About the Presenter
John Bugaiski is in his 21st year of teaching, entirely at Kannapolis City Schools. He is a cum laude graduate of The State University of New York College at Cortland with a B.S. in Elementary Education and a minor in Music. John holds North Carolina teaching licenses in Elementary Education (K-6), Academically and Intellectually Gifted Education (K-12), and is certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. He achieved his AIG certification through UNC-Chapel Hill with Dr. Mary-Ruth Coleman. He has taught 4th grade, 6th grade social studies, 5th and 6th grade AIG and currently 6th grade AIG math and 6th-8th speech and debate. John also conducts gifted education staff development within Kannapolis City Schools and for districts throughout North Carolina. He was the 2008-2009 Kannapolis City Schools Teacher of the Year, a finalist for regional state teacher of the year, a recipient of the Time Warner Cable Star Teacher Award, and is recognized annually by former students as a teacher of profound influence at National Honor Society induction. But, he knows he does not need any award to be reminded he has the best job in the world. Mr. Bugaiski's philosophy for himself and his students is simple: laugh hard, worker harder, and always be better than you were yesterday.
John lives in Concord, NC with his wife and daughters, Ella and Evelyn. He has grown so tall that his hair has moved from his head to the bottom of his face. John also enjoys riding his mountain bike in between the spectacular crashes that add really cool scars. He has become an expert at dressing his daughters in outfits of which his wife would never approve. He does not do push-ups, he pushes the earth down. Any additional, non-classified information about John can be discovered by asking nicely.
*Mr. Bugaiski is available to conduct staff development at your school! If you would like him visit your school and share with teachers and students, please do not hesitate to contact him via e-mail.
