Despite his no-nonsense demeanor, Mr. Ben Hornung is actually quite sarcastic. For example, he identified a surprising fact about himself as going bald by age 25 and having “an abnormally large head.” Before coming here, Mr. Hornung taught 11th grade U.S. history and 10th grade World History at Northside High School for six years.

Diversity among students is what Mr. Hornung appreciates most about Kimmons, which makes sense since he has a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

“I enjoy talking to students about their cultures and understanding their backgrounds,” Mr. Hornung said.

Mr. Hornung’s U.S. history professor at Arkansas Tech his freshman year inspired him to become a Social Studies teacher.

“I enjoyed Dr. Woods’ lectures and his in-depth analysis of American History,” Mr. Hornung said.

The main goal this year for Mr. Hornung is for his students and himself to remain healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also hopes to continue having a positive attitude at work and at home. Another goal Mr. Hornung has is to be more empathetic towards students and colleagues.

“Every day we face challenges, and you never know what someone is going through that day,” Mr. Hornung said.

One challenge this Fort Smith native faces is teaching Geography.

“Whether a student is in junior high or high school, most students struggle understanding basic geographic concepts,” Mr. Hornung said. “Another challenge is teaching content. It’s difficult condensing hundreds of years of history into a 10-month school year.”

When not teaching kids, Mr. Hornung enjoys quality time with his wife Sylvia and son Sebastian.

“We enjoy playing with our dogs Clyde, Luna, and Sofie and watching basketball and football whenever it’s on TV,” Mr. Hornung said.