10 Minutes With Tipton: CHAP speaker Dr. Ben Nelson
10 Minutes with Tipton originated in January 2022 on the Education Page. Students in the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program at Tipton Elementary School take time to Zoom with individuals in the community.
This week we are featuring a Porterville College Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) guest speaker. CHAP was organized in 2002 to enhance students’ awareness of certain important aspects of our society to which they may have previously had little or no exposure. A theme is chosen by CHAP members each school year, and faculty members across the campus are encouraged to integrate elements of that theme into their coursework. Additionally, various field trips, guest speakers, panel discussions and videos are presented throughout the year and are all open to the public. By subtly saturating students with information about the chosen topic throughout the year, the awareness of the entire campus community is elevated.
Dr. Ben Nelson, an adjunct history instructor at Porterville College and a teacher at Harmony Magnet Academy, will be the first CHAP speaker of 2023 on February 10 at 7 p.m. in the Porterville College Theater.
What is your job title/ role in our community?
“I am a high school teacher and also an adjunct at Porterville College,
which means I’m a part-time professor there. I teach history and social science.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself — Your background, where you grew up, your family.
“I grew up in the Porterville area. I was actually born in Porterville. However, my family is originally from the Bay Area, San Jose, and my parents came to the Valley for my dad’s work. I was educated in local schools and attended Porterville High School and Porterville College and then Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and continued my education even further after that. My wife grew up in the area as well. She is originally from Delano and we ended up meeting when her family moved to Terra Bella. Now, I live in Visalia and I have four children — two (twins) in fifth grade, one in sixth grade, and one in high school.”
We understand that you work as an adjunct instructor at Porterville College and will be speaking soon at a Cultural History Awareness Program, CHAP, event. Can you tell us about your topic? Why is it important? Why should people attend this event?
“My topic or lecture is going to be on religion and spirituality in the modern world. I went to graduate school at UCLA and studied American history and American religion, so this interests me very much. What I will be talking about on February 10 is the way in which belief has changed over time — especially in the last 30 to 40 years. I think all people tend to have what we call ‘belief’ in some way, shape or form. I will not be looking at or discussing ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ beliefs, but rather a survey of the different types of belief out there — because all sorts of people have all sorts of different belief systems. We are also going through a moment of change in American culture, especially in the way we practice our different belief systems. It seems, for example, that we can find and seek out more or less anything, anyone, or any community on the internet at any time and this is changing how we think, believe, and interact with each other. I hope to talk about those changes.”
What do you love about your career? What do you dislike about your career?
“I love teaching very, very much. My favorite thing is interacting with students. I learn from my students and they help keep me updated on new things. They keep me from being super old. It is neat to read something together in the news and work together to see how it’s connected to history. What I dislike is that sometimes it’s hard to still follow all of the school rules and schedule when I’m a grown-up. I’ve been in school since I was five years old, so I eat when the bell rings, be in class by the time the bell rings, even use the restroom when the bell rings. That is definitely one of the hardest parts. However it is always really nice to have winter vacation and summer break too to spend with my kids. That is definitely nice.”
Would you encourage others to pursue your career?
“I absolutely would. More and more teachers are retiring, so we need young teachers. America looks different than it did 20 to 30 years ago. We need teachers who can relate to students in the classroom. We need to encourage more and more students to go into teaching! Maybe you two would like to go into teaching too — that would be awesome!”
What is something that might surprise members of the public (either about you, or your career)?
“People tend to say, ‘Kids these days …’ followed by something negative. I would argue that the kids are all right … more than people think. Everything’s different. Things change all of the time, but just like 1,000 years ago kids were different from their parents and grandparents, so for the most part the surprising thing is not everyone is always in trouble and the kids are kids. The kids will be all right!”
What advice do you have for young people who might be pursuing your line of work?
“Don’t be afraid that what happened to you in school will be what it’s like to teach. Some people think their experience in school, whether it was good or bad, will be similar to when they become a teacher. I tell them to just look at how awesome it is to work with young people every day and talk about things in the world. Topics that interest you. One of the neat things
about being a teacher whether it be teaching math, science, or history is that you get to talk about things you like all of the time and help bring other people to like it too.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“I imagine that I will still be in a classroom somewhere whether it be in a high school classroom, or a college classroom, I don’t know. I love my job! I love teaching. If not in a classroom I will still be on a school campus somewhere. I think my job is pretty special.”
Anything else you would like to add? (Maybe a current, or past project you’re proud of)?
“I am most proud when I see my former students out in the community or when they stop by to say ‘Hi,’ or when they come in to speak to our students now. One of my favorite things about being a teacher, other than teaching each day, is seeing students be successful, or continuing to learn that they are doing things that will help them be successful. I’ve had quite a few students, for example, go into nursing, and a former student who was recently hired at a restaurant to be a chef. I enjoy seeing students do the things they have planned for and achieve more than they even planned for.”