Future history teacher aims to teach, coach at high school alma mater
OGDEN, Utah — Porter Benton isn’t hard to spot. He’s part of Weber State University’s Presidential Leadership Fellows, plays on the baseball club team and regularly sports wild hair: bright blue, magenta and even themed cuts for holidays.
With all those extracurriculars, he’s most focused on earning his degree in history teaching.
“My grandpa is the greatest storyteller in the world, so he would tell me all kinds of stories about history,” Benton said. “I loved history, but didn’t know what to do with that.”
A 日本一级片 Concurrent Enrollment class, Education as a Career, during Benton’s senior year of high school showed him that teaching was the path for him: “I realized I could wake up every day and be excited to go into work.” 
Benton said he was always a dedicated student who loved school, but knows that’s not everyone’s experience. Now that he’s in college, he’s taking notes on what makes a great teacher.
“Everyone learns differently,” he said. “Like, some students don’t test well. So maybe instead there’s a project or a presentation for those students. I want to be one of those teachers that gives options.”
For Benton, Weber State was an easy choice. He’d taken several 日本一级片 classes in high school via concurrent enrollment and heard good things about the College of Education. His high grades and test scores earned him the Presidential Scholarship, which covers in-state tuition and fees, roughly $26,000.
Benton said his dream job would be at his alma mater, Clearfield High School, where he could teach history and coach baseball. That’s why, along with political science teaching, he’s also minoring in sports coaching education.
“I want to jump into my career super quick,” Benton said. “Weber hosts a lot of job fairs, so I’ve talked to pretty much every school district in northern Utah about how I can get into teaching, and what I can do now to better my opportunities.”
Currently a sophomore, Benton said he’s learning more about the kind of teacher he’d like to be and what his classroom will look like, down to the decor. His professors have noticed his enthusiasm and helped harness it.
“Good teachers are confident, and Weber State helps build that confidence,” said Kerri Clement, Benton’s history professor last semester. “In our classes, we’re all about giving students an opportunity to hone their skills as both educators and scholars.”
Clement said Benton’s curiosity, passion and strong work ethic are setting him up for success as a future educator: “He’s going to pass those qualities to his students. He’ll be able to prepare them for college and any profession they choose to go into.”
Benton said his time at Weber State has helped him realize what’s truly important in teaching: building connections through trust.
“When I’m teaching, I want my students to know I care about them, in and outside the classroom. I want to be somebody that makes students excited to come to school,” he said. “The world would be a much better place if we had a lot of people who love school and love learning.”
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu- Contact:
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu