REALLY
REALLY BEEN AN INSTRUMENTAL IN CHARTING A COURSE FOR US AS A
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT. >> 2020 HAS CHANGED THE WAY
TEACHERS TEACH AND HOW STUDENTS
LEARN.
LEARN.
LEARN. >>
LEARN. >> BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT
ALL COMES DOWN TO THE BASICS.
NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR
MORE BASIC OR MORE BASIC THAN
PERSONAL CONNECTIONS.
PERSONAL CONNECTIONS. ONE TEACHER WHO SEEMS TO HAVE
MASTERED THE LANGUAGE IS THIS
WEEK'S EXCEL WINNER BEN KEENAN
FROM ALAMO HEIGHTS, S.D. FATHER
THREE BOYS, SOCCER PLAYERS,
CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNERS.
CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNERS. >> SO I AM LOGGING THE MILES
DRIVING.
DRIVING.
DRIVING. PRACTICING WHEN HE'S NOT ON
THE ROAD WITH HIS FAMILY.
>> YOU CAN FIND BEN KEENAN
PURSUING HIS OTHER GREAT
PASSION.
PASSION.
PASSION. I THINK MOST OF US SEVERE.
IT'S NOT A CLOCK SO A LOT OF
YOUR TIME AND HE KNOWS HOW TO
MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNT.
>> I JUST WANTED TO MIX IT UP A
LITTLE BIT.
LITTLE BIT. >> SAYING EARLIER GET OUT OF
THIS JUST THIS BOX THAT
TEACHERS IN HIS 13 YEARS
TEACHING ENGLISH AT ALAMO
HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL 2020 HAS
PROVEN TO BE UNLIKE ANY OTHER
WE'RE TEACHING IN A CRISIS.
BUT IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO
CONNECT WITH KIDS, MR. KEENAN
GETS SO THAT'S A STARTING POINT
FOR THIS YEAR.
>> I DECIDED TO START A LITTLE
BIT EARLIER ON A LESSON LATER
IN THE YEAR AND TRY TO FIND
INTERESTS.
INTERESTS. WE'RE STARTING THE YEAR
ANALYZING DOCUMENTARIES OVER
THE PANDEMIC MONTHS.
THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH CONTENT
CONSUMED DIGITALLY WATCHING
DOCUMENTARIES AT HOME JUST JUST
FOR HUNTING PURPOSES AND NOW
WE'RE ADDING AN ANALYSIS AND
SCHOLARLY RESEARCH TO IT.
>> AND I REALLY APPRECIATE
THE FACT THAT HE MAKES LEARNING
RELEVANT FOR THEM.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT IN THE REAL
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. >>
WORLD. >> OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT WITHOUT
ITS CHALLENGES AS SOME STUDENTS
SIT AT THEIR DESKS BETWEEN
BARRIERS, OTHERS ARE AT HOME.
JOINING IN VIRTUALLY.
BUT MR KEENAN IS NOT AFRAID TO
ASK FOR HELP.
>> I PROBABLY NEED A SHOW
RUNNER OR PRODUCER TO SIGN PASS
PASSING EVERYTHING.
PASSING EVERYTHING. I HAVE A DEVICE FOR COMMENTS
CAMERA FOR STUDENTS.
I'M WATCHING LESSON FROM
ANOTHER LAPTOP WITH
THE OCCASIONAL HELP FROM A
STUDENT'S YOU KNOW DISPLAYING A
SCREEN HERE AND THERE.
IT'S CAMERA 1.
CAMERA 2.
CAMERA 2.
CAMERA 2. LET'S CHECK CHAPLAIN.
SO IT'S AN ADJUSTMENT CHOSEN
FOR COMFORT AND IT SEEMS HE'S
HAD NO PROBLEM ADJUSTING.
>> YOU KNOW, HE'S COOL, HE'S
FUNNY, HE'S RELATABLE.
WE WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS
ON BEHALF OF FIVE GIVEN THIS
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE NOW
HONORING HIM WITH OUR KENS 5
CREDIT HUMAN EXCEL AWARD.
NOT ONLY IS HE A LEADER ON OUR
CAMPUS LIKE HE'S A LEADER
ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND SO HE
REALLY HAS HIS FINGERPRINTS ON
A LOT OF THINGS HELPED DRIVE
AND CHANGE WITHIN OUR DISTRICTS
.
.
. BUT
. BUT LONG BEFORE KEENAN WAS
DRIVING THINGS AT ALAMO HEIGHTS
,THERE WAS THE PERSON WHO
HELPED DRIVE HIM HERE.
>> MY FIRST JOB IN HIGH SCHOOL
BACK IN MY HOMETOWN WAS A
GENTLEMAN WHO HAD BEEN A
ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE AND THEN
DECIDED HE WANTED TO WATCH
THE WORK.
THE WORK.
THE WORK. AND THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE JUST
SEEING HIS PURE JOY WITH
INTERACTING PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY
HIS LOVE FOR FOR NURTURE AND
READING AND THAT KIND SPARKED
SOMETHING IN ME.
NOW HE SAYS IT'S HIS TURN TO
LIGHT THAT SPARK NO MATTER WHAT
IT TAKES.
IT TAKES.
IT TAKES. >> I'M AN ENGLISH TEACHER SO I
HAVE TO HAVE THE BALL.
AND BRADSTREET, A PURITAN POET
SAID THAT IN WINTER SPRING
WOULD BE AS PLEASANT.
AND SO I AM VERY MUCH LOOKING
FORWARD TO WHATEVER KIND OF
SPRING WE HAVE THOSE PANDEMIC
THAT'S BEAUTIFUL AND I HOPE
IT'S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL
SPRING HUSBAND AND I
CONGRATULATE SINCE THE MR.
KEENAN EXCEL PROGRAM IS ON OUR
TEACHERS FOR 22 YEARS WE COVER
19 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE SAN
ANTONIO AND SURROUNDING AREA.
>> SO IF YOU HAVEN'T