Jason R Benninghoff-Becerra

The most important thing part of my life is less about what I “do” and more what I “am.” I am my father’s son, my best friend’s husband, my son’s father, and my students’ teacher.

I’m a bit of a trouble maker (the good kind). I am a songwriter and a storyteller.  As a teacher I embrace my role as a storyteller as I weave together the incredible stories of our nation. My goal is to provide my students with an  engaging look into where we came from, how we built this nation, how our culture developed, and how it continues to do so. We are all stronger members of our communities if we understand the one another perspectives, histories, and contributions.

As I make my way through this world I collect stories and try my best to tell them, be it through spoken or written word or in a song.

Here you will find musings on family, friendship, and tales from the classroom.

My classroom is built on a foundation of compassion and safety. If we feel safe, if we feel comfortable, we will ask questions, we will share our thoughts more freely. We will collaborate and collectively raise our expectations of what is possible. That’s why I always tell my students that in my classroom we take care of one another.

I embrace technology both in and out of the classroom to engage my students where they are. We create rich and varied content and utilize all it offers but not at the sacrifice of the analog hands-on experiences that encourage creativity, collaboration, and most importantly intimately bind us together.

I love my iPad but there’s nothing like the smell and feel of an old dusty book.

I love my digital audio recording tools but nothing will ever replace the sound of my Martin acoustic guitar and while I often type away on a keyboard, nothing beats a good pen and paper…or a napkin for that matter.

None of us knows everything about anything…but together we have the capacity to learn anything about everything.

Life is a string of stories we collect and tell. Make them matter and have fun.

And most importantly of all…

Be Well and Kind,
Jason