With a love for history, Matthew Carlock has been in the education system since 2010 and is currently entering his ninth year in a classroom. Originally teaching US History 1 in small town Corpus Christi, Texas, Carlock decided to move to Virginia where he’s taught World History 1 since then. 

Carlock attended Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi for his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree. When deciding what to major in, Carlock struggled to find something that was right for him, after not clicking with psychology, he gave history a try and it felt right. Later on when he moved to Virginia, he earned a post-graduate certification. 

“To be completely honest, teaching was always just there,” Carlock said when asked how he chose teaching. “Although, it was always something I could do easily while having fun with kids, so I gave it a try.”

Carlock enjoys teaching because, not only can he talk about things he finds interesting all day, but he can also create long lasting relationships with students. He loves West Po because of the sheer volume and diversity between students. The fact that so many students come from different areas, but are in the same place in life is something Carlock finds phenomenal. 

“If I could never leave West Po, I wouldn’t,” Carlock remarked. “I would stay here forever if I could.”

Although he loves West Po, it has come with its challenges. During the 2021 school year, the transition from virtual learning to hybrid learning to eventually in person learning affected many students and teachers, including Carlock. The transition was extremely challenging to manage, to the point where Carlock questioned staying a teacher. 

Carlock pushed through that challenging time and decided to stay as a history teacher. “I put myself in the shoes of a student… If my teacher left in the middle of the year I would feel devastated,” Carlock said. “So I stayed mostly again for my students.”

Outside of teaching, Carlock writes short stories and enjoys music. He played the drums for many years, but only quit a couple years ago because of his children. His love for music never stopped, but his current hobby is his family. 

“The only other thing I would ever tell students is don’t try to memorize stuff, learn it,” Carlock commented.