A North Vancouver educator is one of 35 recipients of the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence.
As one of just 10 individuals across Canada to receive a national-level Certificate of Excellence, Carson Graham secondary teacher-librarian Jennifer Tieche was invited to Ottawa earlier this month to personally receive her award from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
"Probably the best part was meeting people who are equally as passionate and who are doing just phenomenal things with kids," Tieche says of her trip.
Twenty-five other teachers across the country received regional Certificates of Achievement.
Tieche has worked at Carson Graham for 12 years and helped contribute to the design of the school's new learning commons. Among the reasons she was honoured was her use of electronic communications and technology in the classroom.
"We like to provide access to students in as many ways as we can," Tieche says. "(Teachers) don't need to always be in front of the students. We can be available through email questions, we can be available via Twitter, we can be available through our online presence."
Tieche was also recognized for supporting students with special needs and developing programs in the First Nations community. "I certainly did not do any of these major changes on my own," she stresses. "I was
lucky to work on teams of people who changed how we deliver programs to students of aboriginal ancestry and to students with learning differences. What we've done is try to make a more inclusive environment where we are all just learners regardless of the social context that we bring."
The Certificate of Excellence comes with a $5,000 cash prize, while the Certificate of Achievement comes with a $1,000 prize. Recipients are chosen annually through a lengthy selection process.
"It was really a surprise to be nominated, frankly, because I'm just doing my job," Tieche says. "I just happen to absolutely love my job, so I'm lucky in that regard."
Government of Canada History Awards Two North Shore
teachers and three North Shore high school students are among the winners of the first ever Government of Canada History Awards.
To be eligible, Grade 10 and 11 students had to write a 1,000-to 1,200-word essay based on one of five questions and high school teachers had to submit a classroom project on one of three themes.
Dan Conner and Paula Waatainen, both teachers at Rockridge secondary, were among 20 high school teachers across the country to receive the award. West Vancouver secondary students Kian Shahangyan and Christina Daudlin and Lions Gate Christian Academy student Ivan Hui were among the 100 students winners.
Winning teachers received $2,000 each, and students received $1,000 each.
