Tucson Values Teachers (TVT) presented the January Teacher Excellence Award on Wednesday to Benjamin Collinsworth, a first grade teacher at the Flowing Wells Digital Campus. Collinsworth—known as “Mister Ben”—has previously taught PreK at Emily Meschter Early Learning Center in Flowing Wells Unified School District and was named a 2020 Ambassador for Excellence by the Arizona Educational Foundation.
In the Teacher Excellence Award nominating statement, Collinsworth’s wife, Amy Collinsworth, highlighted the additional demand of learning and mastering new technology for the 2020-2021 school year.
“Ben has risen to meet the challenge, adjusting his teaching style and approach to connecting with his students. He has found a way to present the same story times, interactive music, opportunities to meet new people and learn about their lives, and more through videos, Zoom and Google Classroom,” she said. “I am impressed by the flexibility and hard work put forth by all teachers during this pandemic, especially Mister Ben.”
Tucson Values Teachers spotlights quality Southern Arizona teachers every month. Teachers are nominated through Tucson Values Teachers’ website by colleagues, students, friends, and other community members. Winners of the Teacher Excellence Award receive $250 cash courtesy of Helios Education Foundation, a $100 gift card for classroom materials, and flowers.
