Freddie Cukjati

cukjatif@njhealth.org

 

Why did you become a teacher?
After I had about a year of college, Milwaukee had a teacher shortage. The requirements were continue taking college classes, teach under a supervising teacher, and have one year of college. I took a chance and after about two weeks the supervising teacher said I was a natural.

 

What is it like to work at Kunsberg?
The only difference between Kunsberg and other schools I've taught at is that Kunsberg is smaller. I like teaching in small schools because you get to know all of the students.

 

Where did you go to school and when?
I got a double BA in English and education at Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee. I also got a Masters Degree in Library Media from CU Boulder a long time ago.

 

How did you find Kunsberg?
I was looking for a job and got one at the National Asthma Center (NAC) which was part of National Jewish Health. When NAC closed I ended up working at National Jewish Health.

 

What do you do in your spare time?
I read, I garden and I like landscaping. I also love music. I always have music on at home.

 

What is your favorite teaching story?
When I was teaching at another school, the principle had asked me to teach 3rd grade math. I decided to try it. Everything went fine until division came along. I got the students so confused that the kids that were working above average were almost failing! A group of kids decided to ask my friend who taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math what they were doing. For the rest of the school year, the students wouldn't let me touch the teachers manual because they knew I would make everything confusing. At the end of the year everyone was above average.

 

What is your education and work history?
I started teaching 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classes for several years. One of the things I'm proud of is that I non-graded a nine classroom primary division in a large school. Then I non-graded the reading program in school grades 1-8 that became a school that college students from all over Wisconsin came to to learn to teach. From the time I started teaching, I also worked in the school libraries. I organized two school libraries from scratch. I taught in a college in Milwaukee for about a year and a half and part time at Regis College for seven years before I came to Kunsberg. I was the media specialist at RHS for four years.