*Brooklyn High School Math Teacher*
By: Grace Paul
September 25, 2026
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Ms. Burke, a first-year Math Teacher at Brooklyn High School. Ms. Burke earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Utica University. An interesting fact about her is that she has one pulmonary artery.
Q. What made you want to become a teacher?
A. “I always enjoyed working with people, and math came naturally to me throughout high school. So I thought, why not combine those two! Teaching allows me to work with people while sharing a subject that I’ve always enjoyed.”
Q. What makes Brooklyn different from other school districts?
A. “The administrators are extremely supportive and caring. I appreciate that Dr. Caleris and Mrs. Deliz host the Hurricane New Educator Series, walk the hallways, and check in on me to ensure that I am adjusting well. I’ve had such a positive experience in my new journey so far, thanks to everyone in the district.”
Q. What is your favorite part of your job? What’s the most challenging?
A. “My favorite part of my job is getting to know my students, watching them grow, and teaching them skills that they will (hopefully) use later in life. For a while, the most challenging part of my job was learning everything I needed to know about working in a new school and a new state. There were so many websites to bookmark, procedures to learn, and policies to remember. I think I have things mostly figured out now.”
Q. What do you believe makes a teacher truly successful?
A. “I believe a successful teacher is someone who can teach the content in a way that students can understand. Many people are good at math, but not everyone can effectively teach it to others. A successful teacher is flexible and can adjust a lesson on the fly to meet the needs of students.”
Q. What is your favorite activity to do outside of school?
A. “I have two: Reading and going for walks with my dog. Every year, I set a goal to read 100 books, and I’m currently on book 70.”
Q. When you were young, what did you want to grow up to be?
A. “It was always between being a teacher and an architect. I initially explored the idea of going into architecture and took every technology course my high school offered. I loved learning how to use 3D design software and enjoyed the thought of creating and designing homes. Unfortunately, I had a negative experience in the architecture program at the college I originally attended. That’s when I decided I was meant to be a teacher and switched my major.”
Q. What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?
A. “I’ve received a lot of great advice in my lifetime, but the best advice was probably to just keep going and remember who I am and my why. This is particularly important on hard days. It reminds me to never give up, finish my day as strong as I can, wake up the next day with a clean slate, and continue to be a great role model for my students.”
Q. What is your favorite food and favorite color?
A. “Remember a few years ago when the baked feta with tomatoes and pasta recipe went viral on the Internet? It’s still one of my favorite dishes, but I love adding jalapeños to the dish. And, my favorite color is definitely green.”
Thank you for your responses, Ms. Burke. I wish you all the best in your first full year as a math teacher here at Brooklyn High School.
