Skip to main content
Main Menu Toggle
Mr. Gerard Kovach » Biography

Biography

Biography

I am excited to be in my fourth year teaching here at Decatur, and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to those of you who are new to Decatur. I am going into my 23rd year of teaching, having served students and families from all across Chicago in grades 3-8, primarily in the subject areas of Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts. I hold a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree from National-Louis University, and in recent years I was awarded a Golden Apple in Teaching Fellowship and MSUrbanSTEM Fellowship. I have also earned National Board Teacher Certification.


I am extremely passionate about teaching and exploring Science with middle school students! My philosophy of teaching science revolves around guiding students into collaboratively exploring phenomena, both inside and outside of our classroom. Based upon their own observations, under the framework of The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), students devise their own evidence-based hypotheses, test their hypotheses with their own designed experiments and/or engineering creations, and after careful data analysis, they apply their language skills in a variety of ways to communicate their findings to a wider audience. Their audiences sometimes include students from other schools and locations, as well as professional scientists and engineers from local universities or corporate foundations, and even around the world via videoconferencing. 


When I am not in the pursuit of quenching my own lifelong love of learning new things through Science, I love spending time with family and friends. In the picture you can see my family; my wife, Megan, our children Ruby and Hank, and Hank’s service dog, Dosido. I am honored to be your child’s teacher of Science this year and I look forward to working as a partner with you to help your child grow as a learner!

 

Posts

SY24-25 Week 1| Science (Grade 6 Rooms 109 & 1013)

This week students: participated in several team-building activities to renew the bonds that strengthen their classroom community; conducted a getting to know you activity; worked in cooperative teams to complete the "Cup Stack Attack", "PVC Pipe and a Tennis Ball", and "Maze" challenges. Building strong learning communities is essential to science class as much of the learning that will take place is through cooperative learning lab activities. Thank you for checking in with us this week:)

SY24-25 Week 1| Science (Grades 7-8)

This week students: participated in several team-building activities to renew the bonds that strengthen their classroom community; they welcomed in new students to Decatur Classical; conducted a getting to know you activity kind of like "speed dating"; worked in cooperative teams to complete the "Cup Stack Attack", "PVC Pipe and a Tennis Ball", and "Maze" challenges. Building strong learning communities is essential to science class as much of the learning that will take place is through cooperative learning lab activities. Thank you for checking in with us this week:)

Day 2 of Decatur Classical Summer CSI STEM Camp

Today the campers: Started with a fun getting to know you community builder exercise at breakfast; were introduced to the crime scene. They did a thorough documentation of the crime scene, which included a note that was made using newspaper cutouts. The note was in Spanish so the students worked together on translating it to English. By doing so, they discovered that the cookie bandit is keeping the cookies as ransom and expects payment. The crime scene also included traces of a white powder substance, and envelopes with lipstick on them. Afterwards, the students began looking into the 5 primary suspects, who are Ms. Martha and Ms. Mirna, Decatur custodians, along with Ms. Negron and Ms. Martino, and last but not least, Ms. Degand. They worked with their groups to begin analyzing the written biographies of each suspect and looking for possible clues connected to the mystery powder, ransom note, and envelopes with lipstick. Thank you for checking in with us:)

Day 3 of Decatur Classical Summer CSI STEM Camp

Today the students: conducted a fun STEM Challenge called, "Save Fred". They had to work with a partner to save Fred, a gummy worm, who was trapped on top of his upside down capsized boat and his lifejacket, a gummy lifesaver, stuck under the boat. Each partner had to figure out how to get Fred's lifejacket on him, and place him safely in the boat right side up, while only using one hand and a paperclip. It was fun watching our scientists struggle through but persevere through this challenge. The bulk of today's forensic investigating was a chemistry lab where the students worked in cooperative groups to figure out what the mystery powder substance was that was left at the crime scene. Please ask your child all about it and how they are gathering their evidence to make their decisions about the 5 suspects. Thank you for checking in with us:)

Decatur Summer CSI STEM Camp Day 1

On day one of our CSI STEM Camp for Decatur Classical students who will be entering grades 3-5 this year, students: 1. Learned the parts and functions of our Science lab's compound light microscopes. 2. Worked in cooperative teams to learn the correct procedures for focusing images on their microscopes. 3. Each group was so excited when they successfully found several live aquatic macro and microorganisms such as: Daphnia, Cyclops, Aquatic worms, Amoeba, etc. These activities now set the foundation for teams being introduced to the crime scene, "Who took the cookies from Mrs. Negron's cookie jar?", on day 2 of our weeklong camp. Mrs. Degand and I were so impressed with our forensic scientists cooperation and supporting each other, as well as their overall enthusiasm while making their own discoveries in microscopy! Special thanks to Mrs. Degand for brining in the pond water samples for today's investigation! Thanks for checking in with us:)

Week 31 of JHS Science| 2023-24 Fun at Decatur Family STEM Night!

This week's slideshow highlights: 6th grade class went outside to test out their solar racers; and it was a really nice turnout for our 2nd annual Decatur Family STEM Night!; our older 5th-8th grade students volunteered to lead some cool STEM activities for the younger students and families and to show off the work that they have been doing in Math and Science classes this year; students and families got to learn all about extra-curricular STEM programs from several community vendors such as Chicago Public Library, Chicago Center for the Industrial Arts, the Field Museum, Northwestern Center for Talent Development, and more; students and families learned how STEM professionals apply these same skills in their careers such as from an architect who designs more environmentally sustainable green buildings (thank you to Decatur parent Megan Zack) or an architect who guides young kids in designing outdoor nature play spaces around Chicago's parks (thank you Sean Schaffer); and a special highlight was a replica of a dinosaur head, Norm the T-Rex (Thank you Ms. Mendoza and The Field Museum); and thank you to all other parents and staff who volunteered to help make this a FUN and memorable event for our community! :)

Week 30 of JHS Science| 2023-24

This week's slideshow highlights: 8th grade worked with their 5th grade buddies on their Chicago Symphony Orchestra project by constructing and testing their DIY musical instruments and shared out with the other groups in our gym; 6th grade class worked on constructing their solar cars; and 7th grade began exploring a new SEPUP Unit on Evolution with a lab activity where they learned about how bacteria evolves much faster when patients do not take their antibiotics as prescribed by physicians; and our Decatur JHS Green Team began planting seeds of various sensory flowering plants in our raised garden beds on the school playground. Thank you for checking in with us this week:)

Camp Duncan Trip Highlights

This past week, 7th grade class went on the annual 7th Grade Right of Passage field trip to YMCA Camp Duncan, up in Volo, IL. It was a 2 day + one overnight experience. Students got to partake in several team-building activities and challenge courses, learned archery, rock wall climbing, walked a lot through the forested paths, ate meals and lots of snacks together, played at the camp playgrounds, played competitive Gaga Ball, and their experience culminated by creating their own Camp Duncan 2024 Tie-Dyed T-Shirts. We are looking forward to next year's trip with our current 6th grade class! Thank you for checking in with us this week:)

Week 27 of JHS Science|2023-24. "Several Decatur JHS Students Advanced to IL State STEM Fair!"

This week's slideshow highlights: two 7th grade and four 8th grade students have advanced onto the IL State STEM Fair! They presented their STEM inquiry projects to judges at the CPS Citywide STEM Fair on March 15th and learned of their advancement at the awards ceremony on March 16th at Illinois Institute of Technology. Several of them also earned monetary awards as well from various CPS STEM Fair corporate and philanthropic sponsors. These students will present at the IL State STEM Fair on May 3-4 at Milliken University in Decatur, IL. Six of our 6th graders also earned golden status, the highest award given out to 6th grade students! The STEM Fair project allows students the opportunity to choose their own topic of inquiry of a real-world based problem and combine their Science, Engineering, Social Studies, Math, and Language Arts skills into one research-based scientific investigation and presentation. We are so proud of our Decatur scientists and engineers! Thank you for checking in with us this week:)

Week 26 of JHS Science| 2023-24

This week's slideshow highlights: 7th grade class' field trip to The Plant Chicago where they learned all about pollinators as our goal is to begin the foundation of establishing pollinator gardens on our school grounds this spring; 6th grade class spent time on engineering & design through exploring wind turbine designs that maximize electricity produced from transforming wind energy into electrical and mechanical energy. Thank you for checking in with us this week:)

Week 25 of JHS Science| 2023-24

This week's slideshow highlights: 8th graders exploring light waves as part of their "Waves" SEPUP Unit; 8th graders from my SEL class enjoying a game of football together during Tuesday's abnormally warm end to February; a few 6th graders creatively making a moving car for our class pet bearded dragon lizard, Snickers; and JHS students who are part of Decatur's "Green Team" after school club with Mrs. Koreman and me brainstorming which types of sensory plants and native pollinators would be best to plant in our school's raised garden beds this spring. Thank you for checking in with us this week:)
Background image Mr. Gerard Kovach`s profile picture
Name
Mr. Gerard Kovach
Position
6th-8th | Science
Email
gjkovach@cps.edu