Math and Science Departments Welcome New Teachers to the Hive
By JACOB LOSHINSKY & CHRYSTIE WU
This fall, the Math department welcomed new teachers Mr. David Lee, Mr. Caleb Asomugha, Mr. Adam Gross, Ms. Mikaela Henry, Ms. Victoria Proscia and Ms. Stephanie Draxdorf, and the science department said hello to Ms. Madeline Crump, Mr. Phillip Rebrovic, Mr. Andy Qiu, Ms. Ashlyn Haight, Mr. Nicolas Cardieri, and Ms. Mie Abouelkheir.
We sat down with Ms. Draxdorf and Mr. Rebrovic to learn a little more about these two new hornets.
Ms. Draxdorf was born and raised in Marine Park, Brooklyn where she attended Saint Edmund High School, which was a “fraction of the size” of Midwood, she said. After high school, Ms. Draxdorf went to SUNY Oneonta where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in education and math.
Ms. Draxdorf got into teaching to share a passion for math that she got from her previous teachers. “I think that a teacher can make or break a subject for you, so I wanted to be a good teacher and a good role model for my students,” Ms. Draxdorf said. “I wanted to share my love for math with others. I thought it would be a good way to be a positive influence on young people.”
Ms. Draxdorf was a substitute teacher at Fort Hamilton High School for a year before coming to Midwood. She was grateful for that experience after a remote year of college during the Covid pandemic.
“I wasn't able to get as many hours doing field work in an actual classroom [during lockdown], which made me feel like I was at a disadvantage,” she said. “Luckily, by the time I was student teaching, we were back in-person so I was able to take a lot from that experience.”
Ms. Draxdorf is currently completing her master’s degree in curriculum development and instructional technology at SUNY Albany. Effectively incorporating technology into the classroom is essential because Gen-Z is “heavily dependent” on it, she said.
“Right now I am using a flipped classroom in my Algebra II class,” she said. “So almost every day there is an online homework assignment that incorporates a video and some follow up questions so students are able to get background knowledge before we address it in class.”
Ms. Draxdorf uses a flipped classroom with her Algebra II students. Photo: Jacob Loshinsky
Although teaching is a big part of Ms. Draxdorf's life, she is also into softball, volleyball, snowboarding, and working out at the gym.
“I don't play in a league but I do go to the gym daily, and I would say that a big part of my life is staying active, more for the mental de-stressing than the physical benefits,” she said.
Growing up, Ms. Draxdorf learned a lot of valuable lessons that she hopes to bring to the classroom. “Do what makes you happy, not what other people want you to do, not what would necessarily make you the most money, not what everyone else thinks is the right choice,” she said.
Mr. Phillip Rebrovic is a physics teacher from Milton, Massachusetts. Besides teaching physics, Mr. Rebrovic is also an advisor for both the chess club and the MAGE club (for aerospace engineering).
“I like doing rocketry outside of school, where kids can really be doing the thing that interests them and I can support it,” he said. “Class is fun too, but I really like seeing kids staying after school on a Friday afternoon, when they're working on a project and I'm like, ‘Oh, you really want to be here!’”
His interest in physics and aerospace stemmed from his childhood.
“I have always been interested in airplanes and rockets,” he said. “When I was a kid, I was always building that stuff. My dad and I would go to the park and launch rockets and airplanes and play flight simulators.”
Before Midwood, Mr Rebvoic taught at Victory Collegiate in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
“I learned what things are interesting to students today,” he said. “The students really like the competitions, like Kahoot and other team games. They eat it up!”
Mr. Rebrovic, who used to launch rockets with his dad, now launches them with his students. Photo: MAGE Club
Mr. Rebrovic also believes that students need to feel comfortable in the classroom. “Let them feel open to learning, making mistakes, and sharing, even if the answer might be wrong,” he explained.
Mr. Rebrovic attended Milton High School and UMass Amherst, where he got his bachelor’s degree. Aside from being an educator, Mr. Rebrovic enjoys working on his motorcycle, cooking, and playing the guitar.
“I started [guitar] when I was in 11th grade, but I’ve kind of kept taking a break from playing as much since I started teaching,” he said. “But I still like it and I want to practice and get better.”
Mr. Rebrovic also has a love for traveling. “I like to visit new places and travel to cute restaurants there,” he said. “I went to New Jersey recently – Sandy Hook Beach – and Montauk. I also went to Hawaii last winter and Niagara Falls before that.”
But the one place he seems to be most comfortable is the classroom. “When I was in high school, I had some really great teachers,” he said. “I just thought it was really cool, and I wanted to be that figure for someone.”