Innovation in Language Learning

Rochelle Marcus is an 8th grade language arts and literature teacher at Mansfield Middle School in Storrs, CT. She has taught at MMS since 2003, and before that taught for one year in California and three years in Virginia, both also in middle schools. In the United States, the language arts classes could focus primarily on the writing process, while the literature classes often focus on reading, as well as analysis and evaluation of texts and author’s craft. Rochelle enjoys teaching both.

Rochelle graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1998 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education. She also earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Teacher Education in 2002 from Stanford University in Stanford, California. She has been working in public education since 1998.

Among her interests are mentorship of undergraduate student and beginning teachers. During her career, Rochelle has mentored new teachers in Virginia, California and Connecticut as well as collaborated as a cooperating teacher for student teachers in Connecticut. She would like to continue this passion for mentoring during her teaching career.

Rochelle would like to extend her collaboration to educators at other K-12 schools and universities, and she hopes to someday work with college level students and educators as an instructor or mentor.


Areas of expertise: English literature, mentorship of new teachers, curriculum design, student assessment, and collaboration.