Dean Wood – History Teacher, Social Studies Dept. Chair, IB Economics Teacher

What do you enjoy most about your role at Marshall? I teach World History 2 to 9th graders and IB Economics to 11th- and 12th-graders. I'm also the Social Studies Department Chair. I very much enjoy working with colleagues who really just want the best for their students and with students who help keep me on my toes physically and academically.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.  Unless you're in my class, you may not know that I taught in Chicago and Los Angeles before moving back to Virginia to teach at Marshall; I have been married to Tracy for almost 30 years, and we have a 16 year old son, Jaxon; I don't really have any hidden talents, but I spend a lot of time reading and listening to music; if I wasn't a teacher, I'd want to be a rock star. Since I don't have any musical ability, teaching is the next best thing; I've always wanted to travel to Australia, but understand that many things there can kill you; my favorite Saturdays involve sitting in the stands with Tracy at some kind of swim facility, watching our son compete at various swim meets. It's often tedious and uncomfortably warm, but I'm proud of what Jax has been able to achieve as a swimmer.

What advice would you give to students about making the most of high school? My advice to students is simple: get involved in school in some way: join a club, try out for a team, join the choir, or a musical or fine arts group. Getting involved in some way at school provides a route to personal growth and fulfillment and often provides a group of friends with similar interests.

What’s one thing you hope students take away from your class or role? The thing that I'd love for students to take away from my class is how important I think it is that we treat each other with respect and kindness. I recognize that the content of the classes that I teach may not be important enough to remember forever, but I hope that students do remember how I tried to treat them in my room.

If you could swap places with a student for a day, what class or activity would you pick? If I could swap places with a student for a day, I'd want to be in a guitar class.

If your students gave you a “superlative” (like in the yearbook), what would it be? My superlative: "Not quite as funny as he thinks."

What advice do you have for parents? I tell my students all the time that the one thing you can do at home to most enhance your success in school and in life is to read for fun and recreation. Reading books of your choosing is among the most positively transformative habits you can have. For parents, encouraging their students to read is the thing that they can do to support academic success.

What do you wish more parents understood about today's high school experience? I wish parents understood the amount of pressure that so many of our students put on themselves. I think many parents do understand that but may not understand the extent to which their students really want to be successful.