Teacher of the Month: Mr. Hood
By Nefertiti Cooper
After a week of waiting, anticipating, and threatening-- joking but not. I was finally able to sit down for my one on one interview with one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Scott Hood. Mr. Hood was awarded teacher of the month this past December. I sat down with Mr. Hood to ask him a few questions about his teaching career here at University High School:
What makes you come to school everyday?
“I really do love working with the students. I’m lucky that I have worked with so many awesome young people, and I’ve seen them go on to produce some really impressive achievements in
their lives. I like to celebrate those successes with them. So, on a daily basis, sometimes we all get run down by the grind of lessons and grading and work and requests for interviews (haha), but I also get to see my students discover some cool puzzle or theme in a complex story we’re reading. And I get to hear from students in college how much I prepared them. And I get to hear from them about the careers they’re embarking upon. And I get to hear of the awards and honors they receive. And those things really matter to me. When students share those moments of discovery or moments of success with me, I feel like I get to share in that success a tiny bit, which is fantastic and inspiring. And, I mean...it’s my job. :0)”
Why do you enjoy teaching English?
“Over the past decade, I’ve had the opportunity to talk about books and writing with thousands of students and colleagues. I honestly can’t think of much I would prefer to do. Reading literature is one of the most important acts anyone can do. It serves as the best way to learn about the world around us and the humans in the world. Everything is in books - love, war, politics, philosophy, psychology, the history of the world writ large and small, success, struggle, cool places I’ll never get to visit. As a kid, reading is what opened up my world when I was stuck in the suburbs of Dallas or out on my dad’s farm. It opened my mind, piqued my desire to see how the world works and to interact with new people. If I can help others discover that same thing, that’s amazing.”
What do you think you were selected “Teacher of the Month” winning?
“I honestly don’t know. I try to do my best job everyday. Some days I succeed; others I fail
miserably. It’s nice to be recognized by the administration and the school. The best recognitions
and awards, however, come from current and former students. They are the ones who really
know what it’s like to be in my classroom day in and day out, and they know what they learned
in their time in my class. Also, if they don’t like and/or respect a teacher, they can be brutal, so
when they shout me out or recognize me in some positive way, it’s extremely rewarding.”
What advice would you give a new teacher?
“Over the past decade, I’ve had the opportunity to talk about books and writing with thousands of students and colleagues. I honestly can’t think of much I would prefer to do. Reading literature is one of the most important acts anyone can do. It serves as the best way to learn about the world around us and the humans in the world. Everything is in books - love, war, politics, philosophy, psychology, the history of the world writ large and small, success, struggle, cool places I’ll never get to visit. As a kid, reading is what opened up my world when I was stuck in the suburbs of Dallas or out on my dad’s farm. It opened my mind, piqued my desire to see how the world works and to interact with new people. If I can help others discover that same thing, that’s amazing.”
What do you think you were selected “Teacher of the Month” winning?
“I honestly don’t know. I try to do my best job everyday. Some days I succeed; others I fail
miserably. It’s nice to be recognized by the administration and the school. The best recognitions
and awards, however, come from current and former students. They are the ones who really
know what it’s like to be in my classroom day in and day out, and they know what they learned
in their time in my class. Also, if they don’t like and/or respect a teacher, they can be brutal, so
when they shout me out or recognize me in some positive way, it’s extremely rewarding.”
What advice would you give a new teacher?
“So many things...the most important kernels of wisdom I’ve gleaned from my experience………...
1) Know your content. Students can see through you if you’re faking it, and they deserve to
have an expert in front of them or in the room guiding them. So, study, keep current, keep questioning and learning. That’s not to say that a teacher has to know everything, and he can admit it when he doesn’t know something. But, overall, students will respect you if you know what you’re talking about and they are confident they can learn from you.
2) Be yourself. There’s no “right way” to be a teacher. You have to find your own style. Let students see your personality. Don’t be afraid. Also, make your classroom an extension of your personality. Students (and parents and administrators and visitors) should know something about you as soon as they walk in your room. It sets the tone for everything you want to do.
3) Respect the student. This means trying to see things from their points of view. Think about what they want and what they need to be better learners and better people. But it also means that you respect them enough to challenge them and to ask them to want to become better learners and better people. It also means being their teacher, not their friend - even though I hope all my students know I’ll be there for them if they need something. If you do that - respect the students and their education - you can ask for and expect respect in return, too. So by respecting the student, you’re also respecting yourself.”
What made you decide to teach at an urban school?
“To be honest, I began teaching in Newark simply because they hired me. Newark was the only
district where I even landed an interview. Having been here for ten years, however, it’s difficult
for me to imagine teaching anywhere else. University just kind of feels like home to me after all
this time.”
Why high school?
“Little kids don’t get any of my jokes.”
After my chat with Mr. Hood, all I can think is, Wow, what heartfelt responses from an inspirational person. Mr. Hood has been my English teacher for two years, I’ve learned so much. He is one of the easiest teachers to talk to, and one of the most understanding. Mr. Hood is one of the best teachers in the building, because he makes his job priority. He is very genuine and sincere about the subject he is teaching. English is not just a topic, but away of life for Mr. Hood. The last two years I’ve experienced nothing but positivity and encouragement from Mr. Hood. In addition, to his seriousness for education, Mr. Hood is a very kind person with no hatred in his heart, and enough jokes to keep me laughing through this strenuous senior year.
I’ve had the privilege to be taught by the wonderful, Mr. Hood, and even after all the stalking and annoying reminders, an even greater privilege to discuss some of his deeper feelings about teaching, in the words of Mr. Hood, “Better late than never.”
1) Know your content. Students can see through you if you’re faking it, and they deserve to
have an expert in front of them or in the room guiding them. So, study, keep current, keep questioning and learning. That’s not to say that a teacher has to know everything, and he can admit it when he doesn’t know something. But, overall, students will respect you if you know what you’re talking about and they are confident they can learn from you.
2) Be yourself. There’s no “right way” to be a teacher. You have to find your own style. Let students see your personality. Don’t be afraid. Also, make your classroom an extension of your personality. Students (and parents and administrators and visitors) should know something about you as soon as they walk in your room. It sets the tone for everything you want to do.
3) Respect the student. This means trying to see things from their points of view. Think about what they want and what they need to be better learners and better people. But it also means that you respect them enough to challenge them and to ask them to want to become better learners and better people. It also means being their teacher, not their friend - even though I hope all my students know I’ll be there for them if they need something. If you do that - respect the students and their education - you can ask for and expect respect in return, too. So by respecting the student, you’re also respecting yourself.”
What made you decide to teach at an urban school?
“To be honest, I began teaching in Newark simply because they hired me. Newark was the only
district where I even landed an interview. Having been here for ten years, however, it’s difficult
for me to imagine teaching anywhere else. University just kind of feels like home to me after all
this time.”
Why high school?
“Little kids don’t get any of my jokes.”
After my chat with Mr. Hood, all I can think is, Wow, what heartfelt responses from an inspirational person. Mr. Hood has been my English teacher for two years, I’ve learned so much. He is one of the easiest teachers to talk to, and one of the most understanding. Mr. Hood is one of the best teachers in the building, because he makes his job priority. He is very genuine and sincere about the subject he is teaching. English is not just a topic, but away of life for Mr. Hood. The last two years I’ve experienced nothing but positivity and encouragement from Mr. Hood. In addition, to his seriousness for education, Mr. Hood is a very kind person with no hatred in his heart, and enough jokes to keep me laughing through this strenuous senior year.
I’ve had the privilege to be taught by the wonderful, Mr. Hood, and even after all the stalking and annoying reminders, an even greater privilege to discuss some of his deeper feelings about teaching, in the words of Mr. Hood, “Better late than never.”
I love how deep his answers are and I love your choice of questions.
ReplyDeleteWow The Fact That I Never Knew This Much About Mr.Hood & I Had His As A Teacher His Responses Are amazing!
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ReplyDeleteI really like how genuine his answers were and how you chose the right questions to invoke the right reactions. I really believe that he actually enjoys teaching and he definitely makes a difference when he teaches and helps other students flourish and prosper. Some kids just weren't responsive and unfortunately failed his class, but he's one of the most influential teachers I've ever had.
ReplyDeleteYes! Mr. Hood is s great teacher, he totally deserves this spotlight. Mr. Hood truly helped me express my love for reading and writing and I thank him for that! Great job Mr. Hood.
ReplyDelete