Drummond High School teacher Benjamin Swanson was honored Sunday with Lawrence University's 2012 Outstanding Teaching in Wisconsin Award.
Swanson will receive a certificate, a citation and a monetary award from Lawrence President Jill Beck in ceremonies at the president's house. Lawrence also will make a $250 donation to the high school for library acquisitions.
Nominated by Lawrence seniors, recipients are selected on their abilities to communicate effectively, create a sense of excitement in the classroom, motivate their students to pursue academic excellence while showing a genuine concern for them in and outside the classroom. Since launching the award program in 1985, Lawrence has recognized 58 high school teachers.
Swanson joined the faculty at Drummond High School in 2006 after beginning his teaching career in the Solon Springs School District in 2004. In addition to 9th grade civics and 10th grade U.S. history, Swanson teaches junior and senior class level courses in sociology, economic theory, modern U.S. history, current issues and a political science course focused on criminal and social justice issues.
Outside the classroom, Swanson coaches the girls' varsity softball (six years) and basketball teams (two years).
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In 2009, he was selected to participate in the federally funded, professional development program "The Teaching American History Grant Project," a three-year long, ongoing workshop held in Superior, featuring visiting authors and historians.
Lawrence senior Leah Miller, a 2008 Drummond High School graduate, cited Swanson for having "a dramatic impact" on students in nominating him for the award.
"Mr. Swanson completely changed the way students felt about the social science classes ... teaching us about real world issues and ways to approach these issues," Miller wrote in her nomination. "He connects with his students, empowers them and encourages them to do well not only in his class, but in every class as well as outside the classroom. Mr. Swanson was the person in school who made me realize that I had the ability to do anything I wanted and I could change the world someday."
A native of Solon Springs, Swanson earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education with a major in history and broad field social studies from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with additional teaching certifications in economics and sociology.
