Intermediate Teacher – grade 7 LTO
What do you love about your job?
Oh my goodness! What’s not to love? The biggest thing for me, I think, is my desire to inspire. I love that I can inspire so many different people students and colleagues alike. It’s my drive and my strength. It’s the reason I wake up with a smile on my face, and love to go to work every day.
My passion is STEM & sciences. I love putting a smile on students’ faces when I do a cool experiment, which then inspires them to do cool things, and try things they might not otherwise try. This year, I’ve been able to inspire my colleagues to try new things like Google Jamboard.
I just love this job!
In this challenging year, what have you tried that is working?
With this year being virtual, I’ve tried putting emphasis on “do what you can”! Virtual learning has been a challenge for students – to show up, and do things, and engage with learning. I’ve tried to show students that I’m approachable, and that they can come and talk to me about anything, ask me for extensions, whatever it may be. Fortunately, the feedback I’m getting is reflecting this. Students feel comfortable and safe in my class, so I’m so happy about that.
I think it comes down to being flexible and understanding – accepting that much of the time, things aren’t going to go the way I want them to. I’ve learned to be flexible, to going with the flow. That seems to be working.
What has been a challenge?
Building relationships was really a challenge. As an LTO in a new school, that wasn’t finished yet – there was no staffroom even for me to connect with my colleagues. That was hard. I love collaborating. I wish there were more opportunities to get to know each other better.
Same with students. When we were in school, there were lots of restrictions. Then, we swapped to virtual, which added an additional challenge. Then back again, and then again to virtual. It has been tough to maintain, and create connections… and participation. I’ve also had new students coming and going in and out of virtual, so we’ve had to work really hard to build connections. We’ve definitely tried our best!
What is one tiny victory you have had?
I’m pretty proud of how fast I was able to learn things this year. With 2 switches in and out, it has not been easy to make everything virtual. I’m proud of my ability to be innovative behind the screen. Math is important to me, so for me to be able to have students involved, and still do a decent lesson in math virtually makes me feel very proud.
What words of encouragement and love do you have for staff?
Oh, I have so many! First and foremost, just like on an airplane they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first, before you can be an amazing human to others, you have to take care of yourself.
Your mental & physical health so important, especially this year, which really put that into perspective. You are a teacher, but you’re a human first! Everything with teaching will fall into place – take the time for you, and do what makes you happy.
What is the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?
I must say I am a very curious person, and one time it got the best of me. I have a dog and he enjoys this one blueberry flavoured biscuit treat. These treats are in the shape of a heart and smell berry good. There’s a blueberry brown sugar and flax flavoured human cookie made by the company Peek Freans that I really enjoy, and it had a similar smell to my dog’s blueberry treat. I was so curious to see if my dog’s treat tasted like the human cookies. I just had to try my dog’s blueberry treat….so I did. I ate half of my dog’s blueberry biscuit treat and I was disappointed. Although it had a strong blueberry scent, it tasted like cardboard and cement. My tastebuds were deceived by the blueberry scent…it was a “ruff” experience.
If you weren’t a teacher, what would you do?
I love the planet, so I would love to go down to lake Ontario, find whatever is washed up ashore and upcycle it into something cool like earrings, or art. I would sell my creations, and then give the money back to environmental organizations!
