As an English teacher, Mr. Roach is responsible for teaching upperclassmen students. Currently, he teaches the courses “Historical Fiction” and “The Questions of These Wars” and electives such as “My Brilliant Friend,” “Satire and Dystopia” and “Anna Karenina.” Outside of the classroom, he held the title of the English department chair, and is currently the chair of the Discipline Committee, co-leader of SEED (Seeking Educational Equity Diversity) with Ms. Fitzpatrick and director of teaching and learning. However, his academic responsibilities advance beyond Annenberg Hall and onto the soccer field, where he coaches girls’ varsity soccer during the fall.

However, things are taking an exciting turn for Mr. Roach’s life. On January 27, Mr. Roach and his wife, Kate, welcomed their first child. He exclaims, “Just about all of the things I said about my routine are about to change!” 

Mr. Roach starts his day off bright and early, at around 6:50 a.m.. He eats eggs and toast, sometimes fruit and iced coffee for breakfast. Mr. Roach arrives at work via bike and usually stops at his office as well as the English Department office. When asked how he prepares for a day of teaching, Mr. Roach emphasized his yearning to provide his classes with engaging learning questions. He said, “I try to think of interesting questions for students to consider in literature — a great question will help students dig deeply into literary elements, reconsider aspects of life and society and generate dynamic and robust conversations.” Throughout the morning, it is routine for him to check in with faculty, observe others’ teaching, attend many meetings, and resolve any issues or problems that arise. Sometimes he may meet with advisees, students in need of writing help, or meet with applying students in admission. 

After the morning bustle has settled, Mr. Roach returns home for lunch, where he almost always eats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with chips. After school in the fall, he is committed to coaching girls’ varsity soccer, where he led them to a defeat against Blair this year on Blair Day! This is Mr. Roach’s first year not coaching basketball, and he is still trying to stay connected with the program. “I love talking with Mr. Bennett, Mr. Rulewich, and Ms. Brown about their games and teams, so I try to watch them all when I can so I can still be a part of Peddie Basketball culture.” After all his responsibilities at school are settled, Mr. Roach returns home where he loves to watch great TV series such as his current watch, a recommendation from Mr. Onion, the Star Wars series “Andor.”

Mr. Roach takes time to connect with others and stays active through his love for tennis, basketball, spikeball and soccer. Furthermore, he emphasizes his values of connecting with others through his love for spirited class discussions, skillfully carried out practices and deep appreciation for getting together with students and colleagues!