My name is Ben Krahn, and I'm in my 12th year of teaching. Currently, I'm teaching English at Middlebury High School. I graduated from the Bread Loaf School of English in 2009 and joined the Bread Loaf Teacher Network in the summer of 2015.

The kickoff was great. To be able to work with kids on topics of their own choosing is awesome. I'm realizing, once again, that learning is fun, which is the reason I wanted to become a teacher in the first place. "What's the Story" takes us out of the traditional classroom and allows the space and time to get interesting, practical things done in a collaborative setting. The most telling "aha" moment, or the best "take away" so far from this is that the students are truly the drivers of their education in this course. As a teacher of this course, I am not a sage on the stage; rather, I'm truly a guide on the side who asks questions and offers direction. I love it so far!

The biggest question I have is how do we translate this experience into a traditional high school where we serve hundreds of students and not just 21. What strategies can I take from this experience and implement them into my own curriculum?