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Ten Question with Mr. Tzortzis

By: Delaney Ogden

Do you have any pets?

Yes, I have one dog. Her name is Marney. She’s eleven. She’s adorable. She’s a pain in the but she’s adorable.

What was middle school like for you?

I loved middle school. I know a lot of people don’t. In Ipswich, where I grew up, the middle school was its own separate building. There was one elementary school on each side of town and the middle school was right downtown and we lived in our own little world. High school was a rude awakening because of that transition. 

What do you like to do in your free time?

Just kind of hang out with my family. My wife, my dog and I go on little trips. My folks live close so it's good to see them. I play guitar and drums and I also like to go outside. 

Who is your favorite actor/musical artist?

This is tough. I don’t do well with favorites. I like Jon Favreau and his movies, he directed Elf and now the Mandalorian. 

My favorite musical artist is Guster. I’ve seen them a lot. 

What are you afraid of?

Depends on how you ask- literally spiders. Metaphorically, not fulfilling my goals and living up to what I want to do. 

Did you want to be a teacher when you grew up? If you hadn’t gone into teaching, what 

career would you have chosen?

When I was 10, I went to Camp Leslie; I didn’t want to but my friends dragged me. I loved it. I became a CIT at 15, and I knew I wanted to work with kids in some way, and wanted to be some sort of teacher. I considered Outward Bound Programs, being a Camp Director and being a White Water Rafting guide, but I didn’t want to do that forever. When I was 22, I graduated from college and started working at Masco in September. 

What is your funniest childhood memory?

I don’t know, that’s a good question. This is good for how much older I am than you. My dad bought a camcorder when we went to Niagara Falls. It was funny to see him carry around this huge camcorder, and it was funny to see this terrible idea. We do have videos though, so I guess he won in the end. 

Who do you admire most in the world and why? (past or present)

Personally, my parents because they worked really hard. My dad’s an immigrant and came here as a kid. 

Wider scheme, Lincoln. He knew what he was doing. He knew he could have died for what he was doing, and still did it anyway. He understood the full weight. 

If you could change one thing about the educational system what would it be?\

MCAS. Standardized testing isn’t great to test. It is a huge weight on students, communities have different technology, the whole pandemic really affected it, and some communities don't have the same access to the world's information. It really magnifies the class system. Other than that, I would let students have more personalization through electives, directions like the high school offers. With electives, students are more likely to engage when they choose, as opposed to going to something because you have to. 

What is your proudest accomplishment?

So personally, it;’s being the first person to go to college in my family, that I have a masters degree, and am the farthest educated in my family.

For camp, being director and filling camp to 100% capacity for the first time in two decades.

Interviewed February 1st, 2022