Grand Canyon

It had been on my bucket list forever, but in December of 2020, I got to see the Grand Canyon with my own eyes. It did not disappoint. You can not describe it in words. It is breathtaking! I got to stay at a lodge inside the national park, and it snowed the last day I was there. I highly recommend putting the Grand Canyon National Park on your bucket list.

Guadalupe Peak

For Thanksgiving break, I climbed the tallest mountain in Texas for the third time. It will a bit more chilly and windy this time. The hike was nice and it was great to be on the top of Texas again!

My new job!

I will be moving to Dawson Middle School in Southlake, Texas for the 2020 - 2021 school year! I am super excited to be making the move to the suburbs! During quarantine, I started looking at other opportunities. I felt like I had accomplished everything I wanted to do at Hill, and new if I did not try something new I would not continue to grow. I had applied for a Texas History position at Dawson, but when the principal, Ryan Wilson, called he said they had another position he thought I would be a better fit for - a journalism teacher! I had to go through two Zoom video conferencing interviews and was offered the job as the new journalism teacher. I will be teaching different courses on yearbook, newspaper, photojournalism, TV/Radio. I also found out that I will be teaching two Texas History courses as well. I am super excited about that because I love Texas History. Dawson Middle School is part of the Carroll ISD. It only has grades 7-8. I am excited to see where this year will take me!

COVID19 Pandemic

Right before spring break in March, the threat of COVID19 hit the United States. This virus, similar to the flu, but has no cure, started spreading quickly after hitting China hard first. It has spread across the world and has caused over 100,000 deaths in the US alone. The virus, is not deadly for most, but for those who have weak immune systems, it can be a death sentence. It is very contagious and many people do not show symptoms and can spread it unknowingly. It caused fever, body aches, and problems breathing. They are working on vaccine, but they have no idea when that will be developed. We never returned to school after Spring Break and went to online learning. Schools are not sure what will happen in August when we go back. The cases have been on the rise recently. Here in Dallas we had a record number of cases reported today - 1,075. The governor has issued a state wide mask order. You have to wear a mask if you go to any public area. They ask you to avoid large crowds. I have not been able to go see my parents because I do not want to bring anything to them. One of my sisters, and her family, has tested positive and I have had some coworkers get sick. It has been rough. I a lot of businesses have been closing. Movie theaters and museums have not been open since March. A lot of people have lost their jobs. The government did give everyone a $1200 check to help during these times, but for many it hasn't helped much. I hope it ends soon and a vaccine is developed sooner than later. It has been a very interesting time. Oh yea! There was also a toilet paper shortage. Everyone started to buy toilet paper worrying it would run out. I now buy an extra package, so I won't have to worry if it happens again.

Big Bend National Park

It has been on my bucket list forever, but I finally went for a visit to Big Bend National Park. Honestly, I was expecting a little bit more, but the park is amazing. It is huge, so expect to drive a lot. I stayed in Alpine, TX (a hour outside the park). You have to go hike early because it does get very hot. The Lost Mine trail is pretty amazing (except for the bear and cougar warning signs). The view from the top is spectacular. It is also pretty amazing to be able to be up close to the Rio Grande. You can see Mexico right across the river. I highly recommend a visit, but make sure to have plenty of gas and water.

Goodbye to Hill

After five years of being a teacher at Robert T. Hill Middle School, I am moving on to a new school (more info to come). It has been a crazy ride at Hill! This is the school where Mrs. Ruiz gave me a chance to be a teacher. I walked into this school as a TV reporter for NBC 5 and walked out a teacher with a lot of experience. I almost gave up my first two years (teaching is tough), but really fell in love with teaching Texas History and Journalism. I was able to get three yearbook published and numerous school newspapers. We had an awesome News Club all five years. You can check out my students work at www.hilljournalism.weebly.com. I am proud to have sponsored the Youth Against Drug Abuse (YADA) Club. I started it after a student overdosed in my class my second year. I know it helped a little in educating the students about the dangers of drug abuse. I have learned so much about Texas! I love teaching the students about Quanah Parker and the Buffalo Soldiers. During my time at Hill, I climbed Guadalupe Peak (the tallest point in Texas) twice. I was able to have the great grandson of Quanah Parker come and speak to the students. I even got the students to write President Trump and get a letter back from him! I am excited about my new journey and will never forget my time at Hill. I am glad we got to end my last year with Project Envision. This projects goal was to end racial inequality. Check out my students work at www.hillprojectenvision.weebly.com. Goodbye Hill!

Josh in Nepal

I was able to complete a teacher fellowship in Nepal in July. It was an amazing adventure.