Ben Snow, 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Challand Middle School, was honored on Tuesday, May 24th, at a staff meeting, in which he received the Northwest Region of the Illinois Principal Association Teacher Leadership Award for 2021-2022. Below is his nomination: It is not uncommon to walk through the 8th grade hallway and hear a commotion from Mr. Snow’s classroom. Upon entering the room, one may see Mr. Snow vibrantly telling a historic timeline, students engaged in a reenactment, or even Mr. Snow or a student standing on their chair or desk playing devil’s advocate during a class debate. Each student that walks into Mr. Snow’s classroom is guaranteed 2 things: 1 - Mr. Snow cares about who you are and who you will become, and 2 - You never know what you’re going to get, but hold on tight.
Mr. Snow prides himself in the relationships he builds with his students and their families. It is a common practice of his to call and introduce himself to each family of every one of his students. He makes regular calls home to celebrate students and to bring up concerns. He does not back down from a difficult conversation. Mr. Snow creates a team atmosphere of problem solving. His goal for each student is to speak with conviction about their passions and beliefs (with appropriate evidence of course). Confidence, conviction, integrity, and leadership are qualities he hopes to instill or bring out in his students. Students in 8th grade are quick to say he is one of their favorite teachers because of his engaging antics, but more importantly, they speak about how much he cares about who they are and where they come from. Some of our most challenging students feel at home in his classroom, are able to speak their mind and share their stories without feeling judged. Mr. Snow takes the time to know every student’s story.
Mr. Snow’s strengths continue outside of the classroom. He is an advocate for his students, but he is also an advocate for his colleagues. Mr. Snow takes the opportunity to mentor any new staff officially or unofficially. His advocacy for colleagues extends to building leadership, he is not afraid to come into an administrator’s office, shut the door, and have a difficult conversation respectfully. He is someone whom we can rely on for feedback- whether positive or negative - but also engages in problem solving. Mr. Snow avidly works on improving his curricular blueprints, participants positively in our staff or core meetings, and is eager to continue making improvements at CMS. We are grateful for his integrity and his passion for teaching and learning within the Challand Middle School community.