Jennifer Popowitch:
CLASS OF 1994
Batavia High SchoolClass of 1994
Batavia, IL
Leland Elementary SchoolClass of 1999
Leland, IL
Batavia Junior High SchoolClass of 1990
Batavia, IL
McWayne Elementary SchoolClass of 1988
Batavia, IL
J. B. Nelson Elementary SchoolClass of 1987
Batavia, IL
Jennifer's Story
Life
From the first few weeks I have lived in Zion, I have been involved in church activities at Christ Community Church, becoming a member there after attending for only four months.
I keep up my performing skills by playing the flute in the Zion Chamber Orchestra, and now in a new performing group called Full Score. We are an ensemble of local musicians who know the importance of providing quality music to the community. I have also been a part of my church sanctuary choir, and sometimes get a chance to be a "guest conductor."
This was a big summer for me. I became an aunt, got married, and earned my master's of music education degree.
College
I attended Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington as a music education major. While there, I lived in a co-ed small hall called International House (I-House), and was on the executive board there as the secretary from my sophomore through senior years.
As a music education major, I was a member of a variety of instrumental ensembles, including the Titan Band (pep band), Wind Ensemble (the higher of the two concert bands), Illinois Wesleyan Civic Orchestra, and the Symphonic Band (flute freshman year, and percussion senior year).
I did my student teaching in the fall of 1997 in the little farm town of Flanagan, IL, where I used my newly-acquired conducting and instrumental skills to conduct a band. It was a lot of fun, and I have some wonderful memories, including the day I was "on my own" and was just recovering from three days battling bronchitis.
What do I remember doing outside of class? We took a lot of long walks (a free activity) around beautiful historic Bloomington, had snowball fights after the music building closed at 11 p.m., and practiced our music at least 10 hou...Expand for more
rs a week, not including lessons or ensembles. We were music geeks and proud of it! My roommate for 3 1/2 years and I were hooked on Seinfeld during the week, and on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" each Saturday, during which she and I would bring out our counted cross stitch pieces and relax for a while.
Workplace
Despite having my heart set on being a band director, my first job was working in Leland, IL (30 minutes south of DeKalb) as the K-12 general music, band, and chorus teacher. I hadn't counted on teaching anyone how to sing! That job lasted for one year, after which I moved downstate to another farm town, which was eerily comparable to the first.
Morrisonville, IL is about 30 minutes south of Springfield. Again, I was the only music teacher in the district, teaching grade school general music and junior high and high school band and chorus. About the only good thing that came out of that job was having more experience behind me. It was in Morrisonville where I really found my love of teaching elementary school music.
Then I moved up to Zion, IL, where I took a job teaching K-6 general music at two schools. I taught there for three years, and loved it, but the school budget was of much concern to the school board, so one year away from my tenure, the closest I had ever gotten, I was honorably discharged. Fortunately, I had a plan in motion, so the day after the Zion school board meeting where my job was cut, I got a phone call as a result of my two interviews there from Waukegan offering me a job teaching K-5 general music and beginning band at one grade school there. I happily accepted that job, and will be working there next year. I love this part of the state, and hope to be here for a very long time.
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