We’ve all had those moments when we questioned whether our teachers actually do live at school. It’s hard to imagine that they have a whole life outside the bright classrooms and crowded halls. Perhaps that’s why spotting a teacher at our nearest Stop & Shop can feel like a celebrity sighting. After speaking with numerous staff members, here is a glimpse into their secret life outside of school. From global adventures to run-ins with serial killers, welcome to the untold stories of our Tenafly teachers.
Starting in the English Department, did you know Mr. Rosko used to live in France? Before coming to Tenafly High School, Rosko spent a year in France, teaching French to young children. It was there that his passion for teaching first took off, ultimately leading him back to the U.S. to become a teacher. While he didn’t become a French language teacher, he is now part of the English department, where in recent weeks he has taught A Confederacy of Dunces and Shakespeare’s Hamlet to countless Tenafly students. Merci, Mr. Rosko.
As students begin thinking about what clubs and events pique their interests, Mrs. Oppedisano reminisces about her fun memories of being part of an acapella group in college. She also shared that there are a couple of other teachers hidden amongst this high school who also had acapella passions, so perhaps you will be able to uncover this ongoing mystery yourself!
Of course, we couldn’t feature the English Department without mentioning Mr. Whitehead. He shared his experience of being on a TV game show called Cash Cab, which was wildly popular back in the mid-2000s on the Discovery Channel. At the time, many of his students recommended the show to him, and once he watched it, he was hooked. Eventually, one of his colleagues was invited to participate in a mysterious Discovery Channel show, and she invite Whitehead and two others to come along. That show turned out to be Cash Cab! Students can even watch the episode here on Whitehead’s YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe! But that’s not all. Twenty years ago, Whitehead also embarked on a cross-country road trip with only his dog and his belongings, doing a writing residency off the electricity grid for six months in southeastern Oregon, with no electricity or people around. Whitehead reflected how “being alone is good for the soul,” and it allows you to “get to know yourself.”
Moving to our history department, everyone knows Mr. Barrett. After all, it’s his job to teach us about the past. But what most students don’t know is that history— particularly dark, true crime— once came dangerously close to his own family. Back in high school, Barrett’s mother dated a local boy from Demarest, NJ, named Robert Reldan. Years later, he became infamous as the Demarest Serial Killer, a man convicted of multiple murders. In fact, there is even a documented book called The Charmer: The True Story of Robert Reldan, sitting on our library’s shelves!
As for Mrs. Diaz, she doesn’t just teach history— she’s lived it. As she’d say, “many moons ago,” she found herself knee-deep in Belizean and Guatemalan history, not just reading about the past but uncovering it firsthand. On an archaeological dig, she was among the first to break ground at a site, hoping to unearth monumental architecture hidden beneath centuries of earth’s rich soil. Now, instead of wielding a trowel and brush, she uses a whiteboard marker, still uncovering history—only this time, for her students to discover.
We couldn’t interview the history department and skip over our residential APUSH legend, Mr. Hegarty! He interestingly shared with us how he drove cross country, not only once, but TWICE, and even lived in Spain for a summer teaching English. But the real surprise? Learning that Mr. Hegarty isn’t just a star in history— he’s got some artistic cred, too! Before spending his days in Room 227, he took an art class as a high school senior. He explained how if you were an art student, you would go to Garden State Plaza once a week during the school day. While most students might have just walked away with a finished project, he walked away with cold, hard cash.
“I sold the painting to some rando,” he clarified, because yes— right there at the mall, someone saw his work and just had to have it. Twenty dollars later, his masterpiece had a new home, and Hegarty had his first (and perhaps only) art commission.
Finally, we wrapped up our interviews by diving into the hippocampus (See, Mr. Nyfenger, we do pay attention in class!) of our very own AP Psychology teacher. Long before Nyfenger was analyzing behavior and teaching us about the inner workings of the brain, his sixth-grade self was busy proving that, sometimes, kids don’t think things all the way through. A happy, well-adjusted middle school Nyfenger decided to enter a poetry contest, and he really wanted to win. His foolproof plan? Write a dark and brooding poem to make it memorable. It worked—so well, in fact, that not only did he win the contest, but he also won a trip to the principal’s office.
“They just wanted to make sure everything was okay at home. It was.”
A well-deserved victory and a surprise wellness check— what a day! So, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from Mr. Nyfenger, it’s that sometimes success comes with…unintended consequences.
The next time you see a teacher sitting quietly at their desk, remember they’ve lived some incredible lives beyond these hallways. And while they may not actually live at school, one thing is for sure: their pasts make our present a whole lot more interesting! Instead of just saying goodbye next time you’re in class, try striking up a conversation— you never know what unexpected fun facts your very own teacher is hiding!
