In the Nest family, we have a new world geography teacher and a football coach, Brendan Woods. He was born in Fort Worth and graduated from Oklahoma Wesleyan University. He has been a teacher for three years while coaching football for four years.
Wingspan: Why did you choose Frisco ISD as a place of teaching?
Woods: “The things I heard about relationships with staff, administration, students, and community.”
Wingspan: What do you enjoy most about teaching this subject?
Woods: “For world geography, I enjoy seeing how students learn about places around the world and how we all interact with each other. For government, I enjoy seeing students recognize how countries are organized and how that structure plays into how that country interacts with the world because of it.”
Wingspan: What advice would you give students to succeed in your class?
Woods: “Work hard, be open to growth, challenge their learning and effort.”
Wingspan: It’s been a few weeks into the school year. How is this school different from any other school?
Woods: “There is a lot of support from superiors and colleagues and great students that make teaching easy and exciting.”
Wingspan: Do you believe we should have tests to show our Assessment of Learning or projects or both? Why?
Woods: “Both. In History, there is a lot of knowing just simple facts, and that is best evaluated in tests, but projects give the opportunity to create and display learning in new ways.”
Wingspan: What position in football do you coach, and what do you think we can improve in football?
Woods: “Wide receivers and freshmen as a whole. 100% it just takes consistency and capitalizing on success. It is all about building on momentum and successes.
Wingspan: How do you keep the team motivated during tough seasons?
Woods: “Get them to understand that if they are working as hard as they can, then the tough stretch will eventually end. Also, it is a lesson in life as well that no matter how much you may be struggling in life, to put your head down and power through.”
Wingspan: How do you prepare the team for a big game?
Woods: “Focus on the details and effort. The details are the most important part of a game, so stressing those is key to success. However, on the flip side, there are going to be mistakes, so if you are going to make a mistake, do it with 100% effort. Nobody can take your effort away from you, and sometimes just having more effort than the opposition can lead to success as well.”
Wingspan: How do you adjust strategy when you’re facing a much stronger opponent?
Woods: “Being flexible. As a coach, you go into a game or match with a plan, but the best coaches understand how and when to stray away from that plan and make adjustments if things are not going well. It is hard to do and it comes with a feel for the game and experience, but being able to trust your instincts and be flexible goes a long way.”
Wingspan: What are your hobbies outside of teaching?
Woods: “Golf, Texas Longhorns, family.”
Wingspan: What do you like to do on the weekends?
Woods: “I like to golf and spend time with my 1-year-old daughter.”
