I want the best for the students in this building, and I will always push them to do their best.”

Braxton Thompson

Not many people can say that they knew what they wanted to be when they were in elementary school but in Braxton Thompson’s case, he has known since he was eleven years old. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. When you write a letter to your future self in 5th grade, the one thing on there was to be a teacher. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m glad I’m teaching here.”

Like many of the Stanley-Boyd teachers, Braxton Thompson is an alumnus of Stanley-Boyd, and he chose to begin his teaching career at Stanley-Boyd because he thought it would be nice to teach at the school he attended. Thompson shared that many of his role models were his teachers and coaches growing up.

 “I wanted to be able to do what they did, and positively impact my community. I chose to become a teacher because many of my role models were my teachers/coaches growing up. I wanted to be able to do what they did, and positively impact my community,” Thompson remarked. It was one such teacher that shaped Thompson’s life and set him on course.

 He stated, “My 8th grade English teacher really pushed me to become the best student I could become. She taught me that with enough hard work, I could accomplish many of the things I set my mind to.”  Thompson himself became a High School English teacher and now passes on that work ethic to his students.

“I want the best for the students in this building, and I will always push them to do their best.” He adds that he wants them to live strong and successful lives, but the learning doesn’t stop there. Thompson admits that he isn’t the only one imparting knowledge and that his students teach him daily as well.

 “They’ve taught me to make the best out of anything, and to not take things too seriously,” he said. He hopes that parents understand that teachers truly care for their students. “Teachers just want the best for their students, and they want them to live strong and successful lives.” 

Thompson grew up in Boyd, graduated from Stanley-Boyd High School, and continued his education at St. Norbert’s College where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Spanish education. He spent a semester studying abroad in Ecuador and is now a Spanish translator at Stanley-Boyd. Thompson brings learning and fun into his classroom every day. That is a challenge he made into a goal for himself since he began working at Stanley-Boyd last year.

 “I think the toughest thing would be making sure that all students are engaged with what is going on in the class. English isn’t everyone’s favorite class, so I have to make sure that the topics discussed in class are at least a little interesting to all of the students,” he explained.

Thompson is a well-liked Stanley-Boyd Orioles Coach for the track and field team and also the football team, where he has been known to show off some dance moves on the sidelines. He also coaches t-ball in Boyd during the summer league. But Thompson’s favorite sport is track and field, a sport he earned many accomplishments in as an Oriole during his high school sports career, including winning the first 100M meet held at Oriole Park.  In high school, he also played football and basketball and was part of the Orioles football team when they won the Division 5 football title in 2013. He even scored the last touchdown at Chapman Park. When it comes to sports, Thompson enjoys it all and his favorite Wisconsin sports team is the Milwaukee Bucks. He is also a huge Star Wars fan, and he loves anything related to Star Wars.

When asked what he is most excited for in this upcoming school year, Thompson replied, “I was most excited to be at the same school for a second year. It’s nice to get comfortable, know the curriculum, staff and kids.” For Thompson, the best part of being a teacher is making great connections with the students and community. The Stanley-Boyd School District is lucky to have teachers that impact their students and push them to do great things. It can be proud knowing that it is impacting so many of its students to give back to the school that gave so much to them.