Martin Surridge, High School English Teacher, brings it to life whether it is art by Andy Warhol or the assassination of Julius Caesar. If you don’t believe me take a minute and check out his YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/martinsurridge. Here I was transported back in time at the assassination of Julius Caesar, recreated with water balloons and pushed into the pop-art culture scene of Andy Warhol. Mr. Surridge takes you with him as he discovers art, history, literature and architecture. That’s the focus of his YouTube channel but it is clearly the mission of his life in the classroom as well.
“I want kids to become good writers,” he told me when we sat down together. His passion for teaching and sparking that desire to know more follows him whether he’s talking about his time in London as a child or the epic-ness of the American landscape he discovered when he arrived to claim his dual citizenship in the United States, at the age of 13. I hadn’t thought of visiting the Mississippi river until hearing about it through his eyes! What an incredible gift we have in our country. Wide-open landscapes, snowy mountains and deep, wide rivers.
I asked Mr. Surridge how he inspires in the classroom and his answer came to life after watching his YouTube channel, “I have them see my level of passion like literature integrated with maps or listening to classical music while reading.” Dressing up like Julius Caesar so students can throw water balloons at him while he quotes Shakespeare, demonstrates a passion that makes me want to go back to High School English class! Seriously, you need to check out his channel.
From the early days as a summer camp counselor, where his love of teaching and inspiring kids was born, to the present, Mr. Surridge’s passion is crystal clear: Bring art, history, literature, and architecture to life through travel, YouTube, music, writing and even water balloons! How incredibly glad we are that he has come to Dayton. We hope to see him at Bluewood this winter creating another video in our epic mountains as he fills us up with poetry all while riding a snowboard. Welcome Mr. Surridge!