Meet the Teachers
In 4th grade, I said I wanted to be a nurse or a teacher when I grew up. Since I really can't stand the sight of needles, it was not difficult to make the decision to be an educator.
I was fortunate to grow up in a small town West of Houston. I participated in various activities throughout school, but I enjoyed playing the clarinet in band most of all. My favorite part was marching in the football game half-time shows.
I attended Blinn College and later Sam Houston State University, where I took voice and piano lessons. I graduated from SHSU in 1989 with a degree in Music Education. I became certified to teach all grade levels K-12. I decided to work with the elementary age, since that was the age I liked working with the most.
I came to Kaiser Elementary in 1990, and have been here ever since. I have enjoyed working with the students here. They have so many different abilities, and all have a great spirit.
I enjoy spending my spare time with my family and my friends, as well as reading, watching movies, and amateur photography. I like to listen to all kinds of music including classical, jazz, gospel, country, and rock.
Having taught for over twenty years, I began my public school teaching career in Waller ISD at Holleman Elementary. I am proud of our many achievements during my time there, one of which was receiving the school's first ever Superior 1st Division Rating at a competitive choral festival. In addition to student accomplishments, we also held the first ever Elementary Music Education Seminar, a professional development module for the district's elementary music teachers. Guests included Dr. Julie Kastner, chair of music education at the University of Houston, and Otto Gross II (aka Austin Otto) from Quaver's Music. I am super excited about what the future holds for Kaiser!
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Mr. Woody received a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Louisiana Monroe, where he studied with Douglas Baer and Robert Blaine. While at ULM, he performed with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, and the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. He was a charter member of the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra. In addition to professional performance, he participated in several fine community ensembles such as the Twin City Community Concert Band and the Russ-Town Band.
Upon graduation, Mr. Woody was accepted to the Yale School of Music, Yale University. He received a Master of Music in trombone performance, having studied with world renowned musician, Scott Hartman. While in Connecticut, Mr. Woody performed with the symphony orchestras of Wallingford and New Britain as well as the Yale Symphony Orchestra. During summers, he served as bass trombonist for the Hot Springs Music Festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Embarking on a career as a freelance musician led Mr. Woody to Jackson, Mississippi, where he performed regularly with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and served as Adjunct Professor of Low Brass at Belhaven University.
While teaching at Belhaven, Mr. Woody developed a desire to pursue college teaching and was accepted into the Doctor of Arts in Music Performance program at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he served as the Teaching Assistant to Dr. John Seidel. While studying at Ball State, he was second/bass trombone with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra and performed regularly with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.
Moving to Houston to be closer to family, Mr. Woody served as a private lesson instructor with Tomball ISD in Tomball, Texas before pursuing his passion for music education as a professional educator.