Alumnus Spotlight

Currently a principal at LaSalle Elementary School in Mishawaka, Ben Domonkos earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education in 2011 at IU South Bend. He then returned to complete his Master of Science in educational leadership in 2019. As an undergraduate Ben was happy to attend IU South Bend so he could continue coaching football and basketball at Our Lady of Hungary School while pursuing his degree. Additionally he found the affordability of IU South Bend to be extremely appealing and took advantage of the opportunity to work on campus at the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts Box Office.

What was your experience like while you were a student at IU South Bend?

I appreciated having a diverse group of people who also lived around the area. While we were all somewhat local, we all came from different areas of Michiana and that helped form a unique atmosphere.

The professors were also extremely present. They were truly actively engaged in our preparation and careers beyond the degree. I appreciate the fact that I am still in contact with some to this day.

Tell us about your career path.  

I graduated from IU South Bend with my bachelor’s in elementary education in December of 2011. I taught one year of middle school social studies at Our Lady of Hungary, moving to Tarkington Traditional School and then Swanson Traditional School where I taught third-fifth grade for the South Bend Community School Corporation from 2013-19. In 2017, I returned to IU South Bend to earn my masters in educational leadership. I graduated in May of 2019 and became the principal of LaSalle Elementary for School City of Mishawaka, where I continue to work.

What do you believe others would say makes you a great educator?

My energy and enthusiasm are probably the most obvious. I pride myself on having a strong and genuine rapport with students and staff. While I love to have fun and joke, I am also extremely hard working and enjoy trying innovative ways to solve problems or making learning fun and more effective.

You received the Principal of the Year Award from Whole Brain Teaching (WBT). Tell us about WBT, why you like it, and how you’ve used it.

Whole Brain Teaching is an instructional system that encompasses classroom management, great instruction, and character education. It uses the whole brain to engage students and make learning meaningful. 

I like it because it works! I have watched it transform good teachers into great ones. WBT gives educators a playbook to help them change their behaviors in a way that works for kids. I was introduced to it in my first year at Tarkington and I have used it every year since. We eventually moved it to be a school-wide initiative.

When Tarkington Traditional School was moved to Swanson Traditional School under SBCSC’s Focus 2018 we gained a few new, but veteran teachers. I taught two 20+ year veteran teachers how to use WBT and learn the language of the students. I believe it revitalized both of their careers and gave them a leg up for working with students at Swanson.

What are you doing to support your teachers and keep your students engaged right now? Does WBT play a role?

I support teachers and student engagement by being an active participant in the process. I am excited to jump into a classroom and lead a lesson or help a teacher apply WBT to a lesson. I NEVER want to be viewed as an administrator who has forgotten what it is like to be a teacher.

When I got the job to be the principal at LaSalle Elementary one of those veteran teachers I worked with at Swanson encouraged me to take WBT to my new school. I listened to his advice and after spending some time studying LaSalle’s needs I pitched WBT to our Professional Learning Community Leaders and central office at School City of Mishawaka.

With their go-ahead, I connected with Chris Biffle, “Coach B,” founder and director of Whole Brain Teaching. We began weekly coaching sessions to plan our implementation in the best way possible and we launched WBT school-wide before the shut down in March. 

When we returned to school in August we were 100% virtual and we were ready to lead effective virtual instruction using WBT. The results have been positive, and not only are the teachers using WBT, but the school’s staff is invested in the program too. 

What advice do you have for current students/future teachers?

Here are a few of the best teaching practices from my own teaching playbook:

Purposeful Relationships When students are giving their personal best, ownership of learning transfers to them.

• Prioritize! Study your school’s curriculum. Spend your time preparing your resources to be meaningful for and engaging to your students.
• Don’t be afraid to be experimental. Show your students that you, too, are a learner. In Whole Brain Teaching, we say “We’ve got grit, we don’t quit.”
• Have high expectations. Allow opportunities for students to support each other. Don’t ever set the bar lower than the results you want to achieve.
• Adapt. We must embrace change as an opportunity to inspire and educate students. Never stop adapting and improving your teaching technique.
• Collaborate. Find time to collaborate with colleagues and develop your skills as an educator. Teachers are stronger when they work together and learn from each other.
• Finally, connect with your students and your community. Create a community that fosters relationships of trust and respect. Feeling safe and loved at school is the beginning of a journey for students to take risks, be vulnerable, and learn how to be a better person.

In the last eight months, our education system has been upended by the pandemic. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get in there! In the midst of uncertainty, we must foster an environment that creates a safe haven for our students. 

In his first year as a principal, Ben has faced ongoing challenges as a result of the pandemic.

“We are consistently amazed at the work that our alumni are doing in our local schools,” said Hope Davis, dean of the School of Education at IU South Bend. “This sense of amazement emerges every year, but it has been particularly present during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hours our graduates have put in, and the care they’ve shown as they have worked to meet the needs of their K-12 students is nothing short of phenomenal. This year we have watched them apply new practices, adopt new technologies, and expand their outreach to students in ways that will, no doubt, have lasting, positive results for the children in their schools.

“We are honored to have played a part in the development of former students like Ben who enthusiastically engage in the programs while enrolled, and who passionately continue to expand their knowledge and skills after graduating. Our community is better off for having educators like Ben in our schools, and we are proud to call him a Titan.”

Dean Davis said that recently Ben delivered an inspiring keynote address during the annual Teacher Candidate Induction Ceremony to undergraduate majors. Ben spoke about his journey to become an educator at the drive-in celebration, and his words of encouragement and perseverance will surely leave a lasting impression on the next generation of teachers, much like the impact that his work has for the educators and students in his building on a day-to-day basis.

It is clear that his teaching practices noted above have and will continue to serve Ben well. And through his success under extraordinary circumstances, it is also clear these tips from his playbook can be valuable in any field.

Congratulations, Ben. Thank you for your great enthusiasm for educating our youth!