When the announcements are livestreamed each morning, most teachers play them begrudgingly, wanting just to get to the start of class. Social studies teacher Christopher Merrill, however, shows his enthusiasm for human geography by pointing out the scale change in the introduction.

Few teachers at Walter Johnson are as worldly as social studies teacher Christopher Merrill. His enthusiasm and love for learning help his AP Human Geography and AP World History students succeed.

Human geography provides unique opportunities for students to learn about every part of the world. For this reason, Merrill believes that this class is extremely relevant to any student.

“[Human Geo] is very topical about the world,” Merrill said. “You’re just talking about current events and why current events happen.”

Hailing from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Merrill traveled the world as a kid because of his father’s job in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He grew up mainly in Manila, Philippines and Bangkok, Thailand. He moved to Maryland as a teenager and went to Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.

“Living overseas [and] seeing other cultures [showed me] that there are lots of different ways to do the same thing,” Merrill said.

Outside of teaching, Merrill has a great appreciation for food. He especially likes Thai food and baking bread like sourdough. He is active and enjoys hiking and biking.

Merrill’s travels connect with what he is teaching and make the classes even more engaging. Sophomore Anthony Lam is taking Human Geography and finds that Merrill’s experiences contribute to his understanding of the material.

“Taking what he’s learned over his years and sharing it with us is really interesting, as there are very few teachers, let alone people, who have such a diverse view of the world,” Lam said.

Merrill was a history major at the College of Wooster and has taught at numerous schools in Montgomery County, including Albert Einstein High School and Westland Middle School, as well as Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, South Carolina.

At WJ, Merrill served as vice principal for nine years before joining the social studies department and taking over the Human Geography program from retiring teacher Lili Monk.

The class has grown immensely since then, expanding from two to six sections with the help of fellow Human Geography teacher Elizabeth Muehl. The duo has worked together in various aspects for over 10 years.

“We both started teaching AP Human Geography [in] the fall of 2020 online,” Muehl said. “During COVID, that was hard but it was good to have him as a sounding board.”

Merrill’s teaching style is well-liked among his students. Senior Daniella Denton, who also takes AP Human Geography, noted how enthusiastic he was about the material from the first day. Lam agrees.

“Mr. Merrill walks in every day with the same energy and enthusiasm,” Lam said. “He teaches in a very interactive manner, the complete contrary of a lecture. He does this alongside many graphs and infographics to allow us to understand and digest information.”

Merrill loves teaching at WJ, and it shows. He always makes himself available for help outside of class and puts a lot of effort into getting to know his students.

“I’ve worked in a lot of different schools in different parts of Montgomery County [and] different states and I always tell teachers who want to leave WJ, ‘you’re gonna be sorry,’” Merrill said. “WJ is just this unique place of great students, amazing faculty [and] good administration.”

Lam mentioned how Merrill smiles and greets everyone at the beginning of the period, setting a positive tone and creating a productive learning environment. Merrill often shows students graphics or articles he finds on social media, highlighting his authenticity and true love of learning.

“He actually tries to build relationships with his students and is very understanding and kind,” Denton said. “His personality really helped me learn better.”

Muehl added that Merrill’s positivity goes beyond just the students and impacts his coworkers as well.

“He’s enthusiastic, he’s creative, he’s always coming up with new things,” Muehl said. “We need more people like him in the profession.”

Merrill’s curiosity about the world, which he attributes to past teachers and his world travels, drives his students to want to learn more. He pushes the learning experience past simple note-taking; he helps students develop a positive mindset as they grow into adults and go out into the real world.

“Looking at things through multiple perspectives is super important,” Merril said. “Being curious just makes your life more interesting. If you just accept things, it’s pretty boring, but being curious, I think, is a really, really important skill.”

This story was originally published on The Pitch on April 10, 2025.