Teacher Feature: Henry Oglesby Jr.

By Barbara P. Jacoby

Woodstock HS 2022 Teacher of the Year Henry Oglesby Jr. grew up in the “small but wonderful” town of Hephzibah. He thought of himself as a mediocre student and wasn’t sure of his career path (his ’80s kid dream job of Top Gun pilot was out due to hearing loss). Then, along came his high school math teacher and math team sponsor Mike Shaw.

“He was dedicated to mathematics and to his students as individual people,” Oglesby said of the teacher who inspired him and his career. “He cared about each student and let his actions speak louder than words. He was a true inspiration to me. He helped me believe I could not only be good at mathematics, but I also could help others along the way.”

Oglesby, now in his 28th year as an educator, has made the same positive impact on countless students including those who rise to the top of their class and select him as their honored teacher. He teaches AP calculus BC and honors multivariable calculus and started the school’s math club, as he previously did at Cherokee HS and Creekview HS, “as a labor of love and a tribute to Mr. Shaw.”

“I really enjoy showing the students who love mathematics some of the things they don’t see in the regular classroom setting,” said Oglesby, who with his wife, Vanessa, has two children, Kayla, who is a CCSD school counselor, and Lauren, a Chattahoochee Gold Swim lessons manager; two grandsons and five dogs.

In his classroom, Oglesby also looks for new techniques, ranging from assigning students to teach a concept to their classmates by creating a Flipgrid video to collaborating with his fellow STEM colleagues at Woodstock HS to create integrated problem-based learning units like the Newton’s Law of Cooling Lab exploring differential equations.

“I always tell my students my favorite question is ‘Why?’” he said of his teaching style, noting that he also makes building relationships a top priority. “I like to explore the ‘what ifs!’ Students love that as well. For example, I consider it a challenge each year when I help my students visualize the formulas in volumes of rotation problems. I still remember to this day the moment that very thing clicked in my head in my high school calculus class! It was a key turning point in my math development.”

What can parents do to help their child be as successful as possible at school?

“Get involved! Help them see you value their education and their time as well. Be a part of their activities (sports, extracurricular events),” Oglesby said. “Show them and tell them you believe in them each day. Stay in touch with teachers as much as you can, so that when they encounter a tough time, you will know how to help. Support the teachers, administrators, and counselors. They are all great resources. Let your child have room to make mistakes and show them how to pick themselves back up.”