Krisaury Palacios Pina, Kyle Dang, And Sabrina Abo contributed to this article
David Benson, former Navy pilot, introduces himself as a new Pathways math teacher at Malden High School. Benson “flies” into the workplace with new and enriching talent: assisting people on school grounds and in the Navy.
“I taught people how to fly helicopters, and taught aerodynamics, and basically, ever since then, my journey has been helping people to learn things,” Benson said. Besides being a Navy and Air Force pilot, Benson also studied engineering in college.
Benson’s wife has also been present within the US military, working in the Coast Guard. Benson has traveled to live alongside his wife in several parts of the world. He has lived in Guam, Japan, the Netherlands, and Puerto Rico for three years, as well as in other parts of Europe for three years.
Benson mentioned how the movie Dead Poets Society motivated him to become a teacher. He is currently teaching as a Pathways math teacher and enjoys helping people solve problems.
He had previously worked in the Malden district at the Salemwood School as a science teacher. Initially, he had always felt he had more of a passion for teaching English and literary subjects. When asked why he would teach math and science instead, he responded that he has always thought it was easier to relate math and science to aerodynamics.
“The students here in my class are very receptive. If you’re helpful, they appreciate it. If you teach them how to do things, they appreciate that” Benson remarked about the students in Pathways.
Benson accommodates the needs of students, providing them a break by reading Aesop’s Fables. When asked why, he stated, “Our academics here at Malden High are a part of our life, but the life the students live is more important than the academics.”
Benson has long had a passion for teaching. Whether it is in classrooms, or teaching people to fly, he knew he had always wanted to help people. He has always reciprocated feelings of joy when he manages to accomplish his goals.
On the contrary, Benson has many other hobbies outside of teaching. Quite different from what he’s known for, Benson enjoys biking and traveling, mentioning how he has cycled throughout the entire South Island in New Zealand. He also mentions a passion for playing the Chinese tile game, Mahjong, which is popular in Singapore.
