by Jen Myers

(Each month, Wellpoint and Lowell Public Schools honor a Lowell teacher for their exemplary work in the classroom and for going the extra mile to serve as a positive influence in their students’ lives. Wellpoint awards each honoree a $250 gift card to be used for school supplies)In order to understand what happened, you need to understand where it happened. 

In order to understand what happened, you need to understand where it happened. 

It’s a Wednesday morning in ELA/History teacher Rob Mazzone’s class on the second floor of the Stoklosa Middle School. Students are putting pen to paper – quietly following the prompt – how can rivers impact the lives of people living nearby? Why is this important? 

From ancient Mesopotamia to Lowell, Massachusetts, civilizations have always grown around rivers. 

After three minutes of contemplation and writing, the students enthusiastically raise their hands to share their thoughts, popcorning around the room – transportation, food, fresh water, a natural barrier, the list goes on and on. 

Mr. Mazzone smiles. He pushes them to consider the pros and cons of living near mountains; the cycle continues. 

“Rob consistently provides high student engagement strategies while providing rigor in all his lessons,” said Stoklosa Principal James Cardaci. “He pushes students to make conceptual connections during classroom discussions far beyond the normal recall questions.”

Mazzone grew up on the North Shore, graduating from Amesbury High School and earning his bachelor’s degree in Social Science Education from Plymouth State University and later his Master’s degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Fitchburg State University.  

Originally a History major at Plymouth State, Mazzone thought maybe he’d earn his degree and go work at a museum. His trajectory changed when he took a couple of education courses to satisfy graduation requirements. 

“I realized I really enjoyed teaching students about historical concepts and events that they had no idea had ever occurred,” he said. “The ancient world is full of so many unheard stories, and it is wonderful to be able to share them with others that are willing and eager to learn.” 

He started his career in Lowell as a long-term substitute teacher, and then a permanent teacher at the Bailey Elementary School.  He taught at the STEM Academy for several years, before taking his current role at the Stoklosa in 2020. 

“I am very grateful to my friends and mentors from the beginning of my career that I am still close with today,” he said. “They taught me how to be a professional and how to teach in Lowell.  The Stoklosa is a great place to teach and is truly a team environment.”

While middle school can be challenging, Mazzone said he likes interacting with kids in that stage between being little kids and young adults. 

“They’re living in an existence where they are at a critical point in their lives, and middle school teachers have the opportunity to really help guide students towards their passions and goals,” he said.  “They are old enough to have meaningful conversations and young enough to begin laying the groundwork for reaching their full potential.”

In 7th grade the focus is on ancient civilizations and world geography. Mazzone said students tend to gravitate towards units about ancient Korea and Japan, the history of civil unrest in ancient China and Southeast Asia, and the impact of the Greeks and Romans. 

The key to keeping students engaged, Mazzone said, is for the teacher to come in at a high energy level and let the students feed off of and match it, but to also bring some humor to the table to make everyone feel more at ease about engaging and participating. 

“The goal is always for students to make connections in content or across contents, and always think about the how and why behind a topic,” he added. 

In addition to learning the history and being able to think critically about the hows and whys of issues and events, Mazzone said on a human level he hopes once his students leave his class they will, “always work hard, pick each other up, and be kind.”  

Mazzone teaches more than just the 13-year-olds. For the past five years he has served as a mentor assisting in developing educators at the school, a role he originally took on as part of his graduate studies, but has learned to love.

“The mentorship program is important because there are many systems, protocols, and requirements that may be unfamiliar to new teachers,” Mazzone said. “My role is to help new teachers navigate necessary tools required for daily operations. It is also to make them feel comfortable and welcome in the school environment.”  

Mazzone takes pride in the work of and growth exhibited by his students. 

At the end of the last school year, one of his classes was tapped to make a presentation to an audience full of administrators, students, and teachers. 

“They performed in an exemplary manner and did not feel the pressure of the crowd,” he said. “This was a particularly rewarding experience to witness as that classroom consistently embraced a “pressure is a privilege” attitude. They certainly rose to the occasion and it was really powerful to see them showcase their abilities in an unfamiliar environment. The future is bright for LPS students.” 

All About Mr. Mazzone 

Hobbies: cooking, home improvement jobs around the house, outdoor activities, sports.
Dream Vacation: Rome
Favorite song to sing in the car: Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out by Bruce Springsteen
Favorite meal: Eggplant Parmesan
Favorite snack: Sunflower seeds
Favorite Movie: The Godfather
Favorite Book: Frankenstein
Favorite TV Show: Mostly watch documentaries, but always enjoy a Band of Brothers rewatch.
Favorite Fictional Character:  Too tough to narrow down