I’ve been with Virginia Beach City Public Schools for almost 17 years. I’ve been here at Thalia the whole time. My two girls, who are now grown adults, went here. They grew up here. They’ve played ball in the ball fields. I just love this school. I love the staff. I work with an amazing team of PE folks and our administration is wonderful as well.
Obviously, you’re not in it for the money. You’re in it for the love of the children and to maybe just find that one child you can connect with and make a difference somehow in their life because you never know what’s going on in their home life. Unfortunately, it’s not all rosy.
We see every single student every day – kindergarten through fifth grade. As PE staff, we go into the classrooms when teachers are in collaboration. We’re in the cafeteria. I’m at buses. I’m the transportation coordinator also. I see the kids getting on and off the bus. I talk to bus drivers. I coordinate with them. I’m a little all over the place. It’s busy, but I like being busy. I like doing the job. I love being here at the school. Unfortunately, I do have to have a second job but I do love this. Everybody’s asked me, ‘If you have to have a second job, why not give up teaching?’ I don’t think I could. I’m not in it for the money. I think we’re all in it to make a difference for children, maybe the whole family. Sometimes you see all the kids come through here. I’ve been here 16 years and, I haven’t yet, but I’m sure the time will come when I’ll see the child of one of my students come through here. Hopefully they’ll say, ‘Oh, I remember Mrs. Brocki!’ And when I’m out in the stores, everybody says, ‘Mrs. Brocki! Mrs. Brocki!’ My husband says, “Oh, you’re a celebrity now.” I just don’t get that celebrity pay. There’s no other job I would want to have. I’m here because of the students and I love our faculty. That’s why I’m here.
#WeAreVBSchools
