The Teacher to Rule Them All!
By: Marc Chagnon
Miss. diCorcia is short, has wild silver grey hair, and a sick wicked sense of humor. Passionate about what she does and about her experiences at Watkinson, she never foget. She feels that Watkinson made her the person and teacher she is today. Miss. diCorcia, she is a nice, smart, and a very helpful woman.
Here is her superhero origin story: Miss. diCorcia was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1953, the fourth child of Laura and Phillip. She went to Watkinson in September of 1968 and graduated in June of 1972. She believes that Watkinson was the major influence that helped her transform from a poor struggling student in elementary school to a confident motivated student who dreamed of becoming a special education teacher.
Presently, she is a 36 year veteran of the Hartford Public School System. She is a member of the special education team at Pathways Academy of Technology and Design.
"Watkinson's mission is to develop in our students the power to shape their own lives and the world around them. Our job is not to make students more like each other, but to help them make the most of themselves. We demonstrate this through our rigorous commitment to individuality." Watkinson's mission statement was true to Ms. diCorcia's experience. She was quite different from the other students because she learned in a different way because of her Learning Disabilities. "Watkinson's way of looking at and working with students made it possible for me to see where my passions lied and help direct me into a career that I have loved for 36 years. Because of Watkinson and their care and attention, I have evolved into the teachers that closely emulates that teachers that I had when I went to Watkinson over 30 years ago " said Ms. diCorcia during our interview.
I've learned one thing about Miss. diCorcia that makes her an interesting subject is the fact she has a pocket full of life savers. She throws the life savers at her students for answering her questions right and voicing their ideas we have to offer. she has apples and pears in a big round bucket that is open to those who are hungry for a snack. The usual thing about her is that she always says there are two things you should never ask her help to with "Math and Technology" she says to those who need help it.
Even though Miss. diCorcia's eyes twinkle with wisdom and age she still acts like a fifteen year old brunette girl in high school. She may be old now, but, now she's just as young as the students that pass through the pass office door.
