Books for teachers and kids
Ben creates books and resources designed to encourage educators, help kids understand themselves, and turn big ideas into something people can actually use.
See the books →Meet Ben
He went to school to be a teacher. School almost finished him first.
Ben Glenn grew up with ADHD, dyslexia, and a school experience that left him wondering if he was as capable as everyone else seemed to be.
He was the kid who could light up a conversation, tell a story, make people laugh—and then stare at a piece of paper and feel completely defeated.
But along the way, a handful of teachers saw something in him that grades and test scores couldn't measure.
Those teachers changed his story.
Today, Ben travels the country using that story to remind educators just how much influence one person can have on the life of a kid who may not see their own potential yet.
The turn
An eighty-year-old man with a box of chalk.
Ben was at a small church camp when he watched an eighty-year-old chalk artist named Bill Leach step in front of a room with a blank surface and a box of chalk.
Then something happened.
A picture began to appear.
People stopped talking. The room leaned in. And Ben watched one man use his hands, a story, and a piece of art to completely capture an audience.
For a young guy who had spent years hearing about all the things he wasn't very good at, something suddenly clicked.
Maybe there was another way to communicate.
Maybe the things that made him different weren't the end of the story.
Maybe they were the beginning.
Ben went home knowing what he wanted to do.
He's been doing it professionally since 1995.
Meet him in 30 seconds
The teachers are the reason there is a career to talk about.
Ben originally went to college to become a teacher.
Life took him in a different direction, but educators never stopped being part of his story.
He remembers the teachers who were patient when learning was hard. The ones who looked beyond the label. The ones who saw possibility before he knew how to see it in himself.
That's a big reason schools have remained at the center of Ben's work for decades.
Today he speaks to educators, students, businesses, churches, and organizations across the country—combining storytelling, humor, inspiration, and his signature live art experience.
But when Ben stands in front of a room full of educators, it's personal.
Because somewhere in that building is another kid like him.
Beyond the stage
What else he is up to.
Original chalk artwork
The stage may be where most people first see Ben create, but the art doesn't stop there.
Ben also creates original pieces, commissioned artwork, prints, and other projects that bring his distinctive chalk style beyond the live event.
See the gallery →ADHD and learning differences
Ben has spent a lifetime living with the kind of brain educators are trying to understand.
Through speaking, writing, video, and practical resources, he helps teachers look beyond the behavior, understand the person underneath it, and recognize the potential sitting in their classroom.
Open the toolkit →