Growing up with a shop teacher for a father, math teacher John Nidzgorski always knew he wanted a career in education. His dream involved more than just sitting in a classroom, however, as he always wanted to get into coaching as well; teaching in more ways than one.
Despite his interest in teaching, Nidzgorski initially entered a field relating to a different aspect of his father’s job: construction. After graduating from Lawrence Institute of Technology with his undergraduate degree in engineering, Nidzgorski spent 23 years as a construction engineer manager for commercial and residential companies.
However, his itch to teach and coach was still prominent after more than two decades in construction, so he began working at WA in 2009 while getting his master’s degree in mathematics education from Rivier University. As Nidzgorski retires in October, he will leave behind an impact over 16 years in the making.
Although Nidzgorski did not grow up in Westford, his daughters were raised next door in Chelmsford which led to his consideration of teaching positions in other nearby towns, such as Lowell and Nashua. However, even after observing many different schools, the tight knit community of WA was his number one pick.
“All of the teachers were helping each other, and I don’t know if the other [schools] weren’t, but I saw that here, all of the teachers would […] try to help each other, and I knew that I would want that,” Nidzgorski said. “Then I also sensed that the administration backed the teachers […] and that was true, they really stand behind us […] and they’re great to work with.”
Even though Nidzgorski loves teaching, some of his favorite memories are from his coaching experiences. Nidzgorski started off coaching the girls’ basketball team at Stony Brook Middle School and then transitioned into coaching at the high school. Over the years he has coached WA Girls’ JV Tennis and WA Girls’ Freshman and JV Volleyball. According to Nidzgorski, because of his two daughters, he was more comfortable coaching the girls’ teams rather than the boys, and he was able to form stronger connections.
“I became close to those players, and I’m still close with one of the [basketball] players,” Nidzgorski said. “She just ran a marathon and I went, so [even though] she wasn’t one of my students, we were close throughout high school from [a coach and athlete standpoint] and she looks at me as a mentor.”
From teaching to motivating students and athletes, Nidzgorski has influenced many young people’s lives. No matter who he is trying to teach and how they may learn, Nidzgorski finds a way to reach each and every one of his students. According to Nidzgorski, he encourages his students, especially in his geometry and trigonometry classes, to find different solutions and methods to solve problems and share them with their peers.
“Algebra is so linear, and there’s typically only one way to get to the answer,” Nidzgorski said. “[However, with] geometry and trig there’s usually a few different ways to get to the answer and I like to explore that with the students.”
According to sophomore Ishi Kashyap, Nidzgorski’s class is always a welcoming place to enter. From sharing personal remarks to demonstrating interest in his students’ lives, Nidzgorski does more than just teach to the test.
“He is always open to questions and is available for extra help if needed,” Kashyap said. “[I enjoy how] he gives us examples that apply to real life, as well as showing us [tangible examples] to help us see things clearer.”
Throughout the 16 years that Nidzgorski has been at WA, he never gets tired of seeing students finally understand something that they had previously been struggling with.
“My favorite thing is when a student [is struggling on a topic] and all of a sudden they get it, like the aha moments, and I literally get chills,” Nidzgorski said.
According to Nidzgorski, another incredibly rewarding part of his job is when another student is able to get through to their peer in a way that he is unable.
“What’s rewarding to me is when […] I’ll ask another student in the class to explain it another way [because] I’m not getting through to [someone, and] all of a sudden another student will say, ‘Hey how about trying this way?’,” Nidzgorski said. “[…] Sometimes [information] coming from a peer or another student in the classroom helps.”
Since Nidzgorski is not set to retire until October, he will still be in WA for the first few months floating around from classroom to classroom and doing anything that the school may need help with, such as DLT duty or subbing.
Although Nidzgorski does not have any big retirement plans, he is still looking forward to spending more time with his family and getting to do some of his favorite hobbies, such as biking and building furniture. However, even though Nidzgorski is leaving WA soon, he may not be leaving the classrooms or courts forever as he may come back to substitute or coach if an opportunity does arise.
