ARLINGTON, Texas - Fort Worth Magazine’s 2018 list of Top Teachers includes Wesley Irons, an Upper School physics and astronomy teacher at The Oakridge School in Arlington.

Irons has a straightforward goal for his students, which is to inspire a genuine curiosity with the way the universe works. He told the magazine, “I find it fascinating, and I find learning about it joyful.” The graduate of Keller High School served four years in the Marines and then enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with a degree in physics. He won a spot in the graduate program at Johns Hopkins University but left after a year.

“I decided I didn’t want to do research for a career. I left graduate school to teach,” Irons told Fort Worth Magazine. He spent his first year teaching in The Woodlands, then was hired by The Oakridge School in 2015. Parents, in nominating Irons, praised him for teaching the math behind physics: “He has an understated sense of humor that students like, so they feel comfortable approaching him.” 

In all, the magazine honored five private and five public school teachers who have kept up with changing pedagogy that today demands lots of activity to keep kids engaged. “And they’ve somehow maintained the energy to keep on educating our kids,” Fort Worth Magazine reported.

Read more about the teacher selection process and all of the educators recognized at www.fwtx.com/top-teachers/2018.

Families interested in learning more about academics, the arts, and athletics programs at The Oakridge School are invited to attend an upcoming event on campus. The school's Office of Admissions will host Fall Tour Night at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5. Space is limited and spots fill quickly, so please RSVP. Visit www.theoakridgeschool.org/campusvisit for more information or to schedule an individualized, private tour of our school.