User:Aburd004

About aburd004:

Hello, my name is Aaron Burdon and I am very excited to be a part of this class. I graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1997 with a Bachelors Degree in English, with a minor in Computer Science. After spending nearly 10 years as a sales and service manager for various companies, I have decided to make a life change for the better and peruse a career that offers me more than a paycheck. My mother has taught Middle School for nearly 40 years, until last year when she retired. After many conversations with her and her peers, I decided that a career in teaching would be much more fulfilling than what I had been doing.

Interests:

Aside from teaching, I am very interested in writing and film making. I am currently working on my first book, which will probably be completed sometime way after I have been teaching for a while, but for those of you who are interested in a fantasy book genre similar to that of Robert Jordan or Terry Brooks should enjoy it if I ever get it published. Although I am not very good at it myself, I do enjoy all aspects of good comedy and often go to comedy clubs and shows as much as possible. Nothing can help change your life perspective than having a good laugh.

I also enjoy a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, such as fishing, camping, hiking, and traveling around the world. I have been to such exciting and exotic locations as Japan, Iceland, San Francisco, and Portsmouth. I once stood on the very edge of the Grand Canyon and basked in its awesomeness.

Zodiac Sign:       Tiger, Sagittarius

Favorite Drink:     Mountain Dew

Favorite Snack:       Twizzlers

Favorite HEALTHY Snack:   Baby Carrots

Athletic Activities:    Swimming, Hiking

Favorite Movie:     The Usual Suspects

Favorite TV Show:     Heroes

Guilty Pleasure:      American Idol

 Teaching Philosophy: 

First and foremost, I believe that the best way to teach is to relate the material to the recipient. Although I have yet to set foot in a classroom as a teacher, I have been teaching my employees for almost a decade. It is important to not only teach our students the material we provide but also to show them how it is relevant to them. For me, I found my most favorite teachers were the ones who engaged students and kept our attention. It is important for a teacher to keep classes interesting, fun, and alive.

Also, I am prepared to continually keep my mind open to new ideas and philosophies not only from my fellow teachers, but also from the students themselves. I am very excited to be a part of this class, this program, and my future peers. It is up to us all to mold the future leaders of our nation. Let's make sure they are well prepared.

Fun Fact:    I can say all the 50 states in alphabetical order in under 15 seconds.