Penguin Hall Faculty Spotlight: Mathematics Teacher Mr. Borzi

Meet Mr. Borzi, an APH math teacher and a self-proclaimed “enigma” (keep reading to find out why):

Why do you teach?

“I can respect and appreciate the amount of influence an adult has over a child… I enjoy using my ability to teach someone how to do something… it seems to be a natural fit for me.”

Believe it or not, Mr. Borzi was not born a teacher. He worked as a Project Manager for almost a decade, and was a stay-at-home dad for seven years, before he became a teacher. But this combination of life experiences makes him great at what he does in the classroom. Through project management, Mr. Borzi learned how to communicate with many different types of people and to organize multiple projects simultaneously. And, as a stay-at-home dad, he learned the patience and compassion that is fundamental to being a great teacher.

What was your favorite class in high school?

Mr. Borzi’s favorite class was really a teacher — “Mr. Bisbee, a math teacher — he was quirky, kind of funny, a bit unpredictable…” Remind you of anyone? “I could relate to him… I find that I imitate many of my prior teachers,” says Mr. Borzi.

Something that stuck and that Mr. Borzi still uses in his classes — a trigonometry “trick” that his students fondly know as “Bisbee’s Radical”.

Earlier this week, Mr. Borzi inscribed Bisbee’s Radical onto seashells, along with a short message of connection and hope, that he dropped off to students’ homes (keeping a safe distance, of course). Unexpected gifts dropped off during distance learning — just part of what makes Mr. Borzi… well, Mr. Borzi!

APH Math Teacher Mr. Borzi makes shell messages for his students from a distance.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

Would you believe that Mr. Borzi is actually a quiet person, even an introvert? “You wouldn’t know, because when I’m teaching, ‘I’m on’…  I’m there to entertain and to educate… but I could probably live on an Island.” Sounds like something the Comedian and Actor Steve Martin once said. People can be more complex than we realize, and we’re always learning something new about the ones we think we know best!