Meet Brian: Our Middle School Social Studies Teacher
Our middle school social studies teacher has a plan for history class: stop reading about it and go there. Brian Steffensen on Mrs. Frizzle, an AI George Washington, and what VR means for the student who cannot sit still.
August 5, 2026 | 2 min read
This year our teachers are introducing themselves in their own words. First up is Brian Steffensen, who teaches middle school social studies.
“Hi, my name is Brian and I am the middle school social studies teacher here at Virtual Horizon’s Charter School. I am so excited to teach at this school.”
He has taught history before, and he says the subject earns its place because of how much it tells us about our current world.
The Magic School Bus, for real
Every history teacher has the same wish: to take the class there. Brian gets to. The regular school classroom had limits, he says, that he no longer has teaching in VR.
“I’m so excited for the ability to basically be like Mrs. Frizzle in the Magic School Bus where I can literally show kids what it looks like in history.”
A class can read about the founding of a country, or it can walk through it and ask an AI version of George Washington a question. That, he says, makes his class “such a great place to not only build curiosity, but help answer those questions.” Curiosity, creativity, and confidence all start with being allowed to ask.
For the student who cannot sit still
Then Brian said the thing we think a lot of parents have been waiting to hear. He says that because it is VR, it “gets rid of some of the limitations of regular classrooms.”
“So if you’re a kid like me with ADHD, I had a lot of energy. I didn’t like sitting down.”
With VR, in his words, you don’t have to do that. And as a teacher, he cannot tell the difference: “I won’t know if your kid is sitting down or standing up because their avatar will be there in the classroom.”
“Whatever works for your child will work for VR. And so it’s a more inclusive and a more immersive education.”
Brian Steffensen, Middle School Social Studies TeacherStand up. Pace the room. Sit on the floor. The avatar is in class either way, and so is the learning.
Brian’s classes start with the rest of the school year on Monday, August 17.
Meet the rest of the teachers
Brian is one of the licensed teachers your student learns with. The board, the leadership team, and every teacher are on one page.