Richie Temple

The school year 2010-11 is my 12th year as a High School history teacher and Senior Class Advisor at Woods.  During that time I've also served for two years on the Woods School Board, enjoyed two years as a basketball coach, and even served for two months as the Interim Principal in the Summer/Fall of 2002.  Through all of these experiences I have become one the strongest advocates of all that Woods represents. I believe that Woods offers a unique educational opportunity in the central North Carolina region for students who want a challenging education and are interested in pursuing a college/ university degree in the future. We have an outstanding record of university acceptances at local universities such as UNC-Chapel Hill, NCSU, UNC-G, etc. as well as at other major colleges and universities in the state and nation.  Most importantly, we have always endeavored to help every student to achieve their maximum potential within the context of a caring and supportive school community.

Educationally, I have a BA degree in History from North Carolina State University and a Diploma in Polish Language and Culture for two years of study at the University of Cracow, Poland. I was greatly inspired to study history, government, and politics by several outstanding professors at NCSU. However, my understanding of these subjects has been most enhanced by living, studying, and teaching for five years in Cracow, Poland from 1982-1987 as well as by traveling throughout Europe and the United States for the past thirty years.  I am interested in all areas of history and government since they are all connected, but my favorite areas of study are: (1) the history of ideas (e.g., religious, political, scientific, etc); and, (2) the combination of  European and United States history from the Renaissance to the present , especially the 20th century.  My favorite historians include, among many others: John Lukacs, Paul Johnson, and Martin Gilbert.  They are all prolific, insightful, and extremely interesting writers and I would recommend any and all of their works.  In addition to reading the local press, my favorite newspaper is The International Herald Tribune which is published in Paris and which I read on-line daily.  My favorite news magazine is The Economist published in London and which I receive by regular mail weekly.  I consider both of these the best of their kind in the world.

Outside of school my favorite thing to do is spend time with my best friend and dear wife, Dorota Temple, whom I met while living in Poland.  We have been married now for twenty-five years and it has been an incredible journey along the way. Though she is a Physicist and I am a History Teacher, our other interests coincide.   They include reading, hiking/walking, and traveling.  We are also active members of Cary Christian Fellowship, lead a weekly adult Bible study fellowship in our home, and edit a biblical studies newsletter/web-site entitled The Unity of the Spirit.

During my first eight years at Woods I had the privilege and challenge of teaching every history and social studies course for grades 9-12 in our high school.  However, as the school has grown and expanded so our faculty has grown and expanded as well.  I now focus on teaching U.S. and European history while also overseeing the department as chair.  

My basic philosophy in teaching History, Civics, and Government at Woods is:

(1) To ensure that every student gains a fundamental scope and understanding of history so as to help them to understand the world in which they live today.

(2) To ensure that every student understands their rights, duties and responsibilities as U.S. citizens so as to help them to live meaningful and productive lives wherever they are in the world.  

I believe that history is "the core of all subjects" and that every other subject can be best understood against the background of how that subject developed historically.  With this in mind, I try to enable every student to go as far as they want in their study of history.