Educators sometimes know very early on that they want to be a teacher. This can be because they want to help kids and help the youth around them. This was absolutely no different for new Cardozo English teacher, Ms. Larocco.
Transferring from a high school in California, Ms. Larocco said she heard absolutely amazing things about Cardozo High School’s atmosphere, students, and staff and is excited to have joined the team of teachers here.
In terms of her teaching style, Ms. Larocco always prefers to work with her students’ feelings and try to work around their issues, instead of putting them down about things they have no control over. She also has consistent routines and expectations in her classroom. She wants to build a respectful and engaging learning community where her students are safe and can also enjoy themselves.
Ms. Larocco prides herself in putting her students’ needs and interests first. “I want my students to know they can talk to me before misbehavior even gets a chance to happen in the first place,” she said.
During her first few weeks at Cardozo high school, Ms. Larocco has already had a positive impact on the lives of many students, with students stopping to say hi to her in the hallways. Junior Quadir Perry said, “She’s a sweet teacher, very helpful and always tries her hardest to be understanding in the classroom.”
Students work best when they have a teacher who knows how to understand them and can work along with all of their differences. Ms. Larocco prides herself on her compassion and creativity, always trying her best to keep things interesting for her students.
“I like to keep an element of surprise and try my best to engage students in multiple ways and learning styles,” she said.
Along with this being Ms. Larocco’s first year teaching at Cardozo, this is also her first year teaching with the New York State issued phone ban. Although it doesn’t seem to impact her much personally, it does change the way she teaches, as she has to navigate the transition from digital assignments to physical ones. Despite the change, she said that she thinks the phone ban is useful and gives teens a break from screens.
“I know it’s difficult for students to adjust to the cell phone ban but as an educator I feel it’s important to give teens a break, or almost a detox time,” she explained. Ms. Larocco also added that it’s nice to see students socializing, an exciting difference from the usual walking with their noses in their phones. During class discussions, Ms. Larocco reflected that students’ attention spans are widening again, as they are becoming more present during the school day.
A piece of advice she offered to students is to never take the opportunity for your education for granted, as it can be seriously life changing. She also said to advocate for yourself if you need something or don’t understand something. In addition, Ms. Larocco emphasized building healthy friendships and enjoying life at Cardozo as much as possible.
