Mr. Jordan’s Home Page
“We know what we are, but not what we may be”
—– William Shakespeare
The itinerant English teacher —
Passionate about life, family, and the infinite power of words.
I come to teaching from a non-traditional background. After working as a researcher and an analyst in career fields after graduating from college, I discovered my calling in life as a high school English teacher at a new Upper School program at a small Quaker school in Virginia Beach.
At Virginia Beach Friends School, I found that all of the disparate influences on my life and intellect crystallized in teaching, and that I was one of the fortunate few who had found the thing he did best. My first years in the classroom were inspiring, enlightening, and terrifying, but my students and I persevered and grew together as learners and teacher. That experience kindled my love of teaching, and inspired me to seek more training to become a better teacher. After leaving Virginia Beach Friends School, I sought that training at the Curry School of Education, where I earned a Master’s in Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
After completing my Master’s degree, I pursued additional graduate coursework in curriculum design and brain-based pedagogy, then spent several years researching effective curriculum and instruction and brain-based teaching. I have recently returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher and to school as a student at Hollins University to sharpen my skills.
My experience as a non-traditional teacher and then a non-traditional student of education have made me a better teacher. I am excited to return to the classroom and bring the knowledge I have gained through practice, research, and formal instruction to the education of students in my own classroom.