Following two decades of teaching math to Troy High School students, Jerusha Ondra realized that a change of scenery was long overdue. “I just wanted to try something different. I’ve been at Troy High for 26 years and I thought that maybe it would be good to do something different,” she said following her move back after the 2023-2024 school year.
Ondra debuted her teaching career at Troy High School. She received her math degree at the University of Michigan and got a call to join Troy High School’s math department as a Calculus teacher “straight out of college.” In her career, she also worked at Troy Athens High School for one semester. After all those years of teaching at the high school level, Ondra seeked a new environment, something out of her comfort zone. She received a call from Carol Machak, a former math specialist from Troy High School, about an opening at Larson Middle School to be a Math 7 and Math 8 teacher, and the process began.
Larson Middle School also houses one of Troy High School’s former Vice Principal, Brian Zawislak. Zawislak’s role as a principal for Larson Middle School influenced Ondra to make a move on her plan to try different things. “If he hadn’t been the principal, there would have been no chance that I would’ve gone,” Ondra admits.
Ondra described her middle school students as “super sweet kids.” Nevertheless, she confesses that they were equally as hard to manage, teach, and motivate. Ondra recounted her experience at Larson Middle School as becoming a “mama duck” to all of the students and “putting out fires and listening to people tattle and talk about skibbidy toilet.”
Consequently, the teacher reveals that she would never want to return to teaching a middle school classroom. Ondra explains how her experience served as a personal lesson, allowing her to acknowledge that her position at Troy High School made her feel the most at home. “I guess it was a good experience for me because if nothing else, it taught me that this is where I should be and this is where I want to be.”
Ondra’s relocation was not very public in the beginning. Many of her former students were unaware of Ondra’s absence during the previous school year.
“I honestly didn’t know until the next school year,” her former student, Senior Molin Lu stated. Lu was in Ondra’s Algebra 2 Honors class in the 2022-2023 school year. She described the teacher as the “sweetest soul,” and “always willing to help others.”
Despite not being at Troy High School for an entire year, Ondra is still recognized by students for her teaching methods and kindhearted personality. Ondra’s classroom atmosphere is one of the many memorable aspects about her. Junior Noilyn Perez-Dylewski, a student in Ondra’s Algebra 2A class, shares that “Her class is really calm, relaxing and she’s really patient with students.”
As she made her choice to return to her previous job at the school, Ondra was welcomed with open arms by the Troy High School staff, specifically the school’s Principal, Remo Roncone. Ondra explained that during the process of transitioning into Larson Middle School, Roncone had left her with the offer to return to Troy High School whenever she pleased, which she took up immediately after noticing that being a middle school math teacher was not where she wanted to be.
Not only has Ondra returned to Troy High School with enthusiasm, but she is starting fresh with a whole new perspective. Although she didn’t come back to the same classes or classroom as before, Ondra finds it refreshing to be back.
“I think this has been the best start to a school year I’ve had in my whole teaching career,” she said, reflecting on her transition this year, “it feels like coming home.”
Students and staff are glad to see one of Troy High School’s most respected teachers back where everyone, including herself, feels she belongs. Ondra can now be found waving to her former students in the math hallways where she teaches Algebra 2A and Geometry Honors, and continues to inspire and guide her students to be their best selves.
