Congratulations to Dr. Gale Russell, Lecturer in Mathematics Education, who successfully defended her dissertation, “Valued Kinds of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing in Mathematics and the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics: A Worldview Analysis” on June 23 at the University of Saskatchewan.
Her external examiner, Dr. Lisa Lunney Borden of St. Francis Xavier University, noted Dr. Russell’s exceptional skill as a researcher and the contributions that her dissertation will make to the national conversation relating to transforming the experiences in mathematics education for Indigenous students.
Dean Jennifer Tupper writes, “This is a tremendous accomplishment and one to be celebrated!”
Science Education preservice teachers had the opportunity to take their learning on the road in the winter 2016 semester.
In December 2015, the Yorkton Tribal Council approached the Faculty of Education’s Dr. Shauneen Pete for assistance with science education. Dr. Pete asked Instructors John MacDonald and Michael McCoy, who were teaching secondary science education classes ESCI 350 and ESCI 351, to help out.
With MacDonald’s and McCoy’s support, preservice teachers taking ESCI 350 and 351 planned a two-day session from the Grade 10 curriculum on chemical reactions. Amy Martin explains, “As a class (all 10 of us), we constructed a science unit from scratch, and we actually got to go out and spend two full days teaching science on Kahkewistahaw First Nation and Keeseekoose First Nation reserves.”
On February 4, the preservice teachers traveled to Chief Kahkewistahaw Community School for the Day 1 activities. Students from Kahkewistahaw, White Bear, Ocean Man, and Ochapowace First Nations participated in the session. The next morning they traveled from Yorkton, where they had stayed the night, to Keeseekoose Chief’s Education Centre. There they had opportunity to work with Grade 10 students from Keeseekoose and Cote First Nations.
The following week, they repeated this schedule with Day 2 activities. (However, circumstances prevented them from returning to teach Cote First Nations the Day 2 activities.) The preservice teachers were pleased about this opportunity to work together to develop a series of activities that they also delivered, and the chance to teach at reserve schools, a first for all involved. Instructors John McDonald and Michael McCoy write, “As instructors, we were impressed by the professionalism displayed by our students: the extra work put into developing and organizing the activities, their ability to engage the students in the activities, their ability to reflect on the days activities and incorporate changes for the next day, all served to illustrate the quality of our future professional educators.” The preservice teachers involved were Mari-Anne Berriault, David Brown, Ryan Cherwaty, Shelby Fink, Jenna Hansen, Amy Martin, Laine McLaren, Zach Oleynik, Alyssa Walterson, and Ashley Wiley.
Preservice Teacher Comments:
The experience of teaching at the Kahkewistahaw and Keeseekoose Reserve schools was an eye opening one. The students had only really experienced science through what was taught in their textbooks, so being able to take part in hands on activities was a whole new world for them. It was rewarding to watch them open up throughout the day as they began to get excited about science.
~Alyssa Walterson
Teaching is a profession that is structured on experience. Therefore, as a beginning teacher, this experience was monumental at this point in our teaching career. The ability to experience a diverse culture and environment in a setting that many would not get to experience was a privilege. These short two days allowed me to apply the information being taught in the classroom in a real life setting. One of the most important aspects the experienced offered was the ability to cooperatively plan lessons with fellow students. We grew not only as individuals, but as a cooperative class in order to provide the best experience we could for the students. This to me was the most rewarding experience.
~Ryan Cherwaty
Teaching at the Kahkewistahaw and Keeseekoose Reserves was a great opportunity for us to build some experience working with students who have had very little exposure to science. As a group, we worked hard to design experiments that would engage the students, and spike some interest in a field that they have spent very little time with. For many of the students, this was the first time they were actively participating in hands on science experiments. As the day went on, it was great to see the students excited, engaged, and asking questions. I enjoyed having an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, and teach in an environment that I have never been exposed to. Experiences like this will only strengthen our platforms as young educators.
~Zach Oleynik
It was a really great experience; my classmates and I were able to gain some experience in co-planning as we created mini lessons for the students. Since there were so many of us, we were able to split the students up into small groups for the lessons, which gave us opportunities to ask the students their thoughts and feelings about being taught science and what they thought about the lessons that we had created.
~Ashley Wiley Photo Gallery
ESCI Preservice teachers who developed and taught Science education with Yorkton Tribal Council communities (with instructors John MacDonald and Michael McCoy.) Photo courtesy of Amy Martin
On June 10, the faculty and staff came together to say farewell and to thank faculty members for their many contributions to this Faculty.Dr. Wanda Lyons enjoying a conversation with colleague Dr. Scott ThompsonDr. Carol Schick and Dr. Michael CappelloDr. Lace Marie Brogden will be the founding dean of Laurentian University’s faculty of education for a five-year renewable term, beginning July 1. Dr. Brogden will oversee the English-language school of education and the French-language École des sciences de l’éducation. Dr. Brogden has been director of the baccalaureate program at the University of Regina’s faculty of education since 2010. She also worked as evaluation coordinator in Saskatchewan’s Official Minority Language Office and as a French immersion teacher. Photo credit: Shuana NiessenThe Faculty bids fond farewells to retiring faculty Dr. Carol Schick and Dr. Wanda Lyons, and to Dr. Lace Brogden who will become the founding Dean of Education at Laurentian University. (L-R) Carol Schick, Wanda Lyons, and Lace Brodgen. Photo credit: Shuana Niessen
On June 14, some 2,400 kilometres northeast of Regina, President Timmons participated in a very special celebration in the tiny hamlet of Hall Beach, on the shores of Foxe Basin. The narrow strait is across from Baffin Island on the northeastern tip of the Melville Peninsula in the Qikiqtani region of Nunavut.
A time to celebrate. These education grads will now make a big difference in their respective communities in Canada’s far north. (Photo courtesy of Julie Machnaik)
The occasion was the graduation of five students from the Nunavut Teacher Education Program (NTEP), a partnership between the University of Regina’s Faculty of Education and Nunavut Arctic College (NAC) that began in 2007.
The program prepares Nunavummiut (people of Nunavut) to become teachers in Nunavut schools with an emphasis on training primary and elementary teachers. The program strives to include an increasingly greater amount of Inuit content in the curriculum and includes a variety of locally relevant topics, including core courses in Inuktitut, the Inuit language spoken in the central and eastern Canadian Arctic.
“We are proud to have partnered with Nunavut Arctic College for close to a decade on this important initiative,” said Timmons. “We are pleased to be able to offer additional support and resources so that Nunavummiut can find their way into Nunavut classrooms. This is very much in keeping with the University of Regina’s strategic priority on Indigenization in all of its forms.”
Tuesday’s graduation ceremony was followed by a traditional Inuit feast.
Most NTEP students complete their four years at the Nunatta Campus in Iqaluit and earn a University of Regina Bachelor of Education degree. Under the terms of the agreement, the University of Regina provides a range of services, including visiting instructors, professional development opportunities for students, and learning experiences through exchanges.
The Nunavut Teacher Education Program is only one of the many community-based partnerships between the Faculty of Education and partners across Saskatchewan and into other provinces. The partnerships date back some 30 years.
The Faculty of Education is pleased to announce that two of our faculty along with one alumna are recipients of Stirling McDowell Foundation Research Grants:
Dr. Jennifer Tupper, Dean, Faculty of EducationDr. Tana Mitchell
Dr. Jennifer Tupper has received a Stirling McDowell Foundation research grant of $19,933. She and co-investigator Dr. Tana Mitchell, who is a teacher at Balfour and former graduate student and sessional instructor in our faculty, were successful in their grant application to support their project: High school teachers working towards reconciliation: Examining the teaching and learning of residential schools.
Dr. Pamela Osmond-Johnson
Dr. Pamela Osmond-Johnson has received a research grant of $9216 from the Stirling McDowell Foundation for her project Teachers Leading Teachers: The Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit’s Facilitator Community. Her project will explore the SPDU’s facilitator community, a professional learning community of teachers who develop and lead professional learning opportunities for their peers.
Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education, Dr. Christine Massing, was recognized by the Canadian Association of Teacher Education(CATE) with the CATE Award for her doctoral dissertation, An Ethnographic Study of Immigrant and Refugee Women’sKnowledge Construction in an Early Childhood Teacher Education Program at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) Congress held in Calgary in May, 2016.
This honor acknowledges Christine’s excellent work and important contribution to Canadian teacher education research.
The following is an interview with Christine about her research, which explored how immigrant and refugee women construct understandings of the authoritative or dominant discourse of early childhood in relation to their own beliefs, values, knowledges, and experiences:
What circumstances/situation led you to research the topic of your dissertation?
At the time I was contemplating doctoral studies, I was teaching in an early childhood program specifically designed for immigrants and refugees. At the end of my first year, one of my students, a refugee from Somalia who had raised 10 university-educated children, expressed to me that she now realized that her approach to mediating her children’s disputes had been “wrong.” Through conversations with my students over the next year, I came to understand that some of the theories and practices they were learning in the program were dissonant with their own understandings. Because I have also lived and taught in diverse contexts—Japan, Egypt, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and in two First Nations communities here in Canada—their comments resonated with me to some extent (although as a temporary visitor I did not experience such discontinuities between worldviews as acutely as my students did). I felt concerned that many of these women—all of whom had extensive experience as mothers, teachers, or caregivers in their home countries—might believe that they needed to abandon all that they knew about teaching and caring for young children to be accepted in Canadian school and preschool settings. Despite their candor, I sensed that they were reticent to be too critical of the program and, by extension, me as an instructor so I felt I might elicit more details as a researcher.
How has your research impacted your personal and/or professional life?
On a personal level, I have appreciated the friendships I have developed with many of my research participants and I have learned so much from them. Professionally, this research has assisted me in identifying some of the funds of knowledge that immigrants and refugees bring to early childhood theory and practice, which, in turn, enriches my own work with teacher candidates. I hope to mobilize these new understandings to guide teacher candidates toward being more responsive to culturally and linguistically diverse children and their families. This research has also deepened my understanding of how teacher candidates navigate unfamiliar content in their coursework and internships and inflect their practice with their own beliefs and values. If students have time and space for dialogue with the content and practices they are learning, they can populate their practice with their own intentions and meanings and make it their own.
What do you hope your research might accomplish in the field of education?
When I undertook this research, I had the impression that my immigrant and refugee students simply appropriated the dominant practices because they wanted to “fit in” and be seen as professionals. However, I was surprised to find that in some situations the participants rebelled against the authoritative practices, instead enacting their own beliefs and practices when their supervisors were not looking. Therefore, they risked failing their placements because they strongly believed that some of the dominant practices were not in the best interests of the children. It is my hope that early childhood sites and teacher education programs will begin to acknowledge the validity of what Bakhtin refers to as “multiple, polyphonic voices” so culturally and linguistically diverse teacher candidates can imbue their practice with their own knowledges and beliefs. I believe that such practices will provide richer and more meaningful experiences for immigrant and refugee children and their families who will be supported in their diverse ways of being and becoming.
Was it difficult to achieve your research goals? How did you overcome obstacles (if any), whether personal or professional?
The primary concern I had in doing this research was gaining the trust of participants because I was researching in a program for immigrant and refugee early childhood students and was very obviously an outsider. Although the participants knew that I was a doctoral student and early childhood instructor, for three semesters, I sat in classes alongside them and participated in all of the course experiences as a student in the program. Many of my participants were Muslim so the fact that I had lived and worked in Egypt was particularly helpful in building trust. They did come to accept me as “one of them” so much so that they invited me to participate in their activities and transgressions (such as skipping class!).
An Excerpt
The following excerpt from Christine’s dissertation illustrates the tensions faced by immigrant/refugee early childhood students, something she considers to be at the heart of her research:
Ameena’s explanation actualizes this tension between personal or cultural ways of being with children and the authoritative discourse of professionalism: “Professional means you do how they teach you [in the ECTE program] even if they (supervisor or instructors) don’t see you…. Joanne [an educator], she’s more professional in how she talks to the kids, how the kids love her. Everything she does in a real way, the right way, and a real way” (Interview, February 28, 2013). Joanne is perceived as holding the “right” professional knowledge, but she is also “real,” acting intuitively and applying what she personally knows about children. Consistent with Wenger’s (2000) work, the professional educator must be able to mobilize her personal understandings and refine the expected competencies. Since the practical knowledges of immigrant and refugee students or educators are excluded from the authoritative discourse, it is difficult for them to legitimately apply their own understandings in this manner. Essentially, these women are positioned as needing to change themselves otherwise their learning trajectory will never lead to full, legitimate participation in the early childhood community of practice (Wenger, 1998).
Abstract: In my former role as an early childhood education instructor working with immigrant and refugee women, I came to understand that they might experience a dissonance between the authoritative discourse (Bahktin, 1981) of early childhood, inscribed with western theories and values, taught in the program and their own intuitive, tacit, and practical knowledges. The purpose of this study, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Killam Trusts, was to explore how twenty immigrant/refugee women constructed understandings of this authoritative discourse as they negotiated their professional identities during their coursework and field placements in an early childhood teacher education program. Using an ethnographic methodology, I was immersed in the participants’ coursework and practicum experiences for two to three days a week over three semesters of study, collecting qualitative data through field notes, spatial mapping, interviews, focus groups, and artifacts/documents. One of the most significant findings of this research pertained to the participants’ own responses when confronted by discontinuities between the professional expectations in the field and their own knowledges, practices, beliefs, and values. Consistent with the limited scholarship in this field, the participants did sometimes feel compelled to suppress their own beliefs and enact what they had learned in the program in order to be seen as professionals. However, this research elucidated two additional responses. First, the participants sometimes resisted or rejected the authoritative discourse in favour of their own cultural practices. On other occasions, they authored their own hybridized professional identities derived both from the professional expectations in the community of practice as well as from their own cultural and religious beliefs and values about how to teach and care for young children. This research contributes to our understanding of the knowledges and experiences immigrant and refugee women bring to the field which can be mobilized to support the meaningful inclusion of immigrant/refugee children and their families in schools or early childhood settings.
Supervisor: Dr. Anna Kirova, professor of early childhood education at the University of Alberta,
Committee members: Dr. Heather Blair and Dr. Lynne Wiltse.
Date defended: October 26
Heather Phipps joins us from the Department of Educational Studies at McGill University, where she is nearing the completion of her Ph.D. She holds a Masters of Arts in Second Language Education from McGill University, a TESL certificate from Lethbridge College, and a B.A./B.Ed. from the University of Lethbridge. While a doctoral student at McGill, Ms. Phipps has been the recipient of numerous graduate scholarships, including the prestigious Doctoral Fellowship award and the Provost doctoral fellowship.
Phipp’s dissertation, Children Speaking to Children: Multimodal Engagements with Contemporary Canadian Picture Books in French Classrooms, is an ethnographic study situated in a public primary school in urban Montreal. It documents young children’s responses to Canadian children’s literature in Grades 1 & 2 French classrooms. Her study highlights the ways in which children engage and respond to both the words and images in diverse Canadian literature, and how they reflect on their own lived experiences in relation to the picture books. Her future research interests include inquiry related to issues of belonging, identity, and community for children and teachers in the context of minority language education in francophone and French immersion schools in the Saskatchewan context and in diverse multilingual contexts across Canada.
Phipps is a published scholar who has presented her work at numerous national and international conferences, serves as a reviewer for several scholarly journals and for the Language and Literacy SIG of CSSE. She has extensive experience as a classroom teacher in a French immersion context, and has also taught education classes at the post-secondary level. She is past president of the McGill University Education Graduate Students’ Society.
Jöel Thibeault is currently a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. He holds a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Ottawa, and an undergraduate degree in French language and literature from McGill University. Mr. Thibeault is the 2015 recipient of the Michael Smith Award for research abroad from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and is a holder of the prestigious SSHRC Joseph-Bombardier scholarship, 2014-2017. He received a Graduate Studies Scholarship from the University of Ottawa, and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
Thibeault’s doctoral research focuses on the teaching and learning of French grammar in socio-linguistic minority contexts. His dissertation aims to understand the development of grammatical competence among elementary students in southwestern Ontario, a population of significant Anglophone dominance. Mr. Thibeault’s work lies at the crossroads the didactics of French first language and second language research and will undoubtedly make many contributions to the body of scholarship in French minority language education. In addition, he has been involved in several research teams at the University of Ottawa and the University of Quebec at Montreal that have required significant and sustained work in educational and school contexts.
Thibeault is a published scholar and has presented his scholarly work at numerous national and international conferences. He has several professional publications, and is involved in a number of important local, national, and international associations.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulates Lindsay Stuart at the Prime Minister’s Awards For Teaching Excellence in Early Childhood EducationA selfie with the Prime Minister
Alumna Lindsay Stuart (B.Ed. 2009; M.Ed. 2015) found her passion in the very field she had never wanted to work in: Early Childhood Education.
On May 12, her work with children was recognized at the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence in Early Childhood Education, which took place in Ottawa.
Stuart is employed with Regina Public Schools, at Henry Braun, as a Kindergarten teacher.
She graduated from the U of R with a B.Ed. in 2009 (Pre-K – 3). This was her second degree; her first was a U of R degree in Human Justice (2000), which followed a Diploma in Criminology from Mount Royal University in Calgary. Then, in 2015, she graduated from the U of R with her M.Ed. The title of her project was Relational Reverberations: A Narrative Inquiry Into the Interconnected Lives of Children, Families and Teachers.
Looking at her early educational choices (Criminology and Human Justice) it is clear that the B.Ed. after degree was an afterthought. Stuart says she actually never wanted to be a teacher. She explains,
I grew up in a family of teachers and saw firsthand how rewarding, but yet, personally draining and all consuming it could be. In fact, when I graduated from high school, my family told me they would help me through university, but if I went into education I was on my own. It wasn’t that they wished they had chosen differently, or they didn’t see me as capable, they were worried and protective due to their deep understanding of the increasing demands being placed on educators.
After graduating with my initial degree in Human Justice, I spent my 20’s working and travelling. It was by happenstance that I ended up in Japan with a teaching contract. I remember before leaving saying I would be all right as long as I didn’t have to work with young children! FAMOUS LAST WORDS!!! It was there that I found my passion and calling to education. I haven’t looked back!
The following is an interview with Stuart regarding her experience as a student in the Faculty of Education, University of Regina; her experience of becoming employed as a teacher; of being a novice teacher; and what it is that she is doing as an Early Childhood Educator that has caused her to be recognized with this award.
How (and how well) did your B.Ed. and/or M.Ed. program equip you for the work that you are now doing?
My undergraduate degree provided me with a strong base with which to begin my teaching career. My Master’s empowered me to ask critical questions and begin viewing things through a new lens. It helped me to delve deeply into my own life and view not only myself but also my profession and the world in a different way. Essentially, my B.Ed. gave me the “what” (to do) and the “how” (to teach), but my M.Ed. has provided me with the “why.” It truly gave me a new way to look at myself and my teaching.
What was a highlight for you while a student at the University of Regina?
Without a doubt, the highlight was the Summer Institute in 2014, “Play, Art and Narrative,” facilitated by Dr. Patrick Lewis and Karen Wallace. Although I anticipated that these courses would provide me with a stronger knowledge base about early childhood education—and they did—that was not the greatest takeaway. During three intensive weeks, I learned more about myself than I could ever have imagined. This learning has made me a better friend, colleague, teacher, family member, and person. I am forever indebted to Patrick and Karen for creating a space for this to take place.
Are there any (other) professors who helped shape who you personally/professionally? How so?
In addition to Patrick and Karen, who found ways to both challenge (in critical but safe ways) and support me, I was so fortunate and blessed to have Dr. Janice Huber as a mentor, project supervisor, advocate and friend. Janice introduced me to narrative inquiry, which has woven its way into my being. It has become an integral part of who I am in the world. She was always there to listen and to wonder with me, and she empowered me to believe not only in myself, but also in the important work I do with children and families.
What happened after you graduated with your B.Ed. degree?
I finished my degree right after my internship in the fall of 2009. I was interviewed and hired by Regina Public directly out of internship. I remember being surprised in January, on the first day school resumed, that I was called to sub. I was to split my day between EAL (English as an Additional Language) in the morning at Judge Bryant and DPS (Discovery Pre-school) at Henry Braun in the afternoon. It is kind of ironic as both of these positions ended up becoming permanent for the rest of the year! The DPS position was open right away due to the fact the teacher had left early on maternity leave. I accepted the half time position and remained subbing in the morning until in early February a half time EAL contract opened up at Judge Bryant School. I was interviewed and received that position. To my good fortune, the 50% Kindergarten teacher at Braun was retiring that year, and I was able to shift into a permanent role at Braun as 50% K and 50% DPS. I worked extremely hard during this time, but I was also in the right place at the right time.
What did you find difficult about being a novice teacher? What or who helped you through?
I found everything difficult being a novice teacher!! From the mundane things such as finding out where supplies are kept and how to work the photocopier, to critical things such as creating and sustaining relationships (students, families, community, colleagues), classroom layouts, classroom management, designing and setting of routines, appropriate assessment techniques, etc… perhaps most important was knowing how to find a balance between professional and personal time. Looking back now, the best thing I did as a new teacher was admit what I didn’t know, and search/ask for help. I found a mentor in my building, an experienced teacher, who assisted me through all the ups and downs. I was open to learning from all those who surrounded me (administration, educational assistants, speech and language pathologists, educational psychologists, outside agencies etc.). I think the gravest danger facing new teachers is in believing they need to know everything, and thinking that admitting they don’t, will reflect negatively. The secret is learning you will NEVER know everything! Being a teacher is a constant journey of becoming.
What is it that you are doing differently that has caused you to be recognized by the PM Award for Excellence in teaching ECE?
There are many terrific teachers doing amazing things in their classrooms who are just as deserving as I. I was lucky to have colleagues, families and administration take the time to complete the incredibly long nomination process on my behalf. The process included providing the selection committee with detailed curriculum vitae, several letters of recommendation and a lengthy essay that demanded exemplary evidence of support for the development of children, innovation in practice, involvement with parents, families and community, and commitment and leadership in the field.
Imagine entering a space and before you, you see several students gathered around a ladder discussing the ways in which force and friction are inhibiting motion in their construction designs. Over in the corner there are three students using FaceTime on their teacher’s phone to ask a local expert questions about the garter snake they found in the playground. You can overhear another student reading and when you turn around you notice she is filming it herself and when you ask what she is doing, she tells you she is uploading it to send to her mom. Three others are in the hallway taking pictures to create their own books, and finally, in the library, one student is busily searching for information about birdhouses using QR codes. Now, imagine these students are only five years of age.
Technology is shifting the landscapes of early learning environment and in turn redefining my pedagogy and the learning taking place within my classroom. My teaching challenges the notions that I am the sole knowledge-keeper and that learning is always teacher-led. In my classroom, technology, the outdoors, and the community are all effective tools in student-directed, process-based, inquiry-driven learning.
Recognizing that families lead busy lives, technology—from e-portfolios and blogs to Skype, FaceTime and texts—has opened the doors of our classroom by allowing family members to stay in touch and become active participants in the classroom. E-portfolios enable students to independently document, share and reflect daily learning. Parents are able to view and comment on the experiences taking place in their child’s school life, all but replacing traditional and static report cards. The classroom has also become open to the community through the use of ‘expert panels.’ Dozens of community leaders and industry professionals have consented to have their contact information stored on every young learner’s iPad, which can used to be contact them in real-time. If they are able to take the call, these professionals will engage with the students and help them with their self-directed inquiries.
The applications utilized in our classroom are thoroughly vetted, used only as appropriate tools and never substitutes for learning or engagement. It is not about simply using technology but rather about providing opportunities, spaces and relationships for children to compose their learning and lives in unique, safe, and developmentally appropriate ways.
I am an unyielding advocate for the power and potential of ‘little people’, and I am guided by a belief in their inherent capabilities. I feel it is my responsibility to challenge the notion that Kindergarten’s purpose is to “prepare students for Grade One.” Rather, I believe Kindergarten has its own focus and goals. As my pedagogy has evolved, I have shifted away from traditional “theme-based” teaching, and started to design overarching year plans around key concepts and ideas. I continually ask myself, “What exactly am I teaching children? What skills are they acquiring? Will they be able to use this information? Will this information help them become life-long learners? Will this information help them become better citizens? Shifting away from the ‘what’ of teaching, I spend a great deal of time reflecting on the ‘how’ of teaching. More specifically, “How do I believe young children learn?”, “Where do I believe they learn?” and “What am I doing to support the ways in which they are composing their lives?” It has been through answering these questions, that I have found ways to engage the natural curiosities of children and empower them on their own unique learning journeys.
What do you love about teaching?
What do I love about teaching? EVERYTHING!!! If I had to name one thing, it would be the amazing relationships I have blossoming around me.
What was it like, receiving this award for Excellence in Teaching?
Receiving the award was both exciting and humbling. It was exciting to have a chance to travel to Ottawa, tour the national capital, and meet the Prime Minister. It was humbling because I know of so many amazing teachers who deserved to be there alongside me. In addition, it was humbling knowing the reason I was there was because colleagues and families of the students in my room nominated me.
What was the highlight of this experience?
There were two highlights of the trip. The first was a best practice round table sharing session. Each award recipient gave a brief presentation about the work taking place in his/her environment. It was phenomenal to learn alongside such innovative and passionate individuals. The second was receiving emails, texts and letters from colleagues, and former/current families with words of congratulations and kindness. These touched me more than anything!
Congratulations to Dr. Gale Russell, Lecturer in Mathematics Education, who successfully defended her dissertation, “Valued Kinds of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing in Mathematics and the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics: A Worldview Analysis” on June 23 at the University of Saskatchewan.
Science Education preservice teachers had the opportunity to take their learning on the road in the winter 2016 semester.
On February 4, the preservice teachers traveled to Chief Kahkewistahaw Community School for the Day 1 activities. Students from Kahkewistahaw, White Bear, Ocean Man, and Ochapowace First Nations participated in the session. The next morning they traveled from Yorkton, where they had stayed the night, to Keeseekoose Chief’s Education Centre. There they had opportunity to work with Grade 10 students from Keeseekoose and Cote First Nations.
Heather Phipps joins us from the Department of Educational Studies at McGill University, where she is nearing the completion of her Ph.D. She holds a Masters of Arts in Second Language Education from McGill University, a TESL certificate from Lethbridge College, and a B.A./B.Ed. from the University of Lethbridge. While a doctoral student at McGill, Ms. Phipps has been the recipient of numerous graduate scholarships, including the prestigious Doctoral Fellowship award and the Provost doctoral fellowship.
Jöel Thibeault is currently a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. He holds a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Ottawa, and an undergraduate degree in French language and literature from McGill University. Mr. Thibeault is the 2015 recipient of the Michael Smith Award for research abroad from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and is a holder of the prestigious SSHRC Joseph-Bombardier scholarship, 2014-2017. He received a Graduate Studies Scholarship from the University of Ottawa, and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
