Hello!

The 2025–2026 school year marks my 21st year teaching in public schools. However, my experience in education and training began much earlier—back in 1993—in the private sector. I'm deeply passionate about teaching U.S. History, and I can confidently say my class is never boring... or your tax money back (lol)!

This year, I’ll be teaching U.S. History and Honors U.S. History to 11th graders. I also sponsor the UIL Social Studies team, which has earned 1st place at the district level for the past three years. At the 2023 regional meet, our team brought home 2nd place team medals, and at the 2024 and 2025 regional meets, we earned second runner-up team honors. With this year’s UIL focus on the Cold War, our team is stronger and more prepared than ever!

When it comes to the STAAR test, Orangefield High School consistently performs among the top schools in the state. In 2023, 100% of OHS students passed the U.S. History STAAR test—with 94% reaching grade level and 67% earning mastery scores. That still holds as our record, but our goal for 2026 is to beat it!

A little about me:
My family’s roots in Orange County go all the way back to the 1840s. My ancestors arrived in New Orleans from Prussia (modern-day Germany) in 1846 and settled in Orange a few years later.

Before becoming a teacher, I worked as an education and training coordinator for several large companies in Houston, including IBM.

I also proudly served four years in the U.S. Navy during a pivotal time in world history—Desert Storm, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. I like to say I played a small part in ending the Cold War 😀. My Navy work focused on meteorology and climatology, where I collected data used to brief pilots, including the Blue Angels and NASA astronauts.

I earned my teaching degree from Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas) in San Marcos, debt-free thanks to the G.I. Bill.

I’m genuinely excited for another great year at Orangefield High School and look forward to the journey ahead!

Sincerely,
Mr. Block