Mr. John Brandt spends part of his day teaching Senior International Baccalaureate (IB) English, but he starts the day early with a Theory of Knowledge class for 0 period, which he teaches a total of three times a day.

Mr. Brandt has been teaching at Armijo for about 18 years and has taught classes at all grade levels. Before he came to Armijo, though, he had several other jobs. He worked as a counselor for mental health, a seventh grade teacher, and a dishwasher.

Becoming a teacher was not a surprise for Mr. Brandt whose father was a teacher when he was growing up. If he didn’t teach English, Mr. Brandt said that he might be interested in teaching science, history or P.E. He would encourage students to consider teaching, especially at Armijo. “Do it,” he said. “We need diverse representation in teaching and they need more teachers here.” Mr. Brandt said that he loves being at Armijo, loves the kids and “the staff make it a special place.”

If he could see a change on the Armijo campus, Mr. Brandt said he would like to see the size changed. A smaller campus, he explained, would make it easier for teachers and students to get around more easily. The future plans for Armijo features newer buildings, arranged more closely, so the campus may feel more like a community in the future.

Some hobbies that Mr. Brandt is interested in are playing the guitar, singing, and playing golf. He also loves to go on trips with his wife and son.