KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET
Simon Alaittuq School Grade 6 teacher Kristin Sawyers of Rankin Inlet was one of 16 teachers announced as winners of the Prime Minister's Award for teaching excellence this past month.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper presents Simon Alaittuq School Grade 6 teacher Kristen Sawyers of Rankin Inlet with her Prime Minister's Award for teaching excellence in Ottawa this past month. - photo courtesy Emily LeBlanc

Sawyers is in her third year teaching in Rankin, and also made previous stops in Whale Cove (four years) and Baker Lake (one year) during her eight years in the North.

She was notified of being nominated for, and winning, the prestigious award via e-mails from Industry Canada.

Sawyers said the news she had won the award left her feeling a little bit shocked and very excited.

"I spent four days in Ottawa, where Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented us with our awards and we did a best practices presentation," said Sawyers.

"We also got to attend a reception at 24 Sussex Drive with the prime minister's wife (Laureen), and another with the speaker of the House (Andrew Scheer).

"The award comes with money for your school, so we'll decide, as a staff, what we want to use the money for."

Sawyers is the second Rankin teacher in a row to win the award for teaching excellence, with Lisa Kresky of Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik earning the honour in 2012.

Sawyers said the best practices presentations were nothing short of amazing.

She said what some of the other teachers are doing in Canada is phenomenal.

"One teacher is part of a Canadian space program and her class was selected to send a science experiment to the International Space Station.

"It was a group of pretty amazing educators doing some really outstanding things in their classrooms.

"A few teachers were really interested in space, and there's a lot of space programs for kids in grades five and six, so I want to look into that for my own students."

Sawyers was nominated for the award based in no small part for teaching beyond the classroom in programs such as Northern Youth Abroad, the Kivalliq Science and Culture Camp, Canada--wide Science Fair and local land day camps with her Grade 6 students.

She said taking the classroom outside is an effective teaching tool with huge cultural value in the North.

"Building the learning through our students' culture and traditions is a great way to teach here.

"I love teaching, and learning and trying new things in my classroom, so I'll just keep doing what I've been doing to get me this far."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.