I recently had the privilege of interviewing Ben Shultis, a passionate Japanese teacher at Lakes High School. While walking into his class I noticed the way that the decorations had been set that gives a feeling of the Japanese cultures and how his students express it through their own projects. My questions were not just about his teaching life but the way his life was built up to where it is now.
(Photo: Ja’Maree Holmes)
Childhood
When asked how his childhood life Shultis responded, “In elementary school I was always struggling and in the first four months I could not write a paragraph not even once, it just was not something that I was capable of, so I was sent to a special education school until my sophomore year, and they took me back to regular school”
Adulthood before teaching
When asked if he had ever been to Japan and if so, what it was like, he expressed, “I lived in Okinawa for two years and the thing about Okinawa is that it is a lot more laid back than other places. It is open and friendly and has a nice community. I talked to a lot of people and got to know the culture and really loved it, I plan to go back soon”
Switching the subject, I asked Shultis, if he could have the chance to have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be?
He stated that he would have dinner with his wife; there wasn’t any celebrity that he would choose and would simply enjoy a nice evening with his wife.
What inspired you to become a Japanese teacher?
“When I was in high school there was this day, my Japanese teacher looked at me and said. If you do not start working harder, you are going to end up just like me. And because of that curse I could not run away from this job, I could not escape this crazy curse.
If you could say one thing to all the students in Lakes, what would you say to support them through high school?
“I would say try to learn as much as you can during school, as you move on your going to have to start paying people to teach you and it gets expensive.”
Conclusion
To conclude it, Mr. Shultis’s commitment to striking a balance between their personal interests and teaching creates a vibrant learning atmosphere that encourages students to acknowledge the beauty of Japanese culture and language.
