08/31/2026
🍎 Teacher Highlight: Mr. Wood | Thrasher Elementary
For 26 years, Mr. Wood has been making an impact in the classroom, including more than two decades at Thrasher Elementary. As a fifth-grade math teacher, he has found a way to make learning active, engaging and something students can look forward to.
Mr. Wood loves finding creative ways to bring math to life. One project his students look forward to is designing and building tiny houses. Students create a blueprint, use what they’ve learned about volume and work together to build their own tiny house models, combining math with hands-on learning and STEM.
But for Mr. Wood, teaching is about much more than academics. It’s about getting to know his students and creating a classroom where they feel comfortable being themselves. From talking sports to trading Pokémon cards and playing music, he looks for those small moments that help build relationships and make his classroom feel like a place where students belong.
He also loves helping students discover that math doesn’t have to be intimidating. Seeing a student go from believing they “hate math” to feeling confident in what they can do is one of the most rewarding parts of his job.
After more than two decades at Thrasher, Mr. Wood says his students continue to keep him young, keep him learning and keep him coming back ready to make a difference.
And if his students leave his classroom smiling, a little more confident and ready for what comes next, Mr. Wood considers that a good day.
