English language arts teacher Josh Dingeldein seizes every opportunity to get students excited about learning. Each passing period, his positivity energizes the bustling hallways of Plymouth High School (PHS) as students eagerly accept his words of encouragement, fist bumps and high fives on their way to class. Dingeldein is celebrated for his ability to make all students feel like they matter, and his compassionate approach to education has allowed him to propel students further than they have ever imagined.
A data-driven educator, Dingeldein’s calculated instructional strategies help his ninth and 11th grade students navigate rigorous curriculum, while encouraging productive classroom collaboration and discourse. Using a timer, he keeps classes moving at pace and presents students with questions and feedback as they work through standards-based lessons in narrative, dialogue and thesis statement writing, as well as rhetorical analyses and researched blog projects. Students learn how to “show, not tell,” through analyzing text and citing evidence, while those in need of extra support benefit from his differentiated instruction in small group sessions. Dingeldein’s Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition course students outperformed the state and global average of students scoring a 3 or higher on the AP test. In 2022-23, 54% of PHS students outperformed the state and met the benchmark on the SAT’s Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section due in large part to Dingeldein’s efforts.
Dingeldein is always willing to implement new strategies and technology in his classroom. With the rising popularity of ChatGPT, he saw the program as an opportunity rather than a threat. Choosing to use it as a learning tool, Dingeldein worked alongside colleagues to create approved ChatGPT prompts to use for analyzing student work, and to help students improve their writing. Active in school leadership and teacher mentorship, Dingeldein serves on PHS’ guiding coalition, assisting in the schoolwide effort to become a model professional learning community. In this role, he has led professional development and helped guide the coalition’s faculty presentation on proposed new, goal-setting initiatives. He also participates on the National Honor Society committee.
Dingeldein earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary English education from Taylor University in 2015.
Press release: High Fives and Fist Bumps for Josh Dingeldein, First in Plymouth Community School Corporation to Receive $25,000 Milken Educator Award
