Welcome to the Hive: Mr. Rocco and Ms. Sealy
Students explain their thinking to Mr. Rocco during his 7th period 10th grade English class on December 8. Photo: Anaya Mcleod
By HUI SHAN ZHANG
This fall, the English department welcomed new teachers Ms. Katrina Sealy, Mr. Jacob Branco, Mr. Kevin Wong, Mr. Anthony Hosey, Ms. Evelyn Campanella, and Mr. Nicholas Rocco.
I sat down with Ms. Sealy and Mr. Rocco to learn more about these two new Hornets.
Ms. Sealy was a graduate of Midwood herself. “The opportunity presented itself to return in a different role, from being a student to being a teacher, so I took a leap of faith,” she said.
Her first impression when returning to Midwood was that “things have changed, yet nothing has changed,” she said. “There are a lot of new faces, new teachers, new clubs, yet the old Midwood spirit is still alive and kicking.” Some of her former teachers are still here teaching.
Ms. Sealy holds degrees in criminal justice and forensic psychology, with minors in sociology, criminology, and anthropology. Photo: Ms. Sealy
Previously, Ms. Sealy taught math and science at a middle school. One thing she enjoys about being a teacher is mentoring teens and watching them achieve success. “I am always encouraging my students to aim for the stars and work hard, so to watch them put the effort in and accomplish their goals, I feel fulfilled knowing I did my job,” she said.
Being a teacher was an accidental outcome. Ms. Sealy was initially interested in forensic psychology, and when that didn’t work out, she considered switching to forensic science. She also thought about being a meteorologist because she finds weather “fascinating.” But she ultimately pursued a master's degree in education.
Having taught for ten years — eight in public schools and two in private schools — one of her favorite memories was watching her first class walk across the stage for graduation. “I felt like we graduated together in some ways because I was also new to teaching,” she said.
Another fond memory Ms. Sealy has is taking her class on a trip to Coney Island for the first time. “I learned that some of my students never left their neighborhoods, and it was their first time seeing water and waves in person, their first time seeing real sand on a beach,” she said. “It was a surreal moment because it never occurred to me that students born right here in Brooklyn had never experienced what I considered a ‘simple thing’ like visiting a beach.”
Ms. Sealy hopes her students learn to “be unapologetically you! Even when the world is tough and things get rough, never stray or apologize for being yourself.”
Mr. Rocco also brings years of teaching experience to Midwood; this will be his 16th year since he started in 2010. His wife, Mrs. Lauren Rocco, is an art teacher at Midwood. They previously worked together at the same school for more than ten years, and he decided it was time for a change so he could work closer to where he lives.
Mr. Rocco taught for a couple of years in Connecticut before coming to New York, where he taught at an arts-based public school in downtown Brooklyn. “I’ve learned a lot and I feel that I’ve grown with life’s experiences, especially teaching high school English. Most of all, I love doing this,” he said.
Besides being a huge Stephen King fan, Mr. Rocco loves listening to jazz while writing. Photo: Hui Shan Zhang
He decided to be an educator right before college. “At that point, I thought it’d be awesome to do something related to storytelling, and maybe I could share how much I enjoyed different writers,” he said.
When he was young, he didn’t like reading books, though he loved comics and movies. But then, at age 13, he picked up from his local library a copy of Misery, a psychological horror novel by Stephen King about a romance writer who is kidnapped by his biggest fan. Next, Mr. Rocco read The Shining, also by King.
“Pretty soon, I couldn’t stop reading his work,” he said. “I always think back to that time, how stories can entertain readers and teach us different things about facing conflict and fear.”
Mr. Rocco also loves spending time with his family and his toddler. “Watching her grow up every day has been a gift,” he said. “I also enjoy writing fiction, especially crime and mystery now.”
If there’s one thing Mr. Rocco wants students to learn from his class, it’s “to think for themselves,” he said. “It’s not my job to tell them what to think. It’s important for them to become critical thinkers, to challenge different ideas and decide on their own values.”
A quote Mr. Rocco tries to live by is from a movie called Finding Forrester: “We walk away from our dreams afraid we may fail, or worse yet, afraid we may succeed. It’s a great line about the choices we make,” he said. “I’ve learned how important it is to believe in what you do and why you do it. Do what you love and don't let anything get in your way, [not] even yourself.”