New teachers, Ms. Wilcox and Mr. DeSalvio joined the Bishop Gorman community at the start of the 2025 semester.
Ms. Wilcox became a study hall teacher because she wanted to experience being in a real classroom. “I didn’t want to jump in and be faced with everything from a teacher who has a degree in education. I thought this was a perfect role in order to move up but not be shell shocked. I could gain knowledge from other teachers and everything and learn how this school works and how they want their curriculum to be given to the students,” said Ms. Wilcox.
Students are so excited to have her as a new study hall teacher. “Ms. Wilcox is a very calm teacher and she is very on top of things. She makes sure that we have enough time and space when we are doing our work. She has reflections every week to help us stay on task by writing down what we need to do for the week,” Penelope Tasca ‘27 said. She engages with students and helps them with any needs regarding homework.
Ms. Wilcox has a degree in biology from University of Nevada Reno. She doesn’t have a teacher certification yet, but is planning on taking courses to receive a teacher certification. “I started substitute teaching just to get in the classroom and see if I would like it. I chose working at Bishop Gorman because I want teacher mentors here to train me in order to work in a specific department, like science.” Ms. Wilcox said.
Ms. Wilcox has many ideas for her new study hall class. “I want to have personal relationships with students so they are comfortable in my class. I encourage productivity by giving them opportunities to work in groups and by giving them whiteboards. I always encourage them to ask me questions whenever they want. To make the class more fun, I do daily riddles and little stuff like that.”
The new English teacher, Mr. DeSalvio, has always been drawn to teaching, and received his bachelor’s degree in English & Political Science. His interest in teaching began in his college days when people would tell him that after presentations he “had a natural inclination for the skill set,” he says.
He feels that coming to Gorman as a new teacher “has been a bit overwhelming,” but he has met many people that have guided him as he learns new things each day. He brings new ideas into the classroom that help keep students engaged, giving them certain assignments that they may be passionate about.
Mr. DeSalvio believes that his classroom is a place where the students are able to be honest in their discussions, and he preaches the idea of his classroom being a place where they are able to work through some of the challenges literature brings. “Teaching writing is incredibly difficult. English is one of the toughest languages in the world to learn, and that’s mainly because of the rules and constant contradictions in the written form. Whereas the study of literature or rather the analysis of literature is less rigid, there is more space for the abstract,” he said.
With these two new additions to Bishop Gorman, the second semester is starting off strong, with teachers and students alike ready for what is to come.