Informed by 19 years of experience in the middle school classroom, Ben teaches courses in middle-level social studies pedagogy, content-area literacy, middle school teaching methods, and classroom management. Ben also serves as the Executive Director of the Illinois Council for the Social Studies, an affiliate of the National Council for the Social Studies.
Ben is co-author of Teaching Middle Level Social Studies: A Practical Guide for 4th-8th Grade (3rd Edition) (2021) Information Age Publishing. He has publications in The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas; Teaching Social Studies; Middle School Journal; Middle Level Learner; Children, Youth and Environments; and has numerous edited book chapters.
As a middle school teacher, Ben taught geography and US History and served as co-chair of his school district's teacher evaluation process committee, was twice a lead for certified staff contract negotiations, and served on various curriculum and other school district committees.
599.012Dissertation Research
307.001Methods and Strategies in Middle Level Education: Biology
307.001Methods and Strategies in Middle Level Teaching: Chemistry
307.001Methods and Strategies in Middle Level Teaching: English
307.001Methods and Strategies in Middle Level Teaching: Geography
307.001Methods and Strategies in Middle Level Teaching: History
407.001Learning In Educational Settings
233.001Teaching And Learning in Middle Level Education
233.002Teaching And Learning in Middle Level Education
Interdisciplinary experiences
Spatial Learning
Student voice
Patriotism Education
Adolescent social development
Social studies pedagogy