"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

EDUGOALS:

General Goal: To promote Integrity, Academic Excellence, Critical Thinking skills, Problem-Solving Capacities, Respect & Responsibility.

Specific Goal: To teach students HOW to learn while encouraging competence, confidence and compassion - that they may be effective and efficient life-long learners. HOW? Through ACQUISITION & APPLICATION OF INFORMATION (Adopt, Adapt, Apply)

Social Studies Goal: To encourage and increase the capacity to Compare & Contrast and to Understand the depths of Causal Relationships (To use the humanities and history as a means to comprehending the human situation and to offer options in thinking and behavior in order to work for a better world)

Communication & Writing Goal: To explain, model & inspire Critical Thinking, Discussion/Discourse, Debate & Conflict Resolution Strategies. To encourage free-writing and structured writing as a means for developing effective, valid arguments and opinions for current and future decision-making.

Big Idea Challenge: "It all boils down to Chickens and the Civil War."  WHY?

"Under the most rigorously controlled conditions of pressure, temperature, volume, humidity, and other variables, the organism will do as it darn well pleases."- Harvard Law

Current Courses: (see specific pages to the left or click below for course details)

2017-18

Criminal Law - Introductory Survey Course (Text: "Street Law: A Course in Practical Law" 8th Edition - Arbetman, O'Brien, McMahon, Glencoe, McGraw-Hill, 2010)

Psychology - Introductory Survey Semester Course (Text: "Understanding Psychology" - Kassachau, Glencoe, McGraw-Hill, 2001)

Anthropology -

Holocaust Studies -

2018-19

Civil Law - Introductory Survey Course (Text: "Street Law: A Course in Practical Law" 8th Edition - Arbetman, O'Brien, McMahon, Glencoe, McGraw-Hill, 2010)

LOCAL Connections - Amesbury Local & Regional History, Genealogical and Preservation Studies, Oral History Efforts

Occasionally Teaching: Leadership Seminar

Please reference specific Course pages via the links on the left of this page.

RE: Contact Preferences - I highly encourage face-to-face or voice to voice interaction whenever possible. Inflection simply fails in e-mails.

E-Mail: jancewiczp@amesburyma.gov *

*Please note that I receive a multitude of e-mails and am engaged in teaching, mentoring and classroom management most of the day; due to this fact, I may not be able to respond as quickly as you may desire. I don't do Facebook or Text; life is busy enough without adding those distractions. Therefore, if something is URGENT - you may wish to call me at: 978.388.4800, extension 2228. I prefer face-to-face interaction as that is more direct and honest. These days, technological contrivances and connivances are far too rampant for my small mind to keep up with.

Personal Pedagogical Statement: 

Assessment & Outcomes: These days it seems that many so-called experts in education are ALL about boiling people down to a 0 or a 1; they quote "facts," numbers, and statistics that are derived from various "valid" assessments. Technology has done wonders to complicate the process while claiming to simplify it all. I certainly both love and hate technology. Yet, we seem to live and breathe FACT, until the next "fact" comes along to disprove the last “fact” (a pre-technology truth and a fact to be sure). Our society leaps from one expert to the next in the onward rush to ensure that our children get the "best" practice in learning and educational pedagogy. Meanwhile, we refuse to accept a few fairly simple "facts" - 1) Some people are excellent educators, communicators, and evaluators without all of the extra fuss and strictures of so-called “valid” assessment; 2) Some capacities NOT tested for and seemingly immeasurable make for well-adjusted and successful individuals who achieve far beyond the expectations borne of tests for greatness; 3) Some “experts” have the hubris to believe that newer is always better and that "old" practices are dinosaurs because we live in a "modern" age. This kind of stupidity has plagued education for far too long. A diverse curriculum with well-educated, motivated, compassionate, diverse and dedicated teachers who love to learn and to teach others how to do so can facilitate great successes in education. I swear to have all the facts and statistics to back this statement up (if I can find them)! For me, the student is the rubric. For the student, the teacher should be the rubric. No matter what I teach I believe in teaching students HOW or learn. Keep It Simple and Sincere!!!

“If we humanimals pretend to be logical and deny the impassioned beasts that we ALL can become, we’ll then allow our monsters to reign free and – eventually - that’s sure to be the end of you and me.” – PJJ (2011)

"If only in the natural evolutionary process humans prove themselves exceptionally adept at adaptation and application thus we may hope that nurturing can lead to progress and a better world." - PJJ (2014)

Former Courses:

Local Connections (Regional Historical & Genealogical Research, Resources & Methods) (Ref: ANCHORS & ROOTS Page)

Leadership - An exploration of various leadership traits, styles and methods for personal and professional success. (Recommended text: Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Character, Courage, and Vision" by H.W. Crocker III)

U. S. History - Although I am not currently teaching U.S. or World History, I have added this page to upload information that may prove interesting and relevant to AHS pupils especially to honor the 150th Anniversary of the U.S. Civil War (2011-2015).

World History

Theatre Arts

Remedial English