If you’ve had physics teacher Alan Burgess, you’ve probably noticed his annual weeks of absence from school. During that time, he was serving in the Navy. Recently, however, Burgess finished his last year in the reserves and will no longer be heading out to serve next year.
Burgess first decided to join the military after his first few years of college. He wanted to find something new and fulfilling to do. During his 22 years of service, Burgess served in the Navy as a Master-at-Arms. He describes his job as a “combination of law enforcement and force protection.”
Balancing his life as a teacher and a member of the reserves could be challenging.
“You often have to choose what your priorities are,” Burgess said.
His students especially felt the effects of his absence. Junior Selina Mitchell, who is currently in his class, experienced his absence this semester.
“I felt hopeless,” Mitchell said. The substitute wasn’t as knowledgeable as Mr. Burgess, and it was hard learning the material while he was gone.
Despite the challenges, many of Burgess’s experiences in the military have helped him become a better teacher. One main lesson that Burgess says he learned is patience.
“Many young members of the military come from many walks of life and a wide variety of backgrounds,” Burgess explained. “This meant that certain practices and trainings would take a little more time for beginners to adjust to.”
Now that he’s no longer in the Navy reserves, Burgess is still adjusting to his new routine.
“At the moment, it’s still kind of setting in that I’ve retired,” Burgess said. “I’ve spent half my life in the Navy, so it’s still kind of surreal to think that I’m completely out now.”
Currently, Burgess is focused on teaching his physics classes and helping his students succeed. His classes are currently building egg-carrying rockets.
For all those wanting to join the military, Burgess has two main pieces of advice:
“1) Make sure you sign up for the job you want, not the one they tell you. 2) Try as many new experiences as possible wherever you go. You will have a lot of opportunities you won’t get anywhere else.”
