By Josh Lefkowitz
Mr. Woodman received a promotion to Assistant Principal this year, and Woodman enjoys the new job.
Previously a Social Studies teacher in American History as well as a football coach, Woodman never really had a plan to become an assistant principal.
“It was never really on my radar to actually get a principal’s license. I’ve always been a big US history fan. I thought I’d teach history and coach football for my entire career,” Woodman said.
Last year Woodman was the dean of students, working with student and building safety. Woodman keeps doing most of these jobs, but he now has some added responsibilities.
“The difference between a Dean and an Assistant Principal is that deans can’t evaluate teachers,” Woodman explained.
When Woodman joined the Heritage High School staff, he soon fell in love with a new position: teacher leadership.
“When I got here I started becoming interested in different teacher leadership opportunities and working as a Professional Learning Community facilitator showed that I could have an impact beyond just my classroom!” Woodman exclaimed.
Woodman is trying to apply a growth mindset to students and is also trying to help students fall in love with learning.
“Educators want students to learn that it’s ok to have a lifelong love of learning and that you should never really stop,” Woodman explained.
Less than a month in, Woodman feels like he is already putting a positive impact into his students’ lives
“For me, it’s about kids knowing that I care, and I care about them and I care about providing them with a school that they feel comfortable in. I want them to feel as proud to call this place home as I am,” Woodman exclaimed.
No matter the good or bad, Mr. Woodman is very excited about his new position and wants to keep working in this profession for a long time.
“I know I’ve got another 20 years in this profession, and I want to be in a position to continue the positive things we try to do not just at Heritage, but with this district as a whole,” Woodman stated.