MONROE - Jill Leuzinger compares her job as the music teacher at Parkside Elementary School in Monroe to being a grandparent. She said she doesn't feel the stress of testing, data or fluency - and instead, after 30 minutes of loving on children and spoiling them with an art form she loves, she simply sends them back to their "home" classroom.
It's not uncommon for Leuzinger to hear students declare on their way out that music was "the best day ever" or the "most fun they've ever had."
As Leuzinger tells the tales, she holds her heart with both hands.
"That's bigger than any paycheck you could ever get," she said.
After more than two decades of teaching music to elementary students, she said her job is still a place that reminds her of her childhood. It's where she holds deep friendships with mischievous and fun coworkers, and receives flexibility and support from her leaders. She said it's a school filled with a happy staff, which has led to even happier children.
"This doesn't feel like a job," she said. "We often say around here to each other, 'We're getting paid for this!'"
She was born in Waukegan, Illinois, but shortly after, Leuzinger's family moved to Salem, Wisconsin. She lived in town in what the family now refers to as "the yellow house," and she has fond memories of growing up with lots of siblings.
She recalls her childhood being a time of fun with the neighborhood gang and relatives, only coming home when it was too dark to keep playing. They lived near Paddock Lake, and she recalls spending summers swimming, playing on the seaweed machine and fishing.
"We were always up to something," she said.
One year as they walked around the fair, they found themselves in the commercial building and, for fun, filled out every raffle entry they could. Later, Leuzinger got a call that she won free music lessons at Robert Wayne Music, where she chose to try out the organ.
"I have no idea why I chose the organ," Leuzinger said, laughing. "I think it was because of the carrying case."
The 7-year-old was immediately hooked. Her parents continued to drive her 30 minutes to the lessons even after the freebies ran out. She learned to read music quickly and eventually played at her older sister's wedding and some talent shows.
By eighth grade, Leuzinger had moved on to playing piano and had a local teacher who helped build her skills. As her talent grew, she would accompany choral groups and solo-ensemble activities in school.
"As a young girl, music brought our family together," Leuzinger said. "For Christmas, I would play and everyone would sing along. I loved that."
At Westosha Central High School, Leuzinger was a good student. As the fifth child in her large family, she said she often followed the lead of her older brother, Paul. He was both smart and talented, and she did her best to keep up with him.
Leuzinger was heavily involved in plays and musicals - and although she felt she was often upstaged by her brother, she never stopped trying to measure up. She graduated in 1992.
It was long before then, however, that Leuzinger knew she would one day become a music teacher. She momentarily thought of becoming a chemical engineer, but followed her own music teacher's words that resonated: we should do what we love.
After graduation, no one was surprised when Leuzinger didn't check out colleges and instead followed Paul to Carroll College. Her family was in financial hardship at the time, but the siblings protected each other and helped each other find ways to succeed. She feels it was a timely blessing.
"We were so incredibly close," she said of her and Paul at that time. "It was just important for me to be by him."
College brought a positive experience. Each class Leuzinger took helped reinforce her decision to be a music teacher. A tough piano teacher made her an even better musician. The college had only three people in music education by the time she was a senior.
Her junior year, Leuzinger became ill and missed several weeks of school, but professors went out of their way to help her graduate in 1996.
Leuzinger was student-teaching in Waukesha while she sent out resumes. She received a call to interview in Monroe, a place she knew very little about.
The rainy day she interviewed with Virgil Leopold was one she won't forget. She said she was nervous and scared, but he put her at ease, and eventually offered her the job. Although she was proud, she still didn't want to be alone and talked her younger brother, Mike, into moving to Monroe with her.
"It was exciting," she said. "I was so proud of that. It was a gift. Virgil Leopold will always be so influential for me."
Her first year of teaching at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School was better than she could have imagined, she said. She loved being herself and felt welcomed by the staff. She was assigned a mentor, Sue Leuzinger, who would eventually end up becoming her stepmother-in-law.
After seven years at the school, Leuzinger said she could sense a change in her energy level. She then moved to Parkside and said a new crew of people put her back on her game. A former teacher introduced her to using several instruments in the music room, and the two developed a plan for music over several years that the board supported.
She's now been at Parkside for 14 years.
"It was another one of those life-changing moments," Leuzinger said. "My teaching is so different than what it was. I transformed from 'do what I do' to 'show me what you can do.'
"I pride myself in finding the fun in the simple things," she said.
She said the change isn't just from her - her students have transformed as well. They're singing, dancing, moving and playing their own instruments. It allows them accountability and has improved behaviors. Leuzinger said her classroom is now a world they create on their own.
"I have the best job ever," she said.
Leuzinger's husband, Kevin, is from Monroe and has a large family - something she finds important. The couple has three children: a sophomore, an eighth-grader and a sixth-grader. They are often attending their functions and activities.
She said her children all know better than to tell Mom they're bored.
"I tell them all the time, 'Only boring people get bored,'" she said.
Finding Monroe was seemingly the perfect fit. Leuzinger recently brought her large family here for a reunion, taking them through all the experiences of what she feels is "the coolest community" and said many of them didn't want to leave.
"Without this job, I wouldn't be here," she said. "It all happened the day Virgil Leopold hired me. He'll always be on a pedestal for bringing me here."
Leuzinger teaches a few piano lessons on the side and recently started directing the bells at her church, St. John's United Church of Christ. She also enjoys reading, journaling and scrapbooking. Her family is still very close, and she loves holiday gatherings and planning get-togethers regularly.
Words Leuzinger will always live by come from her father, who taught the family not to sweat the small things in life.
She said it's a saying she lives by because, with it, no one can have a bad day: "Don't worry about anything, because nothing's gonna be all right."
It's not uncommon for Leuzinger to hear students declare on their way out that music was "the best day ever" or the "most fun they've ever had."
As Leuzinger tells the tales, she holds her heart with both hands.
"That's bigger than any paycheck you could ever get," she said.
After more than two decades of teaching music to elementary students, she said her job is still a place that reminds her of her childhood. It's where she holds deep friendships with mischievous and fun coworkers, and receives flexibility and support from her leaders. She said it's a school filled with a happy staff, which has led to even happier children.
"This doesn't feel like a job," she said. "We often say around here to each other, 'We're getting paid for this!'"
She was born in Waukegan, Illinois, but shortly after, Leuzinger's family moved to Salem, Wisconsin. She lived in town in what the family now refers to as "the yellow house," and she has fond memories of growing up with lots of siblings.
She recalls her childhood being a time of fun with the neighborhood gang and relatives, only coming home when it was too dark to keep playing. They lived near Paddock Lake, and she recalls spending summers swimming, playing on the seaweed machine and fishing.
"We were always up to something," she said.
One year as they walked around the fair, they found themselves in the commercial building and, for fun, filled out every raffle entry they could. Later, Leuzinger got a call that she won free music lessons at Robert Wayne Music, where she chose to try out the organ.
"I have no idea why I chose the organ," Leuzinger said, laughing. "I think it was because of the carrying case."
The 7-year-old was immediately hooked. Her parents continued to drive her 30 minutes to the lessons even after the freebies ran out. She learned to read music quickly and eventually played at her older sister's wedding and some talent shows.
By eighth grade, Leuzinger had moved on to playing piano and had a local teacher who helped build her skills. As her talent grew, she would accompany choral groups and solo-ensemble activities in school.
"As a young girl, music brought our family together," Leuzinger said. "For Christmas, I would play and everyone would sing along. I loved that."
At Westosha Central High School, Leuzinger was a good student. As the fifth child in her large family, she said she often followed the lead of her older brother, Paul. He was both smart and talented, and she did her best to keep up with him.
Leuzinger was heavily involved in plays and musicals - and although she felt she was often upstaged by her brother, she never stopped trying to measure up. She graduated in 1992.
It was long before then, however, that Leuzinger knew she would one day become a music teacher. She momentarily thought of becoming a chemical engineer, but followed her own music teacher's words that resonated: we should do what we love.
After graduation, no one was surprised when Leuzinger didn't check out colleges and instead followed Paul to Carroll College. Her family was in financial hardship at the time, but the siblings protected each other and helped each other find ways to succeed. She feels it was a timely blessing.
"We were so incredibly close," she said of her and Paul at that time. "It was just important for me to be by him."
College brought a positive experience. Each class Leuzinger took helped reinforce her decision to be a music teacher. A tough piano teacher made her an even better musician. The college had only three people in music education by the time she was a senior.
Her junior year, Leuzinger became ill and missed several weeks of school, but professors went out of their way to help her graduate in 1996.
Leuzinger was student-teaching in Waukesha while she sent out resumes. She received a call to interview in Monroe, a place she knew very little about.
The rainy day she interviewed with Virgil Leopold was one she won't forget. She said she was nervous and scared, but he put her at ease, and eventually offered her the job. Although she was proud, she still didn't want to be alone and talked her younger brother, Mike, into moving to Monroe with her.
"It was exciting," she said. "I was so proud of that. It was a gift. Virgil Leopold will always be so influential for me."
Her first year of teaching at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School was better than she could have imagined, she said. She loved being herself and felt welcomed by the staff. She was assigned a mentor, Sue Leuzinger, who would eventually end up becoming her stepmother-in-law.
After seven years at the school, Leuzinger said she could sense a change in her energy level. She then moved to Parkside and said a new crew of people put her back on her game. A former teacher introduced her to using several instruments in the music room, and the two developed a plan for music over several years that the board supported.
She's now been at Parkside for 14 years.
"It was another one of those life-changing moments," Leuzinger said. "My teaching is so different than what it was. I transformed from 'do what I do' to 'show me what you can do.'
"I pride myself in finding the fun in the simple things," she said.
She said the change isn't just from her - her students have transformed as well. They're singing, dancing, moving and playing their own instruments. It allows them accountability and has improved behaviors. Leuzinger said her classroom is now a world they create on their own.
"I have the best job ever," she said.
Leuzinger's husband, Kevin, is from Monroe and has a large family - something she finds important. The couple has three children: a sophomore, an eighth-grader and a sixth-grader. They are often attending their functions and activities.
She said her children all know better than to tell Mom they're bored.
"I tell them all the time, 'Only boring people get bored,'" she said.
Finding Monroe was seemingly the perfect fit. Leuzinger recently brought her large family here for a reunion, taking them through all the experiences of what she feels is "the coolest community" and said many of them didn't want to leave.
"Without this job, I wouldn't be here," she said. "It all happened the day Virgil Leopold hired me. He'll always be on a pedestal for bringing me here."
Leuzinger teaches a few piano lessons on the side and recently started directing the bells at her church, St. John's United Church of Christ. She also enjoys reading, journaling and scrapbooking. Her family is still very close, and she loves holiday gatherings and planning get-togethers regularly.
Words Leuzinger will always live by come from her father, who taught the family not to sweat the small things in life.
She said it's a saying she lives by because, with it, no one can have a bad day: "Don't worry about anything, because nothing's gonna be all right."