Craig Behun
ANSONIA – Starting each school day by telling his students a corny joke has become part of the curriculum for Emmett O’Brien’s newly named Teacher of the Year Craig Behun.
So when Behun asks his students, ‘What superpower do teachers have?’ and the punchline is ‘SUPERVISION,’ the kids roll their eyes – but that’s a good thing.
“They usually groan at my jokes, but it really does help,” Behun said. “My favorite part of teaching and coaching is the relationships. Teachers and coaches have an opportunity to positively impact so many lives, but before you can reach someone, they have to trust you and feel comfortable with you. Social-emotional learning is just as important as the curriculum that we teach. That’s why I start every class with a ‘dad joke’ to ease into class.”
Behun, 37, found out last week that he’d been named EOB’s Teacher of the Year for 2022. Principal Laurie Lebouthillier made the announcement over the school’s loudspeaker system on March 14.
“Voting had taken place the previous Tuesday and I hadn’t heard anything by Friday,” Behun said. “I had kind of forgotten about it over the weekend, so it was definitely a pleasant surprise and a great way to start the work week when I heard the announcement. There were six other very worthy nominees this year and I was humbled to find out that I had been selected.”
This is Behun’s eighth year teaching at EOB. He teaches tenth grade civics and twelfth grade economics/personal finance, coaches the basketball team and is the National Honor Society advisor, too. Prior to coming to EOB, he worked at Platt Tech. Behun actually began his teaching career as a substitute teacher the day after he graduated from Southern Connecticut State University, where he earned a degree in history education and his master’s degree in education.
Teaching runs in Behun’s blood, so it’s no wonder he chose it as his career path. His mother Sue taught Spanish and French in both Naugatuck and Shelton schools. His father, Nick, taught woodworking at Derby High School (where he also nabbed teacher of the year) and Shelton Intermediate School. Behun’s wife Michelle also teaches second grade in Orange.
Teaching students how to manage their money is one of Behun’s favorite things, especially because most EOB students have opportunities to work in real-world jobs while still in school.
“The majority of them are working, so money is relevant to them,” Behun said. “Many of them have opportunities to step directly into careers in their trade, so I try to teach them the importance of why they need to start saving as much as they can towards their retirement while their expenses are relatively low.”
Behun cited an example of a former student who is gainfully employed at Sikorsky.
“He came to school this year to give a presentation about their internship program,” Behun said. “He sought me out to tell me that because of my class, he is maxing out his 401k and just bought a house at the age of 22. I hope that 40 years down the road, they can retire comfortably because they made a smart financial decision at 17 or 18 years old.”
Two of Behun’s current students, Elisabeth Lundequist, 18 and Kaylene Kezer, 17, said Behun is deserving of his new teacher of the year status.
“Mr. Behun is truly that ‘one of a kind’ teacher, there’s nobody else like him,” Kaylene said. “He always goes above and beyond for his students. If you’re having a bad day, he’ll crack one of his famous dad jokes and immediately brighten your mood. He treats all his students as if they’re his own kids.”
Kaylene recalled a time when students were helping with TEAM, Inc’s annual Toys4Kids drive. The morning of the event, Kaylene’ student partner called out sick and there was nobody around to fill in.
“Mr. Behun didn’t hesitate to leave school to come and stand outside with me in the brutally cold weather to hand out toys,” Kaylene said. “This is how I knew he stood out from other teachers.”
Elisabeth concurred about Behun being one of the best teachers she’s ever had.
“When I started to struggle in economics with calculating my taxes, he was able to get me through it with a few tricks and a few laughs,” Elisabeth said. “Something else that sets him apart from other teachers is his ability to turn around your day if it isn’t the best. Mr. Behun has a talent for making even the quietest of kids smile.”
Lebouthillier said Behun was the perfect choice for the honor this year.
“He is a role model and as such leads by example, as a teacher, coach and advisor,” she said.
Behun and his wife, Michelle, live in Bethany with their two sons, Callan, 7, and Ashton, 4. When he’s not demonstrating his passion for teaching, Behun has a pretty sweet hobby. He and his family have visited 231 different ice cream places in Connecticut and beyond after his oldest son was born.
“The tradition started after I read an article in Connecticut Magazine about the 10 best ice cream shops in CT,” Behun said. “We made a goal to hit them, and then we just kept going and going and going. Every time we go to a new place, we get chocolate and chocolate chip, so we have a consistent basis of comparison. After that, we will go with different flavors.”
