With school starting back up there are lots of new faces around, many of whom are teachers. Mr. Blackwood, who teaches economics, sports marketing, and fashion marketing, is one of these new faces. Mr. Blackwood moved to Charlottesville from Norfolk, Virginia in August.
He went to school at JMU and graduated with an undergraduate degree in history, a minor in African studies, and his masters in teaching. During his time at JMU, Blackwood was an executive member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter. While in the NAACP chapter Mr. Blackwood helped make changes to JMU, organize walkouts, and other peaceful protests.
When asked about his involvement in a peaceful protest titled “March for Our Lives” he said, “the march took place during the middle of COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone had been stuck inside of the house and just watching multiple injustices take place around the country. As a whole, my friends and I got tired of just being stuck inside unable to do anything. So, we did what others had done before us and protested.” The protest, which the NAACP organized, had an estimated 350 student turnout.
After graduating from JMU with a masters in teaching, Mr. Blackwood came to CHS to teach, when asked why he got into teaching he explained, “I always had a passion for helping others and explaining things. However, I decided to declare accounting as my major when I first went. That did not work out well for me because I did not like the way that the professor taught. So, I decided to go with my passion over financial success. Best decision that I made.”
He also shared the way he teaches his classes, placing emphasis on creating bonds that extend beyond the subject material, “My teaching philosophy is that of either integrative or culturally relevant teaching. I believe in this because I want students to build more of a connection to what they learn. I remember having friends and classmates who said the famous line ‘When will I use this in real life?’ So, I try to make those connections because it is more likely for the students to grasp the information.”
However, teaching isn’t the only thing he loves. Mr. Blackwood expressed a fondness for anime and manga as well, “I like anime because of the graphic, plot, and lessons that they teach you. I have been watching anime for as long as I can remember. It started off with watching shows like Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, and Yu-Gi-Oh.” He has also taken a huge interest in cooking lately, and when asked about his favorite dishes he said, “I really like making chicken parm.”
Mr. Blackwood is ready to start the year off strong and we look forward to seeing him grow here at CHS. If you have any questions for him you can find him in D246.
