Quick Biography
Welcome to my Class! I am excited to start my 15th year of teaching and eighth year teaching at the High School level. I also served in the US Army for over 20 years and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. It's true that I have had two combat deployments and have jumped out of a perfectly good airplane more than a few times. I did not always live in the muddy boots Army; I taught at the United States Military Academy and was the Professor of Military Science at Jacksonville State University. My undergraduate teaching experience is: Freshmen Composition; American Literature; American Military History; Advanced Composition; World Literature; and SROTC senior-level courses.
You will find that my classes ask you to wonder and make meaning; the class will aid you in finding the connections of the lived history we have, the challenges of our current age, and what we can extrapolate for the future before us. Our class will very much try to decipher our responsibility as citizens for a better tomorrow.
Naming Conventions: For the most part, just call me Mr. Wood. You may still hear people refer to me as "Lieutenant Colonel" or "Colonel"; they are not wrong. Also, I will not be coaching this next year. I will still answer to any of those names, but no requirement for you to call me anything but Mr. Wood.
Family: I have a super-sized blended family with two of my own kids and my wife's three kids. I have survived four sets of teenage years and still have one in the house currently. Two have completed their BA / BFA and one will start in the Fall.
I come from a family with three generations of service to the Nation through the US Army and I even married a former US Army Officer. We have three cats and two dogs. We also foster kittens.
Personal Philosophy: Semper Gumby...Always be flexible!
Education:
BA History, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Concentrations in Medieval Studies, American Revolution, American Civil War, and Fascism / Holocaust Studies
MA English, University of Nebraska, Concentration in 19th Century Studies
MA in Teaching, Georgia Southern University, Secondary Education. Concentration in US History.
Hobbies: Mountain Biking, Hiking, and Traveling.
Previous High School Teaching Experience: American Government, Advance Placement US History, Army JROTC, Personal Finance & Economics, & United States History