When North’s new special education teacher and assistant football coach Zachary Gleason worked at a therapeutic school in college, he knew that helping students with higher needs was what he wanted to do. He was always one of the students pulled to work in adaptive PE classes, even while in middle school, so he already had a lot of knowledge about their needs.
“It’s always something that’s been in the back of my mind. I’ve had experience with [this] my whole life, and the experience at the school really pushed that forward,” said Gleason.
Following his passion, he went to Marquette University in Wisconsin, studying history and education before getting a Learning Behavior Specialist endorsement to become a special education teacher.
Originally wanting to be an athletic trainer, he changed his mind and decided that the career was not for him. He chose to become a teacher after being inspired by his sister, who taught second grade in Milwaukee.
“I got to go observe her, and saw how all the kids interact with her, [and how] the staff interacted with her. I saw that’s definitely something I can do,” said Gleason.
Gleason’s first year at North is his fourth year of teaching. Before coming to North, he worked for three years at Leyden High School, where he coached football, baseball and basketball along with being a special education teacher.
“It was a lot of free time [lost], but it was also a lot of good experience and a great way to meet all the kids there,” Gleason said.
Although there are many challenges involved with teaching, such as managing a busy schedule with meetings and lots of paperwork, Gleason definitely enjoys his job. His favorite part is being able to help students with whatever they need.
“Often you’re more than just a teacher. You’re a mentor, you’re a coach [and] you’re someone that a student can rely on in a lot of cases,” Gleason said.
He believes that the most important quality a teacher should have is patience. To Gleason, teachers must be patient enough to build connections with the kids they teach. He finds that this can help both the teacher and the students, and it is a valuable skill to apply in and out of the classroom.
Gleason is also an assistant football coach here at North. He loves the sport, and also likes the fact that it is an opportunity for the students he does not usually work with to get to know him better.
“They get to know you in a more informal fashion, and [it helps to] make more connections with the community as well,” said Gleason.
He also has some important advice for students. He encourages them to try out new classes and clubs to explore their interests.
“Challenge yourself to try new things and not be scared of the result, because there’s always something that might go wrong, but you’re always working to find yourself and work[ing] to be a better person,” said Gleason.
