Mr. Matthew Giddens

Dear Indy Community,

My name is Matthew Giddens and I am one of the Social Sciences teachers here at Independence High School.  This will be my 10th year in Loudoun County Public Schools, and over a decade of teaching in Northern Virginia.  Prior to arriving at Independence, I was the SALT (Subject Area Lead Teacher) of the Social Sciences department at Trailside Middle School, where I opened the school in 2014.  My father was a linguistics officer in the U.S. Army, so I spent my earlier years (grades K-6) traveling overseas (Germany, England, Egypt), living abroad (Sudan and Nigeria, respectively), and living on both coasts of the United States.  My mother was a special education teacher in Northern Virginia.  I am a proud father of two, and my wife is also a teacher.

I am a graduate of George Mason University (GO PATRIOTS!).  At GMU, I received both my Bachelors in History and Masters in Education. 

Along with Social Sciences, my other passion is music and music theory.  While in high school, I participated in marching band, concert band, guitar, and music theory.  In fact, the study of music history is what sparked my love for history and the social sciences in general.  Also, I have been a member of the Shenandoah Valley Writing Project, through Shenandoah University, which works with teachers all over the country in helping them collaborate on ways to get more writing in the classroom.  In the past, I have spoken at workshops at both Shenandoah University and George Mason University.

I am working with such a great team of teachers and administrators that I cannot wait for the school year to begin to share ideas and work with our students.  Thank you again- parents, colleagues, community members, and staff for all your support this school year.  GO TIGERS!