By ALEX DAMAST
From producing on “Sesame Street” to engaging a classroom of high school students, math teacher Daniela Visceglie certainly knows how to reach her audience.
With a double major in mathematics and television production from Hofstra University, Ms. Visceglie explored her love for education through implementing educational elements while part of Sesame Street‘s production team. Ms. Visceglie later decided that she preferred making more direct impacts on the lives of youth. She said, “I discovered that making personal connections is one of the main reasons I went into education in the first place, and I couldn’t foster genuine face-to-face connections through a television screen.”
Ms. Visceglie decided she wanted to teach mathematics because the subject requires successful implementation of many skills, both subject and study specific, which she recognizes can be overwhelming to students at times. She feels that she can offer students organizational skills to help boost their confidence and improve their overall academic performance. She said, “Math was the subject I had to work at the most when I was in school and because of that I learned a lot about myself as a learner. I want to go beyond the subject and help students gain valuable organizational skills.”
Ms. Visceglie’s Canvas page reveals her own organizational skills. Sophomore Cody Y. said, “Ms. Visceglie’s Canvas page is set up in a way that is creative and easy to use. She has the best Canvas page out of any teacher I have for sure.”
Before working at Jericho, Ms. Visceglie taught at Northport High School and Middle School as well as Berner Middle School in Massapequa. She said, “I feel that the environment at Jericho is congruent to the expectations that I hold for myself. I am with like-minded people here who share the same passion for teaching as me. The teacher workroom is something that we never had at my past schools and it is a real advantage to be able to collaborate and build those relationships with other teachers in the department.”
Mathematics Curriculum Associate Ms. Kriegstein felt excited about having Ms. Visceglie be part of her faculty from the moment they met. Ms. Kriegstein said, “My first impression was that she radiates positive energy and is very enthusiastic.” She added, “Her engaging demo lesson was phenomenal and really set her apart from other candidates.”
Ms. Visceglie has received positive feedback from the student body. Sophomore Jared G. said, “Words I would use to describe Ms. Visceglie are patient and enthusiastic. She always brings great energy into the classroom and you can tell that she really cares.”
Outside of school, Ms. Visceglie can be seen watching a musical on Broadway or even playing tennis. She is very creative, enjoys upcycling furniture and cooking new recipes for guests. She loves spending time outdoors hiking and going on walks with friends.
Ms. Visceglie cannot wait to make her mark and get even more involved in the Jericho community.