Honored Middle School Teacher An Old Pro, But Internet Whiz Kid

ROYAL OAK, MI – When middle school history teacher Joseph Homrocky began teaching at Royal Oak Schools 23 years ago, the internet was barely a thing.

It had been around since the 1950s with the development of electronic computers, but it wasn’t until the last five or so years of the 20th century that digital communication became widespread.

When it did become a thing, Homrocky was quick to embrace it, according to colleagues who nominated him for Royal Oak Middle School Teacher of the Year.

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Middle school Principal Todd Noonan said Homrocky is “always learning about new technology and techniques to use in his classroom to make sure his lessons are engaging and reaching every student.”

He was one of the first in his building to use smart boards — digital screens that allow images from the computer to be displayed on a board, much as blackboards and, later, whiteboards, have been used — to make lessons in history or world studies come to life for kids.

“Technology is integrated into class every day,” a student said in a nomination. “He is always finding a new teaching resource, website, or other tool to put on Google Classroom for us to try out.”

Another teacher wrote: “Joe is a teacher I strive to be, one who is constantly learning new things, right along with his students, and whose passion radiates out of his classroom. I only wish I could be a student again and have him as my teacher! Royal Oak Middle School students are very lucky.”

As the coordinator and leader of the Washington, DC, trip, Homrocky quietly and humbly organizes a lifelong memory for each of the students as they begin their transition to high school. He is also a member of the Instructional Leadership Team. He graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education.

Homrocky is the youngest of 11 children (seven sisters and three brothers). He and his wife, Michelle, have a daughter, Jacqueline, and son, Christopher. He often notes is pride that his father served in the Maritime Service (Merchant Marines) during World War II.

Image: Middle School Teacher of the Year Joe Homrocky, left, with Principal Todd Noonan