Kenton Swartley

Kenton Swartley

School: Cedar Falls High School

Subject and Grade Level: Physics

Education: Goshen College, University of Northern Iowa

Hobbies: Running, biking, gardening, home improvement projects

Family members: Wife – Emily, children – Kristen, Jeremy, Libby, Michelle

How long have you been teaching: 27 years

The Thing You Like Most About Teaching: When a student asks a challenging question that requires other students and myself to think in new ways to reach understanding

The Thing You Find Most Challenging About Teaching: Trying to balance the demands of teaching a whole class of students while still meeting the needs of each student individually.

Best Tip for New Teachers: Be prepared with a lesson plan, but be ready for the chaos of learning.

Best Tip for Career Teachers: Keep finding new lessons/activities/projects that challenge your students as well as yourself.

Favorite Piece of Advice for Students: Be an active participant in your education, not a spectator.

What Being a Gold Star Teacher Means to You: It is an amazing and humbling honor to be recognized with this award and it inspires me to keep working towards improving the education my students receive.