Teaching

Ben Teach 2
Curricular Achievements
  • Created an Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and Composition curriculum.
  • Co-created an Advanced Placement (AP) Seminar curriculum.98.5% pass rate at end of first year.
  • Co-created SAT prep curriculum. Led team of English teachers through SAT-focused curriculum development.
  • Developed a creative writing curriculum. 50+ creative writing students won regional award.
  • Created and taught an original online summer English course.
  • Member of one of the top-ranked public school English departments in Indiana (2019-2027).
  • Created and supervised Kaleidoscope Magazine, a literary magazine for Munster High School.
Professional Awards, Honors, and Achievements

Speaking Engagements

  • Workshop Presenter – “Beyond Test Prep: Building ACT-Ready Thinkers Through Inquiry and Analytical Reading” at the ACT Regional Conference in Champaign, IL
    • This session explores how inquiry-based literacy instruction and analytical reading can strengthen the skills students need for college readiness assessments. Rather than relying on isolated drills or short-term test strategies, participants will examine classroom practices that develop reasoning, evidence evaluation, rhetorical analysis, and reading stamina across disciplines. The session emphasizes practical approaches that help students become more confident readers, stronger thinkers, and more engaged learners while supporting success on assessments and in everyday classroom work.
  • Workshop Presenter – “Rolling for Connection: How Collaborative Storytelling Creates Protective Spaces for Belonging” at the Indiana Suicide Prevention & Awareness Summit (2026)
    • Collaborative tabletop storytelling games such as Dungeons & Dragons can foster belonging, empathy, and inclusive participation in classrooms and beyond. This session explores how structured collaborative storytelling spaces support protective social connectedness, particularly for isolated and marginalized youth, and offers practical strategies for creating safe communities that promote resilience and thriving.
  • Guest – Suck Less Tomorrow: A Podcast for Teachers podcast (2026)
  • Panel Member – Indiana Youth Group (IYG) workshop to discuss laws related to LGBTQ+ students (July 2024).
  • Workshop Presenter – “SEL in Secondary Classrooms: A Practical Approach” at the South Shore Summer of Learning at Duneland Conference (June 2024)
    • Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) has gained momentum in recent years, but the daily practical applications of the educational method are often overshadowed by other sociopolitical conversations. In this session, attendees will learn about the practical benefits of integrating SEL-related strategies into daily lesson plans. Attendees will also receive scenario-specific tips for processing SEL-related topics, regardless of the subject of the class. This session was designed by a secondary classroom teacher for secondary classroom teachers.
  • Speaker – “Is Your School Suicide Ready?” Symposium hosted by the NWI LGBTQ Coalition and the NWI Suicide Prevention Council (2018)
Ben IYG

Awards and Honors

  • School Town of Munster district Secondary Teacher of the Year (2025)
  • Munster High School Teacher of the Year (2025)
  • Invited to attend Poetry Foundation‘s Summer Poetry Teachers Institute (July 2024)
  • Northwest Indiana “Life in the Spotlight” (2023)
  • STM Golden Apple pin recipient (2022)
  • Three-time student-selected graduation speaker (2015, 2016, 2018)
  • Yale Educator Award recipient (2018)
Extracurricular Involvement

Sponsored the following clubs (in alphabetical order):

Coached the following sports and extracurricular activities (in alphabetical order):

Other Professional Involvement
Further Reading