Since 2006, Ms. Bifano has committed herself to teaching English and journalism to high school students, first at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan and now at Cardozo High School. After 12 years in Manhattan, she moved to Cardozo to be closer to her family and to give back to the community she grew up in.
Ms. Bifano teaches 9th grade English and 10th grade journalism, and her passion for the subject and dedication to her students’ growth are seen in her engaging teaching style. “I’ve always loved inspiring young minds and am passionate about English and curriculum,” she stated. “I’m constantly looking for ways to motivate my students and instill in them a love for learning.”
In her classroom, Ms. Bifano uses a “I do, we do, you do” method, modeling skills before guiding students through the actual curriculum. This approach not only builds confidence they need but allows students to eventually apply skills on their own for future references.
She also makes her lessons interactive, creating different activities to meet different learning styles and making each lesson engaging and fun.
One of Ms. Bifano’s favorite part of teaching is seeing her students’ growth from the beginning of the school year to the end. “It’s very rewarding to see them improve as students,” she noted. However, she faces a challenge shared by many educators today which is students’ reliance on their phones.
“Getting students to detach from their phones and take their learning seriously can be difficult,” she admitted, but her creative and intriguing teaching methods help to keep her students’ attention.
Throughout her career, Ms. Bifano has made a point of connecting classroom learning to real-world awareness and advocacy. Her students have had the unique opportunity to connect with several famous authors, including Elie Wiesel and Julia Alvarez, who personally acknowledged the projects her classes did on Night and In the Time of the Butterflies.
In addition, students raised money for Khaled Hosseini’s organization after studying The Kite Runner and received certificates from Hosseini himself. “I like to teach my students to use their knowledge and voices to make a difference and really interact with the texts we study,” she explained.
Ms. Bifanos’s dedication has also been recognized on a larger scale. She was nominated for the Big Apple Teaching Award in 2016 and featured in the UFT newspaper for her students’ work on Night.
Ms. Bifano hopes her students leave her classroom with a strong work ethic, a passion for learning, and a sense of self-belief. “I want them to always question the world around them and challenge themselves,” she said.
Beyond her teaching responsibilities, she contributes to Cardozo by tutoring after school and serving on the Data Team, where she helps identify areas for academic growth among students.
Outside of teaching, Ms. Bifano enjoys reading, exercising, and nature walks, often with her family. In the future, she hopes to eventually work with children who are unable to attend school, teaching and reading to students in hospitals. When retirement eventually comes, she’d love to travel more and continue connecting with students in new ways.
Reflecting on her time at Cardozo, Ms. Bifano stated, “We’re truly like a family here and are very supportive of one another.” Through her dedication to students and the school community, Ms. Bifano embodies the values of Cardozo and leaves a lasting impact on everyone she teaches.
