Joe Ruhl

Motivational Professional Development Speaker for Teachers and Biology Education Consultant

Bio . . .

Joe Ruhl received his B.S and M.S. degrees from Purdue University. Joe and his wife Gail have been blessed with two children and four grandchildren.

The National Association of Biology Teachers named Joe the Outstanding Biology Teacher of Indiana in 1987. In 1989 he was honored at the White House as Indiana’s recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. In 1996 he received the Purdue University College of Science Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2012 he was honored with the Shell National Science Teaching Award, presented to one science teacher in the U.S., and in 2017 he was one of five U.S. teachers inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (another trip to the White House!) Joe retired after 42 years of classroom teaching and he is grateful and honored to share his keynote talks and workshops with colleagues who are engaged in one of the most important professions on the planet!

“ Joe Ruhl is the dynamic and engaging speaker you are looking for to speak to the importance of relationships at all levels of education. His message resonated with all of our staff, and inspired them to re-think the importance of relationships with our students, and with each other."

- Guy L. Parmigian

Superintendent

Benton-Carroll-Salem Local School District

Oak Harbor, OH

“As I began to listen, it became apparent that Joe had discovered the formula for effective instruction that all administrators and teachers dream to have. After 40 plus years in education with no signs of slowing, Joe has found the secret and is eager to share it with others."

- Lonny Rivera

Director of Innovation

North Point Educational Service Center

Sandusky, OH

I was a public school teacher for 42 years. These are trying times for teachers and now that I am no longer in the classroom, my passion is EQUIPPING, EMPOWERING, and ENCOURAGING educators. Teachers and administrators have found my keynote presentations and workshops to be "passionate, inspiring and practical!" I am available as a speaker to audiences of educators who are curious about how to motivate and inspire students by incorporating six Cs in the classroom:

CHOICE, COLLABORATION, COMMUNICATION, CRITICAL THINKING, CREATIVITY, and last but not least - CARING. 42 years of teaching have taught me a simple truth - that the most powerful motivator in the classroom is a perception on the part of the students that their teacher genuinely cares about them as individuals. So the most important of those six Cs is CARING. Makes sense, because "the greatest of these is love (agápē)." And it's interesting – unleashing the power of love in the classroom is the key to successful, satisfying educational experiences for both the students AND the teacher!

For a taste of my educational philosophy, check out my TEDx talk (Watch it on YouTube. The comments are informative!) , followed by a video I recently produced for new teachers on "How to Prevent (MOST!) Classroom Discipline Problems":

Check out my book on amazon.com– loaded with activities for biology teachers!

Why did I write this book? Check out this video: