Mr. Zakaria Rochdi is a new teacher here at Boro. Despite this only being his first year, he is already quite involved with the student body. Here’s what Mr. Rochdi himself had to say about teaching, giving back, and Boro:
Maahum: I’m here with Mr. Rochdi, a.k.a. Mr. R. Mr. Rochdi, I’m gonna be asking you a few questions.
Mr. Rochdi: Alright.
Maahum: What subjects do you teach?
Mr. Rochdi: I teach computer science, business, and technology. I’ve taught from AP CSP (Computer Science Principles) to intro-level Java, Python, and cybersecurity. For business, I’ve taught accounting, career planning, and entrepreneurship. Currently, I’m doing video editing for technology.
Maahum: What prompted you to come to Boro?
Mr. Rochdi: My wife and I are looking to move around the area. We’re from Union County, and this opportunity came up. I really liked the community and atmosphere when I took my interview, where I got to interact with all the students, and, yeah, the rest is history.
Maahum: What is your favorite part of Boro so far?
Mr. Rochdi: I’d say the staff and the kids. Everyone’s very open. Everyone’s very friendly. It’s a diverse community of people, [but] everyone is working to achieve a common goal, which is to provide some good education and some good foundation for you all to grow and develop.
Maahum: Why did you become a teacher?
Mr. Rochdi: I wanted to give back. I worked in corporate finance accounting. I did a lot of SQL and presentation work for automation, and I liked it. I liked what I did, but I also wanted to give back. That turned into coaching, and I realized I liked impacting the high school age group. There was an opening to be a business and computer science teacher in my previous school district, so I took advantage of it.
Maahum: Have you taught anywhere prior to Boro?
Mr. Rochdi: I’ve taught at one other high school- Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. I also teach at the college level, which I’m still doing in Union County, at Union College.
Maahum: What is your favorite part about teaching?
Mr. Rochdi: I would say [it’s] seeing the lightbulb go off for students. They may struggle at times, [but then] they actually get it and they apply themselves. Also, when they find some interest that they may have never discovered or been a part of if they hadn’t taken a certain class or subject.
Maahum: What is something you want us (students) to know about you?
Mr. Rochdi: I love to cook, so if you have any recipes or want to talk about food- I’m the chef of my household, so I meal prep on Sundays- feel free. [Or] if you want to just talk about life in general. My door is open, so come by anytime.
If you want to take him up on his offer, you can usually find Mr. Rochdi in room D112, or you can contact him at [email protected]. On behalf of all the students at FHS, Mr. Rochdi, welcome to Boro!
