Jared Denslow teaches Special Programs at Bingham High School. He is loud and boisterous and loves the kids he teaches and leads. The first time I met him was to set up a Best Buddies club for youth with intellectual disabilities. The club won Utah’s Best Buddies Chapter of the year in its first year. The next time I met him was when my daughter transferred to the school and his class her sophomore year. The goal of this class is to prepare students for adult living and independent, appropriate functioning in society. One of the ways this is accomplished is through peer tutoring, where mainstream students serve as role models, mentors and friends to students with special learning needs. One thing that impressed me about Jared Denslow is his compassion for his students. Early in his teaching career, he was impacted by one special needs student who regretted never having had the opportunity to attend a school dance. Jared changed that going forward; at least three times every year, he arranges for his students to attend school dances with their peers; those dances have been a highlight for my daughter and others. Mr. Denslow’s class is one of my daughter’s favorite places to be. A senior now, she’s going to miss the caring learning environment he creates and supports. He is extraordinary and deserves to be on Teacher Feature.
–Cliff Strachan