The sound of suppressed chatter drifts through the air, encapsulated within the peaceful beige walls of the well-organized classroom. With various language translation posters hanging on the walls, English teacher Mr. John Gulack enthusiastically reads “To Kill a Mockingbird,” one of his favorite books, to the class.
After teaching for 35 years, 19 at Temple City, Mr. Gulack decided to retire. While currently teaching three freshman English 1 classes, he also teaches ELD 1 students. During his time at the high school, he has found the most enjoyment and gratification within the ELD program as the coordinator.
“I felt as though I needed to be an advocate for those students who weren’t able to express themselves simply because of the language barrier,” Mr. Gulack said. “I wanted the parents of those students to feel more involved with the school as well.”
However, aside from teaching, he also has another side rarely seen by students. Dedicated, organized teacher by day, talented musician by night.
Mr. Gulack has been heavily involved in music as early as his days at Rosemead High School. He started off on the drums during his freshman year, and began to play at local dances and some nightclubs in Hollywood by the end of his sophomore year. Eventually, he switched to the keyboard in college and continues to play it to this day.
“I began playing the keyboard in jazz groups,” Mr. Gulack said. “Eventually I returned to playing rock and dance music as a keyboardist.”
Even after starting his teaching career, he took time off to play music full time for five years. Although he returned to teaching again, Mr. Gulack continues to plays at local venues such as the Temple City Park, local nightclubs and casinos.
“I’m hoping to play music as much as possible in retirement,” Mr. Gulack said. “I’m currently rehearsing and playing with four groups.”
Aside from his music, he also plans on doing a lot more in retirement that he previously didn’t have the opportunity to, such as traveling more often, specifically to Holland, where most of his wife’s family is located.
“Because of my job, we weren’t able to see her family as often as we should have, so I plan on traveling back to Europe on a regular basis,” Mr. Gulack said. “And there’s always the possibility that music will give me the opportunity to travel as well.”