BELDING, Mich. — Dan Scholtens is a West Michigan educator who’s been connecting with students for the last four decades, and he’s been doing that in the same classroom all these years. That’s just part of the reason he’s been selected as the 13 ON YOUR SIDE Teacher of the Week.
After the surprise, Scholtens said, “That makes me feel very honored. Yeah, it’s nice. I’ve enjoyed this career tremendously and to be recognized feels good.”
Joel Wilker is the assistant principal and athletic director at Belding High School. He said after learning the news, “Our principal sent out an email letting everybody know – but Dan – that he was on and all the feedback has been awesome.”
Scholtens was a biology major with a minor in physical education. Now, he’s teaching biology and anatomy at Belding High.
“My friends will ask me sometimes how I don’t get terribly bored teaching the same thing every year, but I get different students every year. So, every year is a new year,” said Scholtens.
He’s spent all 40 years of his teaching career with the same school, in the same classroom, and he does a lot more than just teaching.
“I’ve been the senior class advisor. I’ve coached basketball mostly, for many of the years of those 40 years and I’ve coached golf – both boys and girls golf – for the last 12 or 13,” said Scholtens.
In fact, he encourages his students to follow in his footsteps, saying, “It’s a very fulfilling career and when I talk to these guys and whenever I talk to kids I encourage kids to go into the field because I think the rewards far outweigh the downside.”
“He’s so great with his students. He finds a way to make a connection whether you like sports, whether you like drama, whether you like music, whether you like cars – whatever. He finds a way,” said Wilker, who added that even students who “may have been out of schools for five years, 10 years or even for more. They still come back asking for him.”
“Just got a Facebook message from a former student last night sort of telling me what they’re doing now. They’ve been out for five or six years and it’s just great to hear. That’s why I love the job,” said Scholtens.
If you have someone you’d like to nominate as our next Teacher of the Week, text the word “teacher” to 616-559-1310.
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