Dan Benes, Grant Community High School’s long-standing anatomy teacher, captivates students with lessons that make the complexities of the human body come to life. With 23 years of experience, he has earned a reputation for both challenging and engaging his students. While many students aren’t sure what to expect from his class they always come out of it with enjoyable memories and a deeper understanding.
Benes started his college education as a pre-pharmaceutical major, later on, he switched his studies to Biology and began exploring his career choices. Within those, he never thought about being a teacher until he was directly faced with the idea. Benes said, “I didn’t want to work in a boring science lab all day.” Since working in a lab as a biologist was not something he would enjoy, Benes decided working as a teacher would allow him to teach his passion, while still having fun at his job. He finds joy in the interaction with his students and the subject he teaches.
“It’s hard, but in a fun way, they are amazed how much they can learn in a short time, [almost] shocked.”
Teaching anatomy to teenagers is no easy feat. To many, the content is difficult to grasp, involves a lot of memorization, and the class can become confusing for students. However, Benes has changed that for his classes. Part of his memorable teaching is incorporating stories about his surgeries, injuries, and medical issues.
“They like to hear that stuff; [about] how poorly put together I am,” he jokes.
This personal touch changes how students view the content, making it more relevant. One of Benes’ former students, Noah Patrick, spoke about how these anecdotes made the subject more meaningful.
“He could relate to what we were learning, which made it more interesting to everyone in the class,” noted Patrick. “That’s really cool…This is how I want all science classes to be.”
Benes’ passion goes beyond the classroom and into the press box. A former Grant football coach, he now volunteers as an announcer at football games, keeping fans energized with his recognizable commentary.
“It’s fun to see kids after school, at sporting events,” Benes said.
Patrick reflected, “In the end, it was a super fun class, and I don’t regret it one bit. I think other people should take his classes if they want to experience a really good science class with a really good teacher.”
