As I entered the Dimensions Education Programs outdoor classroom, I was greeted by Ben Wilson, a former preschool student turned college student, who was also visiting. He waves hello and immediately asks me if I remember the time my father brought a horse to school. He said, “I still have many memories from preschool. I remember it was from your dad’s farm, right? We had the parking lot all fenced so it wouldn’t go anywhere.” Ben is recalling a day over 20 years earlier when he was in my preschool class and my dad brought a horse to school. That was a special day I remembered too, but probably not with the same detail as Ben. Ben is a memory savant who can recount many activities and conversations from his childhood and even the dates they occurred. His memory is so incredible that he has been featured in a series called UnXplained: The Mystery of Genius that can be streamed on Netflix. Ben’s memory is definitely a talent, but it’s not his only one. Ben is also a talented teacher.
Ben’s journey from preschooler to preschool teacher has been aided by hard work, dedicated family support, and many helpful teachers along the way. I was fortunate to be one of Ben’s first teachers at Dimensions Education Programs in Lincoln, Nebraska. We welcomed him into our classroom then, and now he has been welcomed back as a teacher. Recently, I interviewed Ben and his mother, Lori, so we could share their story, in hopes of inspiring families, teachers, and early education programs striving to nurture children’s unique gifts and help them reach their dreams.
I pick up Ben’s student-to-teacher story in 2021 when I met him at Dimensions, where I taught for years before preparing future teachers at the college level. I was excited to learn that Ben was working on an associate’s degree at our local community college and was at Dimensions to complete a school assignment. We were joined by program director Michelle Zimmer and by Ben’s mom, Lori. It was inspiring to learn that Ben had nearly completed his degree and that his dream was to one day teach in the Dimensions preschool program. Director Michelle was intrigued by Ben’s dream and began planning for how that might work. Sure enough, soon after Ben graduated, he returned again, this time to join the Dimensions staff and complete the preschooler-to-preschool teacher circle. Ben’s journey is especially inspiring because as a young child he received intensive services for autism.
Ben is now in his second year as a full-time “float teacher,” who supports children in several classrooms as part of a teaching team. Director Michelle is pleased with her decision to hire “Mr. Ben” as the children call him. Michelle describes Ben’s impact this way: “The children, families, and staff love Ben! He is amazing at interacting with the children as he joins in their play. Families enjoy the stories Ben tells about highlights from their children’s day. I also appreciate the ways Ben joins in all program opportunities such as staff social events, weekend family fundraisers, and professional development workshops. Ben shares his great enthusiasm and joy with us all. His colleagues appreciate Ben’s playful energy and the consistency he brings to work every day. Ben has never called in sick and is disappointed when school is closed for snow days.”
Ben describes his experience coming back to Dimensions this way: “I love working here. It is like my second family, and I plan to keep teaching here until I retire! To know that many of my teachers are still here and they still love teaching means so much to me.” In addition to reestablishing relationships with his former teachers, Ben has forged strong relationships with new colleagues, children, and families. Ben understands how important relationships are. He shares that his goal is to “make every child feel welcomed, loved, and included in every activity.” Ben said, “I knew since I was a child myself, that if the kids could relate to me and I could relate to them as well, I would make a big impact.”
Ben’s teaching goals mirror his own preschool experience. His mother Lori credits Ben’s preschool teachers for his desire to forge such strong relationships now. Lori said, “His teachers treated everybody the same, with respect no matter your skin color or who you were. It was just such an inclusive place, and everybody felt loved. Everybody was an individual who was taught to encourage and be kind to others. Ben’s autism was just one of many things about him. Because of that, Ben just loved going there. He loved running into school every day and didn’t really want to leave.”
Ben connects with his former teachers and new colleagues, in part, using his special memory. For instance, Ben has no trouble remembering and vividly describing long-ago events such as the horse visiting school story he recounted for me. When recently conversing with fellow teacher Joyce White, Ben recounted for her several memories from when she was his preschool teacher. Ben said, “I remember the sensory bin full of dried corn I played in every day and how you’d try to redirect me from there to the art area saying, ‘Ben, why don’t you try painting a picture today?’ and my favorite song was the “Five Little Pumpkins” song we acted out during circle time with cut-out pumpkins that were laminated.”
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Remembering dates endears Ben to his new colleagues too. He uses his calendar-savant ability to remember teachers’ birthdays. Ben said, “I make cupcakes for everybody’s birthday. I also like making the teacher’s birthday cards.” Ben has become so well known for his birthday treats that one teacher got him a special cupcake carrier so that it would be easier for him to transport them.
Reading and exploring all kinds of books with children is yet another way that Ben puts his incredible memory to work connecting with children and families. Ben has memorized many keywords and phrases in several languages including Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, and French. He interjects these words to support children who are learning English. Ben said, “I like having books in different languages in my classroom. For instance, one of the girls in my class speaks French, her Dad is a native speaker from Paris and her family only speaks French at home. I like to speak French to him and his daughter when he drops her off in the morning. I also made sure that her classroom has enough books in French. Meanwhile, a couple of boys in my class speak Spanish, and I make sure to teach the class some words in their language too.” Ben also relishes speaking in different languages during snack time conversations. He further supports children’s language exposure by prompting them to practice speaking each other’s languages. Because of Ben’s multi-language approach, many children now like to greet their friends with “bonjour” or “hola” when they arrive at school in the morning.
Ben demonstrates the importance of positivity and strong relationships each day. He said, “Another thing I like to do is to keep the feedback I give to parents positive. I share one important thing about the child’s day with the parents. Not only does that help the parents feel positive, but also helps the children feel positive too. It can help build a conversation between a child and their parents on their way home or maybe even after they get home.” Remembering details from children’s experiences throughout the day is a strength of Ben’s that is fun for parents to hear when they pick their children up and that also encourages strong home-school partnerships.
I asked a current Dimensions parent, Stacy, about her experiences with Ben. Stacy said, “I would be delighted to share what I appreciate about Ben: It’s the way he interacts with Linden—dropping down to his knee so he’s on her level, looking her right in the eyes and listening patiently. Ben shows her that he cares deeply, values her thoughts, and wants to connect with her. Every day at pick-up, Ben tells me something meaningful that happened in her day like, ‘Linden built the tallest tower with her friend Delphine’ or ‘Linden had a great day, she was having so much fun baking cakes in the sand area.’ He finds out what Linden enjoys and supports her in exploring her interests. He helped her make the coolest superhero outfit using a sheet of paper for a cape taped to the back of her shirt. She wore it for the rest of the evening after pick-up. At home, we often talk about how lucky we are to have such quality educators like Ben teaching Linden not only about life, but about love.”
When I asked Ben what motivated him to become a teacher, he said, “I wanted to become a teacher because I can have such a big impact on each child’s life, impacting how they learn and have fun. I share old books from my childhood because I want children to have the same reading experiences I had.” Ben also supports children’s learning as he works with them experientially – constructing forts in the outdoor classroom, building castles in the sandbox, and creating restaurants to support learning through dramatic play. Ben also joins in children’s play as they make pretend cupcakes, soup, and mac and cheese in the house area. Recently, he brought in an old coffee pot to create a pretend classroom coffee shop. Preparation included using a chef puppet to teach manners when placing coffee orders and proper handwashing before eating or drinking. Ben described how much the children enjoyed creating and writing menus for the coffee shop. Like me, you undoubtedly see Ben’s exemplary teaching strategies in these classroom encounters. Ben doesn’t merely supervise children or teach them prepared lessons. Instead, Ben orchestrates learning scenarios, thoughtfully adds materials, and joins in children’s play in clever and enjoyable ways that support their imagination, creativity, and literacy. Ben said, “I like to get down and play on the floor, I like to bring my toy airplanes and figure people to ride on the planes like passengers.” As Ben shares about building airports in the block area, I flash back to how much Ben loved to play with blocks as a preschooler and celebrate how his childhood experiences are now incorporated in his teaching.
Another place I see Ben’s early experiences informing his teaching is during outdoor time. Dimensions Educational Research Foundation’s Education Programs is a nature-oriented program, and teaching in nature is a priority for Ben. At Dimensions, children are frequently outside in their Certified Nature Explore outdoor classroom. Ben told me, “We go outside a lot. Even when it’s snowing in the winter, we go sledding on the hill! In the summer, children like being in the garden. They grow things they can take care of and taste at snack time like peppers and herbs such as oregano leaves.” Ben also said that he enjoys teaching in nature because he and the kids “can run around and have fun outside with activities like soccer and pretend baseball.” He notices that many children enjoy outdoor sensory play at the water table and in the sandbox, experiences akin to Ben’s sensory bin enjoyment as a preschooler.
Access to an outdoor reading area is another draw Ben describes for teaching at Dimensions. Inspired by a course on teaching language and literacy which was his favorite as a college student, Ben enjoys reading to children. I hear the mentorship from Ben’s teaching preparation courses in how he shares with me a favorite book from that college class, “All the Colors of Us.” He explains how books can create all kinds of learning opportunities for example Ben says, “No matter children’s skin color, their race, the way they talk, or walk or the way they look, they should feel included and special. That makes an inclusive classroom.”
Building a positive, inclusive classroom atmosphere is another aspect of Ben’s teaching that aligns with his preschool experience, as previously described by his mom, Lori. Ben likes to praise children as often as he can when he catches them following classroom expectations. Ben said, “I say, ‘good job’ when I see children helping to clean up. I like telling children they are doing a good job listening, especially when they’re coming over to sit on the rug for music and story time.” Lori often notices how Ben builds relationships when she picks him up at the end of the school day. Lori said, “I hear him praise the kids a lot. He’ll tell them what a great job they’re doing and how creative they are. I just love to see how he works with kids and how he treats these kids as if they were his own. Ben really wants to see them do well. When the school holds family events, I see parents come up to Ben and say the kindest things! When I witness how much the kids love having Ben as a teacher, it touches my heart.”
All children benefit from strong family support, yet many families of children with special needs must go beyond the norm in seeking resources and opportunities for their children. Special children need special support, and the Wilson family has certainly supplied Ben with special support throughout his journey. Over the years, each step of the way, they have set Ben up to accomplish his goals. Seeking therapy beyond what Ben’s schools could provide, matching Ben with caring and effective teachers, and ensuring time with peers throughout his life have positively impacted Ben’s growth over the years. And, especially as Ben sought to become a teacher, his family was instrumental in arranging opportunities for Ben to volunteer, supporting his continued education beyond high school, and guiding him as he sought employment. Lori supported Ben in middle school when he volunteered in his former kindergarten classroom. In high school, he was an assistant at his elementary school’s after-school program. Outside of school, family vacations at Lake Okoboji fueled Ben’s love for going to camp. He was a camper at Camp Foster for 10 years before being hired there as a day camp counselor, another full circle student-to-teacher-like experience.
Reflecting on her parental efforts, Lori recommends that parents trust their instincts as they look for services, school programs, and volunteer opportunities for their children. She encourages families to seek special people and places that welcome all children and where there is a pervasive positive atmosphere. For the Wilson family, that special place was Dimensions preschool program. There, Ben had skilled and caring teachers that met his needs and made school a positive experience. The family also hired a one-on-one applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapist to work with Ben at school and at home. Lori also recommends that parents of children with special needs stay positive themselves and never give up searching for what they want. Lori said, “Be sure you find a place where you know administrators and teachers really want to have your child as a student. A place you can tell right when you walk in the door that all the teachers are happy and energetic, the kids are having fun, and it just feels uplifting.”
Speaking about Ben’s preschool student-to-preschool teacher experience, Lori said, “We feel blessed that Ben was able to be a student at Dimensions. Now that Ben’s teaching there, it is just a dream come true! He shares his experiences with all the children and models great behavior for the kids. They see him treating everyone with kindness, and that’s how they’re going to treat others.”
This full-circle journey Ben has traveled from student to teacher is one of the most poignant experiences in my career. To witness Ben’s hard work, his family’s strong support, and the many teachers who have mentored him through the years, illustrates the power of relationships and education.
I am so proud of Ben, his mom, and the Dimensions Education Programs. Whether you are a teacher uncovering and nurturing students’ gifts, a loving parent supporting your children’s needs, or a program administrator maximizing teacher and student potential, we hope Ben’s story touches your heart and inspires you. Possibilities become realities as we work in community to make all children feel special and successful.
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