After arriving at Neenah as a new math teacher, Mr. Ben Olson was quickly identified by his beard. Students boasted about how their teacher has the longest  beard in the school – a beard that has been growing for a year and three months. 

After teaching at Brillion High School for eight years,  Olson decided to change his teaching style to join a Neenah program.

He graduated from NHS with  current science teacher, Emily Bennett, and continued to stay in touch through coaching volleyball. Bennett told him about a job opening in the project-based learning program at NHS. Olson decided to make the switch.

He anticipated that the project-based learning program would engage his students. Mr. Olson wanted to be in the forefront of the 21st century, and this is one of his first steps toward making a change in public education.

Project-based learning is a different approach to the traditional way of learning. Unlike in regular classes, students get to display what they are learning in a plethora of ways. For example, in a normal math class, students will take notes, take a test, and move on; however, in project-based learning the tests can go on for as long as the student desires. There is no limit to how far the student can take the assessment.

Their daily schedule could be described as interesting. Students will spend two parts of their day in the same environment, meeting the needs for that day. The subjects the students are learning in the allotted amount of time correlates with what project in which they are working.

Olson said, “I love the energy and enthusiasm of the teachers and students that I work with.” Each day he enjoys the high expectations along with great quality of all the projects and in class activities.

Overall, Mr. Olson is enthusiastic about working in the project-based learning program and creating new, exciting experiences for the students.