Brock finds joy in teaching, IB philosophy

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Laura Amador-Toro

International Baccalaureate (IB) program coordinator and IB Theory of Knowledge and History of Americas II teacher Michael Brock changed from pursuing medical school to a history major during his last year of college. One of the aspects he loves the most about his job is the IB approach to teaching and learning.

When Coppell High School teacher Michael Brock was in his final year of college, he switched his major to history and cancelled his medical school interviews, making a decision that would alter the rest of his life.

 

Brock’s successful teaching career began after his wife and former Coppell Middle School West librarian, Rose Brock, took up teaching following their graduation from Oklahoma State University.

 

“Teaching was something I never, ever planned to do on [the high school] level,” Brock said. “After I graduated from college my plan was to go directly to graduate school. I actually thought that if I was going to teach I wanted to do it at the college level.”

 

After teaching, Mrs. Brock moved onto becoming a librarian, earning a doctorate, serving as an assistant professor of library sciences and is involved in book publishing.

 

Twenty-one years later, Mr. Brock continues to teach.


Coupled with his duties as the International Baccalaureate (IB) program coordinator, his responsibilities extend beyond the classroom as the IB Theory of Knowledge and History of the Americas II teacher.

 

“He will always be there for me,” IB student Surya Ramakrishnan said. “I feel like Mr. Brock is one of those people you can trust with your life, and he will always have your back.”

 

As the coordinator, he ensures that all IB students meet IB diploma requirements. Along with being the IB coordinator, he is also the Extended Essay Coordinator, a position in which he advises students on their paper topics for the diploma.

 

“I really, really love the kids I work with and that’s a joy every year,” Brock said. “It is something that will keep me coming back.”

 

When he started teaching at CHS in the fall of 2007, Coppell ISD was beginning to explore the idea of introducing an IB program.

 

“It was just an open opportunity to teach more advanced classes and the IB came up,” Brock said. “I looked at the program and one of the things in feedback I got from my former students from my AP classes [was that], ‘You prepared us really well for doing a history class, but the only thing I didn’t feel prepared for was the research. I thought with this [program] I could give students the opportunity to get experience with that, and it absolutely has done that.”

 

For his classes, Brock focuses on a question and answer style directed discussions with embedded research activities and flip videos driven by the students throughout the year.

 

“Once I started teaching it, I really loved the [IB] philosophy,” Brock said. “I loved the approach, and I loved the course I was teaching. Everything about it was better and better and better.”

 

IB Math Standard Level/Higher Level teacher Ian Vanderschee has worked with Brock for six years.

 

“If there are times that you fall behind doing your job, he will gently remind you of how to do your job better without making you feel bad,” Vanderschee said. “It’s the same way a family member would treat another family member if they were doing a little less than they should be doing. You feel a sense that he is proud of what you are doing.”

 

Everyday, Brock is reaffirmed that the decision he made in college was the right one.

 

“I’m still really enjoying my time here and I don’t want to be anywhere else and I enjoy what I do,” Brock said. “It’s hard work but I enjoy what I do.”

Congratulations to the May Teacher of the Issue Michael Brock.