adult science fiction and fantasy.

What is your favorite family tradition?
My favorite tradition is Thanksgiving with my family. It’s the only time of the year where all of my family is together in one place.

Why Homestead?
In addition to the one I mentioned above, my family is hoping to relocate a little closer to Milwaukee, and Mequon and Thiensville are great communities.

What are your classroom philosophies?
“Enter all ye who seek knowledge.” I think it’s an old Latin saying. I believe we all want to seek new knowledge, and the classroom is the place to experiment with new skills and ideas. I want all students to learn new skills, but I also want them to feel comfortable thinking big thoughts and asking big questions. The classroom should be a safe place to wrestle with content that pushes our current understanding of the world around us.

Mr. Tom Knezevich, special education teacher

Where can a student find you?
My classroom number is 507.

What classes do you teach?
I teach Algebra Readiness and Study Skills.

What are your goals for this school year?
My goals for this year are to motivate students to challenge themselves. Settling for a lower accomplishment is the easy course of action. I want students to reach for what they thought was impossible.

If you couldn’t be a teacher, what other career would you pursue?
If I couldn’t be a teacher, I’d probably like to write for a TV show. The show could be any genre: comedy, drama, etc. TV writing is a creative process that intrigues me, and being in a writer’s room with intelligent, creative people sounds like fun!

What is your favorite family tradition?
My family is Serbian and we celebrate all of the Serbian holidays. So every year my family celebrates two Christmases and Easters!

Why Homestead?
I chose to work at Homestead because it is the best school district in the state. The curriculum is challenging and the students are highly motivated. It has been a treat to be involved in the Homestead culture thus far!

What are your classroom philosophies?
My classroom philosophy is to challenge yourself and work hard. I try hard to create a positive learning environment so students feel comfortable being themselves. My job is to individualize guidance to meet student needs.