Ben Esenstad
3rd Grade Teacher
FWISD
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I wanted to work in politics, so I decided to go to college near Washington, D.C., at the University of Maryland.
My freshman year, I declared both my degrees: Government & Politics and Economics (with a minor in Spanish).
I gained work experience by interning for two Members of Congress in the House of Representatives.
In the spring of 2016, I decided I did not want to work in politics anymore.
I applied to a program that would allow me to become a teacher without having a background in education.
I was accepted into the program, passed some certification tests, and moved to Texas to become a teacher.
Since the fall of 2016, I have been a 3rd grade dual language teacher in Fort Worth.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Walter Johnson HS
Walter Johnson HS
Career
3rd Grade Teacher
I teach students how to read and write in English and Spanish.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Politics
Teaching / Mentoring
Day to Day
I get to school very early in the morning to set my classroom up for that day's learning. I make copies, grade papers, and other organizational tasks. Once the day starts, it's usually a blur; my 30 minute lunch feels like it's 10 minutes long! During the day, I work with students to improve their reading and writing skills. We read stories and work on writing projects. After the day is over, I clean up my room, work on lesson plans, and then head home!
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Go to college and get a degree in education.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"I shouldn't become a teacher because I didn't study it in college."
