Moving from Georgia to Fort Worth is a big transition, especially when one has been teaching in Georgia and Pennsylvania for the past 28 years. This was the case for Leigh Block, the Athletic Director at FWCD and an AP English teacher.. Block received his bachelor’s degree in English from Clemson University and his Masters Degree from the University of Florida. He was hired before the 2021-22 school year, stepping into a major role at a high school brand new to him, which can be a big adjustment. However, one of the biggest transitions was not the distance or the new school, but going from teaching AP English Literature classes and having a role in the athletics department, to solely being the Athletic Director at FWCD. Block pivoted from dealing with whiny parents complaining over the word “nipple” in a book at his previous school, to dealing with whiny JV volleyball players at FWCD. Now, after a year away from teaching, Block is making his comeback, teaching one section of AP English Literature to juniors already burnt out from two and a half weeks of school.

“I missed it last year,” Block said. “I’m really happy to be back.”

Not only is he happy to be teaching again, but he is excited to see and get to know the students in a classroom setting again.

“The biggest issue is last year in my role, I’d see kids in a certain context,” Block said. “I’d see them practicing, I’d see [them] competing, I would talk to them about their seasons, but it was just that piece of their student experience [that I did not see], so I missed out on connecting with students in the classroom and to see them in a different context.”

Block is teaching 15 students in one section of AP English Literature. Not only is Block glad to be back, but the students are enjoying his teaching style. 

“I enjoy his way of teaching because rather than it being so regimented, and we have such a strict schedule, we go into class and we never know what to expect, but in the best way possible,” Lily Hyde ’24 said.

Along with learning about English in the class, the students are learning a lot about Block’s life outside of the classroom.

“He likes Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt,” Jack Cimo ’24 said. 

Block also has many friends that are poets and writers.

“When we read a poem for him, it is like with every poet [he] had dinner with this guy, or [he] had drinks with this guy,” Hyde said.

It does not stop with Guy Clark and having drinks with various poets for Block though.

“My wife and I like to travel,” Block said. “For example, we go to a different baseball city every Labor Day, so [this Labor Day we went] to Tampa Bay to see the Rays.”

Outside of sports, Block also enjoys playing Scrabble in his free time, and once, he even scored one of the highest possible scores in one turn.

“This brings back good memories,” Block said. “[I played] “quellers” for 194 points.”

Block taught a book about competitive Scrabble at his previous school.

“It is called Word Freak,” Block said. “It is really interesting. The summer assignment was not only to read the book, but to join this Scrabble internet club and for all of us to play each other, which was really cool.”

Heading into the 2022-23 school year, Block is excited about the upcoming curriculum in AP English Literature this year. 

“We read two Shakespears, and in the 4th quarter, the students get to have a say in what books we read,” Block said.

From riding high school football fan buses to starting a Wordle competition amongst the teachers, Block has already deeply involved himself in the FWCD community, and is now taking it a step further, this time into the classroom.