Beloved math teacher Ms. Danck retires

Known for her lovable personality and humorous character, math teacher Lorna Danckwerth, known as “Danck” by her students, has made learning complex high school math enjoyable. Her students agree that the math department will never be the same after her retirement. 

Danck said she tries to make her class fun and interesting to students, but also wants the concepts to be easy to grasp. When working with a student, Danck said she’s always thinking about new approaches to help them better understand the subject she is teaching.

“Everything’s about figuring out ways to do things, so no matter what subject you’re teaching, you’re always thinking, ‘how can I get this through to the kid?’ ” Danck said. 

As a teacher who is continually a student favorite, Danck uses her humor and sympathy to help her students better understand math. She knows for certain that there is always another way for a student to understand a subject.

“If you were ever stuck on something she would always find a way to help you,” junior Brandon Sivori said. “She [is] a really nice person, and never harsh on you if you didn’t understand something, so that made it easy to learn in her class.”

Danck was not always a math teacher. In fact, she became very burned out of math after taking it for multiple years in college, and decided to steer away from the subject. She studied at Montclair State University before working for the collection department of Kemper insurance in New York. Then, always feeling that she was destined to teach students, Danck shifted gears to what she was truly meant to do: teaching. 

“I would help other students with their math in fifth grade; I can still remember doing it,” Danck said. “It was there then you know. And it’s just something that is like a calling for some people.”

She started her teaching career doing long-term substitute teaching in Riverdale and then Indian Hills. Eventually, she began teaching at West Milford, where she was laid off. But the unfortunate end of that job led to her landing at West Essex, where she found her second home. 

“There’s no other department like the math department,” Danck said. “We work together, we help each other and we’ll do things outside of school together. My husband has said that we are so lucky, because not many places you work have what the math department [at West Essex] has.”

As her time at West Essex is coming to an end, Danck reflects on her journey and her feelings about leaving her beloved position. Danck describes her feelings as bittersweet because as much as she will enjoy retirement, interacting with students is irreplaceable. 

“Just the joys of it, when I’ve gotten emails from kids that have said that I made a difference for them, that really means a lot to a teacher,” Danck said. 

This April, she earned the National Honor Society Teacher of the Year award. Danck was in shock when she received the email, and felt that this was the perfect way to end her journey at West Essex. She was recognized for her teaching abilities and the connections she has created with her students. 

“When I got the email, I made other people read it for me because I was like, “ ‘Are you sure?’ ” Danck said. “Other years I had been close, but it was from the students. That’s what makes it so much better.”

Danck will be remembered for the amazing connections that she created with her students, and being able to teach math in a fun way. Room 217 is sure to feel different  without her loveable charisma and contagious smile.