I grew up near Lubbock, Texas, in a small cotton farming town called Shallowater.
After completing 2.5 years at South Plains Community College (the extra 1/2 semester was mostly because of all the unnecessary music classes I took...), I moved to San Antonio and graduated with a B.A. in History from the University of Texas at San Antonio in December of 2003.
I was then hired by Northside ISD, where I have taught almost entirely at the same school, Stevens High School. It was 20 years in December 2023!! 😲
I married a beautiful, wonderful woman from a different small town near Lubbock (Spur, TX) in 2007, and we've made a nice life for ourselves in San Antonio. Mrs. B is also in education, on the organizational/administrative side. We have a son who turned 2 in November '23, and he lives in San Antonio with his wife.
The majority of my career has been spent teaching AP World, though I have also taught almost every other Social Studies course offered at every high school grade level. AP World has been my true love for more than 15 years, and I've been an AP reader for the College Board since 2019. I completed training to be an AP consultant in February 2024, so now I can help other teachers navigate AP World History in professional development endorsed by College Board!
I am currently the Gifted and Talented Specialist, as well as Advanced Academics campus coordinator. I took this role in 2019, and resumed AP World in addition to my GT courses the following year.
I have served as Social Studies department coordinator, Senior class sponsor, campus improvement committee member, and other such roles to help make the campus function at its best.
I helped write the curriculum for my district's Comparative Religions and Critical Issues course in 2009. This was one of my favorite classes to teach (after AP World, of course). I also taught a student leadership course (PALs) for many years, which was another one of my favorite courses.
I have also been extremely blessed to have been chosen as Favorite Male Teacher by students three different years, and Faculty Homecoming Emperor twice. 😎👑
I was supremely honored to have been chosen as one of 76 Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms participants in 2019. The goal of the fellowship is educate students to be more aware and involved citizens, as well as connect teachers from around the world to share their experiences and expertise. I was unable to travel internationally with the program, unfortunately, due to the travel issues arising with COVID in 2020. I was slated to go to Thailand, then Colombia, and then Finland, but wasn't able to because of the pandemic and subsequent substitute teacher shortages. 😔
My wife and I have traveled extensively, however, which--other than teaching--has been the most rewarding experience. We have taken students to China, England, France, Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, and Spain, with more destinations on the horizon. We also spent a wonderful two weeks in Ireland in the summer of 2022 (without students), someplace we intend to revisit. I've been all around the US, enjoying California, Michigan, Florida, and NY, and most places in between.
I play the guitar, and love entertaining friends and audiences. You can see some of my performances here, if you want!
I love Batman, Mediterranean food, sci-fi and spy/assassin thriller novels, historical fiction and insightful nonfiction, football, comedies, and action movies.
That's me in a nutshell!