Benjamin Klunpaitoon

Biography

Ever since I started tutoring in college, I knew that education was where I would end up. Originally, my plan was to go into the computer science industry and have that as my career before retiring into education, but after a year of working I knew that I needed to do something more fulfilling. I went back to school to get my teaching credential and I have never looked back since. Every day that I wake up and get to work with my students, I know I made the right choice.

I was born and raised in the Bay Area and went to Milpitas High School. I went to San Jose State University for my undergraduate in computer science and then continued on to earn my teaching credential.

I vividly remember a couple of my teachers from high school, who were integral to the kind of educator I feel like I became. One of them was a positive influence, she was a shining example of what a teacher should be, someone who accepted each of her students and worked with them instead of trying to force every student into the same box. Whenever I encounter a student who is different from the students I have worked with so far, I think about how she would have handled them: a bright smile, open ears, and an open mind.

I started my Computer Science journey like many others: with a love of video games. In high school, I spent a lot of my free time working with computers and playing games, so I figured the most exciting career I could have would involve computers in some way. While that aspect didn’t quite work out, I still enjoyed the programming aspect of my education. It was fun to be given a puzzle that you were able to create any solution you could imagine to solve it!

One of my favorite parts of working with my students, especially in programming, is seeing their “Eureka!” moments, when each part of the puzzle finally clicks for them and they are able to finish their program. I know the feeling very vividly and I get to re-experience it with each of my students every time!

I have spent a lot of time working with students in the last few years. To start, I worked at an English writing summer camp for a couple months and as a computer science tutor for a couple years. Working with both ends of the age spectrum to start out with was really interesting and helped me figure out which age group I would work best with.

When I started my teaching credential, I lead taught math for a small group of 10th graders at a small, alternative education school. It was difficult being thrown into it so quickly, but taught me a lot about being a teacher and managing a class. After this, I did a semester of student teaching that was quickly followed by being a long term substitute for the same subject. I learned a lot about what kind of teacher I was and what kind of teacher I wanted to be in those few months. It was very eye opening actually being able to try and implement new ideas into my “own” classroom.

As an aspiring teacher, I believe that each student is unique and learns in their own way. As such, I need to be flexible and be able to find the best match for my student. Working with students one on one is perfect for that as it becomes much easier to learn about your student and tailor your lesson to best suit that student’s strengths. I love to get to know my students interests and use those to reexplain the problem to the student.

I feel that this is the best way to get the student interested in the topic as well as being a great way to help them feel like what they are learning is actually applicable to the real world. I love to build the most esoteric metaphors for my students, things such as likening not saving data to bringing food to the fridge only to drop it on the floor before you put it away. These sorts of things have helped my students actually learn the material and not just memorize the subject matter.

Outside of education, I love to spend my free time playing video games, hanging out with my friends, and playing Magic: the Gathering!