Meet Ben Schneider of Paradise Valley High School in North Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Schneider.

Ben, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was a junior in high school I was presented with the opportunity to be a mentor for students with mental and physical disabilities. I was very hesitant and questioned if it would be something I would enjoy doing. I ultimately decided to go for and it was the best decision I’ve ever made! After working with those students, I haven’t been so sure about a decision! I knew teaching was my calling and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! While at the University of Dubuque in Iowa, I was part of the Education Advisory Board. I would meet with local schools and discuss what skills future teachers needed for the classroom, it was very exciting to work! A fellow board member and I would visit the school to discuss what the classroom is like and how it has been changing over the years. We would then meet with the education administration, as well as a few classes, and present the new found information. This opened the door for future job openings, the school I student taught at quickly offered me a job! The only problem was that there was nothing there for me, friends had left for their careers, and living in a college town was not something that no longer appealed to me. I was able to find a job much closer to home in the south suburbs of Chicago.

The school I was at had the atmosphere and attitude of an inner city school where education is the last thing on the students’ minds. The number of awful stories I have of that place is too much to count and I nearly quit teaching because of it. Until on my spring break, I flew out here to visit my brother! I soon fell in love with the Phoenix area and the next thing I know I’m having interviews left and right! I was so excited to get a fresh start where I could wake up and be excited about work! I took over a $10,000 pay cut to teach at the school I’m at not but I’m happy! I had to learn the hard way to put happiness over money. I currently teach geometry at Paradise Valley High School and coach wrestling, loving every day of it!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely could have been smoother! While teaching in Chicago, I started often having anxiety teaching under such conditions. I woke up hating where I was at and dreaded school each day. Then last year (fall 2018/spring 2019) my car broke down multiple times and I had a bacterial infection that sent me to the ER twice. Financially it was a concern at the time but I’ve been able to bounce back very well! Luckily I’m good with numbers!

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I specialize in teaching geometry at Paradise Valley High School. I would say I am mostly known for being the athletic teacher at the school. This is my third year teaching here and in that time I’ve won a bronze medal wrestling at a world championship tournament, wrestled in the US Open in Las Vegas, have run six spartan races earning a trifecta medal, as well as an Ultra Beast (30 miles 64 obstacles in the Colorado Rockies). This past year I was able to climb the world rankings to 227. I am nowhere close to that right now but I was there once! I would have to say I am most proud of the character of students we have here at PV. Students open doors for each other and teachers, please and thank you, simply really great kids and staff alike! Unlike other teachers, day one I tell students you probably won’t use most of what I teach you after you graduate. I still teach math, don’t get me wrong! But I also like to teach students other, less noticeable skills they are learning like organization and social skills. The reason why they are exposed to so many different topics is so they can figure out what they would like to do for the rest of their lives. I also go through motivational and mindset lessons with students. What motivates them to succeed, how should we handle failure, how do you become one of the greats at something you are interested? Multiple students have told me how much they appreciate these lessons and how much they help them personally. There is no greater reward than hearing that as a teacher!

What were you like growing up?
Growing up revolved around sports, It wasn’t until high school until I went down to a two sport athlete, before then I was always involved in something. Football and wrestling took up most of my time and interest. I was a shy and quiet kid, didn’t say too much but always made sure I was the hardest worker out there. The teammates I wrestled with in high school were pretty weird, to say the least. Spending most of my time with them during the season forced me to open up. It has come in handy as a teacher, my students would walk all over me if I was that same shy, quiet kid!

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