
Trends In Education
TEACHER OF INTEREST
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since the start of the school year.
“I think the biggest issue with COVID-19 is students having
to be quarantined,” he says. “I have online classes as well
as in-person classes. It is a problem when the kids are out for
two weeks. I have to stay on top of those students because,
even though I know they might not be feeling well, I have to
make sure they continue to get the education they need.”
His students are upset when he is out for quarantine, he
adds. “One day I had training and they were all upset that I
was going to be out for a two-week quarantine again.”
“The first time I got quarantined was because a student
who sits close to me had been exposed,” he says. “A sub
comes in and puts the computer onto the projector and projects
me onto the screen. So I will teach through a presentation
and give them some work to do. It’s not quite the same, but
I feel like I am there and they can ask me questions, if they
need to.”
“My first year of teaching has been a difficult animal to
tackle,” Swalwell says. “I get on with the vast majority of my
kids and they seem to get on with me as well. If you can get
the kids interested in what you are trying to teach it helps.
“I do a lot of debates with them; the other day we did one
on which is better, Coke or Pepsi? I get them to put their
reasons across. Why do you like Coke? Being able to elaborate
on these types of questions allows them to elaborate on
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their history work. They don’t realize they are learning, but
they are.”
Swalwell’s daughter, Imogen, was born two weeks before
school started. The light of his life these days, he and Jillian
have been taking her camping.
“Camping is really the only thing we can do right now,
with social distancing and COVID. She really enjoys it,” he
says. “We’re trying to find ways to de-stress. Jillian is working
full-time online from home. Karen mother-in-law Karen
Yetzer comes in to help until I get home from school.”
It is hard to be so far from his parents and siblings at this
important time in his life, but he says they keep in touch via
technology.
“I’ve got lots of people lined up to see this baby once COVID
is handled,” he says. “We do lots of video calls with my
family so they can see how she is growing. She can see their
faces, so when they get to finally come over for a visit, she
will know who they are.”
And playing soccer also seems to be in her future.
“Immy’s going to be kicking a soccer ball before she
walks,” he says. “I was like that. With COVID, I haven’t done
any coaching this year, but once she is old enough for the tiny
tykes soccer, oh, yeah, I’ll step back into it. I’m hoping she’s
going to be a soccer fan.”
As part of his interest in students and soccer, Swalwell is
busy organizing a Soccer ID Camp for students in St. Lucie
County. So far, 24 colleges are sending coaches or scouts to
watch 10th-12th grade soccer players participate in games.
His goal is to try to match the athletes with colleges.
“This is the first step,” he says. “We have to get them interested
in going on to college.”
BEN SWALWELL
Ben and Jillian Swalwell had a busy 2020: moving from Wisconsin to
Florida, purchasing their first home in a historical area of the south county
and welcoming daughter, Imogen, who arrived two weeks before her father
started his first teaching job.
BEN SWALWELL
Lives in: Port St. Lucie
Age: 31
School: St. Lucie West Centennial
High School
Family: Wife, Jillian, and 6-monthold
daughter, Imogen
Education: Associate of Arts
degree in history, Indian River
State College; Bachelor of Arts degree in history, University of
Central Florida
Background: “I am originally from the North East of England.
I lived in Italy for a year before moving to Florida in
2016, marrying my wife in 2017 and having my daughter in
2020, two weeks before school started. I am a huge soccer fan
and have been coaching at various levels since moving to the
United States.”
How I got into teaching: “I have always wanted to be a
teacher and work with the younger generation. I wasn’t a
very engaged student and did not enjoy learning, so I wanted
to become the teacher who made learning fun and interesting.
My aim after graduating from UCF was to become a
teacher and SLW Centennial was gracious enough to offer me
the position in 10th grade world history.”
What I like about teaching: “Being able to build a rapport
with students where they enjoy coming to school and want to
be in my classroom.”
Something my students don’t know about me: “I have a
soccer ball in my classroom that I get out at lunchtime to kick
and juggle.”
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