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Know Your Pelicans

Meet Tamara Machac

Upper School Science Teacher

Know Your Pelicans

What do you teach? What is one of your favorite parts of the curriculum? 

I teach physics and science research. One of my favorite parts of the physics curriculum is the uniform acceleration unit. I like to use toy robots that my students and I can program - students get to see how the motion graphs they use to program the robot correspond to its actual motion.  This activity is a big “light bulb” moment and I really enjoy experiencing that with my students.  We finish this unit with a really fun project—dropping a ball from the middle school balcony onto a buggy car moving below on the floor!

What is something that most Packer people wouldn't know about you? 

Most people would not know that I play the flute (since I was in middle school) and I have been training in martial arts for over 15 years. This past semester I taught martial arts to several gym classes. It was so much fun to share this passion with others and to interact with my students outside the science classroom.  

What’s one thing you love about your colleagues?

I really appreciate the support my colleagues and I have for each other.  Whether talking about our daily lives, brainstorming for a new project, or discussing how to best support student learning, the fellowship among my colleagues not only helps elevate my own teaching, but also makes me feel like a part of the community.  

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

If I could have any superpower, it would be flying. It would be really cool to be able to fly into work and to take in the view of the landscape below.

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