By: Britt Melinauskas & Katie Nelson

Sports and Center Editors

Beginning his ninth year at Los Gatos High School, tenth grade English teacher Blaine Bowman has continued to impact students significantly, fostering their love for reading and writing through his discussion-based classes and his unique, engaging curriculum.

Mr. Bowman explained he loves teaching the books in the tenth grade curriculum. He said, “I love Lord of The Flies, and what you can bring in with psychology and just looking at human nature [in] Of Mice and Men… I feel like it’s an easily digestible book that students find interesting, even if they don’t like reading.” Moreover, by bringing in his own interests and personalizing the curriculum, Bowman hopes that his excitement for the material carries over to his students as well.

Before teaching, Mr. Bowman attended the University of California Santa Cruz and San Jose State University. He first developed a passion for teaching once he got to college because of passionate professors making connections and the material relevant to Bowman. Bowman’s first love was in the film industry, yet his fondness for Santa Cruz facilitated his decision to stay in the area and teach in local districts. His original interview at Los Gatos commenced hours after the birth of Bowman’s son because he aspired to obtain a job in the industry. 

Bowman emphasizes the importance of discussion in both his regular and Honors curriculum. When asked how he facilitates positive debate, he said the key is “making the students feel comfortable with what we’re talking about– that they understand the book and feel that their ideas are relevant and important.” Along with careful class readings of several novels, Mr. Bowman uses pop culture to show why the books they read are important and relevant.

In the past three weeks, Mr. Bowman has also participated in a competition through Rue Morgue magazine, in which votes from friends, family, and students have propelled him into the finalist round, with around 20 people nationally competing for the final prize. Bowman explained that the prize includes meeting actor Kane Hodder — who plays Jason in many of the Friday the 13th movies– and 13,000 dollars, which he plans to put towards his son’s trust fund. Bowman explained that his chances have dipped a bit now that he’s up against some prominent influencers. Still, he has enjoyed the competition journey and all the support he’s received, adding that he owes much of his success to his former and current students. He described, “[My students] have all rallied around [me]. It’s been really sweet. On Facebook too, just some old friends that I haven’t really interacted with… I’ve just seen them rallying around me and it feels good to get the support and that people know that I love horror movies and love my son.”

Bowman reflected that he’s always trying to do his best to “teach as if I was teaching to a teenage me who didn’t want to be in high school [and] didn’t want to read the books… I hope that I can engage some students that usually wouldn’t be engaged.” In college, Bowman’s engagement shifted in his own learning and inspired him to pursue teaching. He added, “[In high school] I hated speaking in front of class, but I’m glad that I found a voice… the best thing I could do is try to make the classroom seem safe, [so] the students know everyone’s voice is welcome.”