Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION - As a community adult educator, Jennifer Rooke is a teaching version of a jack of all trades.

At Aurora College's Community Learning Centre in Fort Resolution, Rooke is the only permanent instructor and therefore teaches a wide variety of topics.

Community adult educator Jennifer Rooke loves her work in Fort Resolution. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

"You have to be able to teach everything," she said, adding that would be up to a Grade 9 level. "It can be very challenging."

Rooke, who is originally from Hay River, has worked at the Fort Resolution learning centre for four years.

"Our priority is adult upgrading," she said. "We now call it developmental studies. That's the new name for adult basic education."

As part of developmental studies, she offers instruction in math, English, sciences, computers, career planning and more.

Rooke said one of the most challenging things is teaching a class in math or English, for example, where the students begin at different levels, meaning she has to adjust her teaching to individuals.

Aside from developmental students, she can also be involved in many other subjects.

This month, she has a class of 15 to 18-year-olds studying to get learner's permits for driving.

"It depends on community needs," she said of the various programs she teaches.

Last year, she taught a Ready to Work North class on basic job skills such as numeracy, taking messages, safety, showing up on time and attitude.

This year, she taught a Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System class as part of an underground mining course. A guest instructor is occasionally brought in if Rooke doesn't feel she can teach a course, such as the one on underground mining.

"If I'm not comfortable teaching it, I have to find alternatives," she said, adding that can also include online courses which she helps students get through.

Aside from campuses in Fort Smith, Inuvik and Yellowknife, Aurora College has 23 community learning centres in the NWT. Most of them have one permanent instructor.

Rooke said the learning centre is very important to Fort Resolution, since it offers education people might not travel elsewhere to receive.

"Leaving is a huge obstacle for many people in smaller communities," she said.

Over the past three years, 94 students have completed programs at the learning centre in Fort Resolution.

"Those are pretty big numbers," Rooke said. "I think the college offers a really valuable service to the community."

The goal is to get students into other programs or to help them get a job.

As for her own education, Rooke, 33, completed the Teacher Education Program at the college's Thebacha Campus in Fort Smith, before earning Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts degrees at the University of Saskatchewan.

She said she always wanted to come back and teach at Aurora College.

One of the challenges to working alone is there is no one on site to bounce ideas off, although she said she can call people at the college campuses.

"Even here by myself, I know I'm part of a big team and a very supportive team," she said.

"One of the huge advantages I have here is flexibility," she said, adding she can re-arrange schedules to accommodate unforeseen events, such as the MLA dropping in to speak to students.

Rooke encourages members of the community to drop into the learning centre.

"I have people in and out of here all day," she said. "People drop in to see what's up."

Rooke said she loves her work and feels appreciated by the community for her efforts.