Welcome to this blog and to its very first post! My name is Aaron Robertson, and I started working in K-12 education during the 2018-19 school year as a substitute teacher and special education paraprofessional. I've primarily worked at the middle and high school levels, but I have elementary experience, as well. I've served in both special education and regular education environments, and in both public school districts and Roman Catholic schools. In August 2024, I moved from the greater Milwaukee area in Wisconsin to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where I now teach a combined grades 4/5 at a Catholic classical school, as well as prealgebra to a combined grades 6/7.
A little bit about me
Up to the start of the 2018-19 school year, my work experience had been in the business world. I have experience in areas like marketing communications (particularly online marketing), sales support, customer service, general bookkeeping, training and mentoring, office management, supervising, event planning, entrepreneurship, and freelance writing and journalism. Check out the bigger interviews I've conducted over the years with national musicians, TV personalities, and more by clicking here.
From 2015-2023, I pursued a Ph.D. in leadership at Cardinal Stritch University, where I also earned my master's and bachelor's degrees. My master's is in management, and my bachelor's is in political science with minors in sociology and philosophy. Originally, I was interested in exploring the subject of organizational culture for my Ph.D. dissertation work. I then turned my research interests to China and the realm of international relations (IR); exploring China's artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), its entrepreneurial climate, U.S. - China Cold War theory, and Realism in IR. I completed all my Ph.D. coursework, but had not completed my dissertation necessary to earn the degree when Stritch closed in spring 2023.
Since summer 2023, I have been pursuing a master's degree in theology from Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Franklin, Wisconsin. You can read my admissions essay here.
Back in December 2021, I rediscovered my Roman Catholic faith after nearly 20 years wandering in the dark wilderness. An epic blog post about my journey is pending. In the meantime, you can learn why I'm Catholic; check out prayers that I've composed; read about my testimony to the power of the confessional and battling demonic harassment; and discover the joy of confession based on a talk I gave during a retreat for high school catechism students at my parish back home in Wisconsin, where I was also active in the men's group. I love Jesus Christ and the richness of my Catholic faith.
I love my beautiful fiancée, Katie, who has been a wonderful source of love, inspiration, joy, hope, and faith for me.
When I find a little spare time, I enjoy reading, writing and blogging, collecting sports cards (mostly baseball and basketball) and coins, car shows, cookouts, festivals, Milwaukee Brewers games, dining out, movies, music and live concerts, making others laugh with my humor, and learning something new - be it in the form of conversation with others, documentaries, museums, travel, or getting lost in Wikipedia articles for an hour or two at a time.
Drinking coffee throughout the day is a must for me, and I've had teachers and students tell me that they've never seen me without a cup in my hand. My mom compares my need for a cup of coffee in my hand all the time to Linus' security blanket.
A Ford Motor Company enthusiast, I always had a fascination with older Lincoln cars, particularly 1970s models, which I attribute to watching too many mob movies growing up. My Lincolns over the years included a 1979 Continental Mark V, a 1988 Town Car, and a 2009 MKZ. My current daily driver is a 2017 Ford Fusion.
My music interests are quite diverse, and include - Christian; blues; jazz; ragtime; classic rock; crooners like Sinatra, Bennett, and Sammy Davis, Jr.; 50s rock & roll; 60s pop; 60s and 70s R&B; Gregorian Chant; and some classic country, bluegrass, rockabilly, disco, ethnic, classical, and alternative rock. Never really got into heavy metal, rap, or modern country.
Having an eccentric streak about me, my heroes are Howard Hughes, Rube Waddell, Ginger Baker, Bobby Fischer, Admiral Hyman Rickover, and the fictional characters Howard Beale and Dr. House.
Finally, for some reason, I love alpacas and pugs. Just love them.
About the blog
I've always enjoyed sharing meaningful conversations, advice, ideas, and resources with high school and college students on topics like career exploration; preparing a resume and applying for work; connecting what's taught in the classroom to practical, real-world applications; how to frame volunteering and co-curricular activities as marketable assets when seeking employment; college and degree path exploration; networking; financial literacy; goal setting; advice on scholarship applications; and the joys and successes that come with lifelong learning.
With that said, starting this blog only seemed natural. As time has passed during the last few years and I started gaining experience working with middle school students in school settings, I've been trying to develop more content for this blog aimed at that age group. So, welcome - it's my sincere hope that you enjoy the discussions and resources here and that they come to serve as meaningful and useful supplements to all the wonderful learning taking place in the classroom. This blog is for students, parents and families, and fellow educators. I hope you find this site to be of some value to you, and I'm grateful for you sharing it with others.
Read more about my overall teaching philosophy.
Very cool stuff!
ReplyDeleteWho was Muskego Library board president in 2016?
ReplyDeleteHowdy! The president of the Muskego Library Board in 2016 would have been Joseph Boschert, now my colleague on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
ReplyDelete