Moorhead High Teacher of the Year focuses on relationships
March 28, 2019
For Moorhead High School science teacher Eric Stenehjem, teaching is about building relationship with students to engage them in learning.
“I believe if I can get students to trust me, then I can teach them anything,” Stenehjem said. “There are many tools and strategies that we can learn to be better teachers. But if you can’t connect with kids, those tools aren’t as effective.”
A science teacher at Moorhead High School for the last 20 years, Stenehjem was named this year’s Moorhead High Teacher of the Year.
Although Stenehjem hadn’t seriously considered a teaching career when he was in high school, he earned his degree in biology education from Concordia College and his master’s in education from University of St. Thomas.
In January 1999, Stenehjem began teaching grade 9 physical science, grade 10 biology, and grades 11-12 anatomy and physiology at Shanley High School in Fargo. In the spring he coached track and field for the Deacons.
The following school year, Stenehjem took a position with Moorhead Area Public Schools. He began teaching grade 9 physical science and grade 10 biology at Moorhead High School. Since then he also has taught environmental science, basic biology, human anatomy and botany. Stenehjem started the Advanced Placement biology course and the zoology course and has been teaching those for the last 13 years.
From 2008-2012, Stenehjem also worked as the district’s STEM integration coach, helping Moorhead teachers in grades K-12 implement STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) into their classroom teaching. As the STEM coach, Stenehjem reorganized the STEM curriculum for grades 3-12 and implemented Project Lead The Way courses at Horizon Middle School and Moorhead High School.
Besides building relationships with students in the classroom, Stenehjem also connects with students as an assistant coach for varsity football. Previously he was an assistant coach for track for several years.
According to Dave Lawrence, principal at Moorhead High, Stenehjem is a well-respected teacher who cares about his students and uses his classroom activities to engage students.
“Eric has a great passion for teaching, but what sets him apart from others is the relationships he develops with his students,” Lawrence said. “It is common for former students to come and visit Mr. Stenehjem years after they have graduated from Moorhead High School. He has impacted the lives of many students.”
Photo: Eric Stenehjem, Moorhead High School science teacher and this year’s Moorhead High Teacher of the Year, describes characteristics of vertebrates as he talks about the diversity of animal life during an Advanced Placement biology class.
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