Vegas Golden Knights November 2023 Teacher of the Month
Name:
Suzanne Gudjonis
School:
Walter Johnson Junior High School Academy of International Studies
Classroom Team:
Tell us about yourself!
I am currently a seventh and eight grade robotics teacher and have been for three years. Previously I taught elementary school for 22 years in Kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and as a Technology Specialist. I became a teacher because of the great influence I had from my 4th grade Social Studies teacher. I have vivid memories of her style of teaching being different from the other teachers and the way she encouraged projects and out of the box thinking. I wanted to be that teacher in the future. I remember in my early years of teaching bringing the out of box ideas to the classroom and seeing the wonder on the faces of my students because it was all new and exciting. Being in the room when the ideas come to life and the information makes sense to my class is what I love about teaching.
What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?
My favorite part of the Future Goals program is the connection to the real world. The information isn’t just presented on the screen for students to absorb. They are given a real life scenario to see how the concepts connect. STEM and hockey have a great connection. From he physics of balancing on skates and the math used to calculate player statistics it all comes into play.
Who is your favorite NHL® player and why?
I have only really become a hockey fan over the past decade so I don’t have a particular player that is my favorite. I have local team members that I like more than others for their playing abilities and community connections. If I had to choose one player to single out I would go with Zach Whitecloud from the VGK. He has a strong commitment to family, community, and his heritage that is refreshing in today’s sports figures.
If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?
If I were to play hockey, I believe I would want to play left or right defense. In this position you work as a duo to defend your goal. This is an important job both on and off the ice. Working with another person to defend an area and then help others to score a goal would utilize my ability to multitask but would also allow for other teammates to take on more responsibility when needed. Being flexible to see when that is needed is something I feel I would be good at if I played.