One particular substitute teacher at the West Bend High Schools is known for bringing a different kind of energy into any room he enters. He also shows great appreciation for students. But who is Jackson Venski? Below he talks about his brother’s feuding cats, whether he’s a secret agent and why people need to stop trying to set him up on dates.
What is the official title of your position?
I am the COOLEST MOST AWESOMEST West Bend High School Building Substitute Teacher. (Yes, that is my official title.) I am NOT hired through the district. I am hired through a third-party temp agency called Kelly. This agency is responsible for hiring substitute teachers and other affiliated staff for school districts around the area.
What first inspired you to enter education?
I suppose I can start with the teachers I had at Slinger High School. I was in a very low point of my existence throughout my senior year, and I don’t know what would’ve happened to me if I did not take the classes I did with the teachers I had. To be honest, teaching was not something I had considered as a life path. The idea of managing a bunch of greasy, smelly kiddos was not my cup of tea. And becoming a full time artist right out of the gate was even more daunting.
Where did you go to college and how did going to said college affect your current job?
I attended university at St. Norbert College, which is in De Pere, Wisconsin, just outside of Green Bay. It’s an experience you cannot trade for any other experience. Leading up to my student teaching experience, I didn’t really feel prepared and ready for the classroom. I can say that I love subbing so far, it’s been so rewarding and feels like exactly what I needed for this part of my life.
Can you share a moment with a student that has stuck with you?
Well, it’s actually pretty difficult to give you a concrete answer on this one. My favorite thing to do is sneak up on students who are on their phone and just wait there until they notice me. The look of being caught redhanded never gets old. It also tugs my heart strings to see Ms. Rose’s class get excited to see me.
What have you learned from your position that you would like to share?
One thing that I constantly get reminded of each day I walk into this building is that we are the same kids we used to be. Sometimes people leave behind the kid they once were, which is sad. This also taught me that sometimes, you can’t reach every student, no matter how hard you try or care. Sometimes that kid is going through something more than you’d ever be able to understand, and some substitute teacher can’t be the one to help them through it.
If you didn’t work at WBHS, what would you be doing?
I would dig a hole and rot in it. Just kidding! I probably would buy a van and travel the country barely scraping by off of making art, among other based and red-pilled activities, like camping and enjoying the beauty of the floating space rock we’re bound to.
What is one thing you would like students to know about you outside of school?
I am currently living at home with my mom and stepdad in Slinger. We are fostering my brother’s cats while he is stationed in Japan with his family. They currently are in a feud that’s persisted since August and I have no idea what their problem is. I am a bartender at Jug’s Bar and Grill in Slinger on the side of subbing at West Bend. Also, the details of my relationship status remain undisclosed indefinitely, which means y’all will never ever ever in your whole life ever know or need to know if I have a girlfriend or not so please for the love of extra cheese on pizza, stop asking/trying to set me up with your coworker, aunt, sister or whatever. Thank you.
What is a common misconception students have about you and your role?
A common misconception I get is that people think I’m a secret agent or a famous singer or prince because I am just that cool and handsome. Alas, I am just a substitute who has great taste in fashion and music, but I can see where people get easily confused.
Image: Jackson Venski subbing Dec. 12 at the West Bend High Schools. Photo by Shiloh Peters, Current Staff.
The West Bend Current 
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