Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

IQALUIT
It takes a lot of courage for a new teacher to step in front of a class of children, or for a new reader to read aloud to classmates, so a TV show that will air next year is celebrating the Inuit mentors who make those two things a little easier.

Nakasuk School in Iqaluit will be featured in one of six episodes of a TV series about Inuit mentors and their proteges called Sivumu, or The Guide, that is set to air in February 2013 on APTN. Front, from left, producer/director Ari Cohen of Rotating Planet Productions, and Grade 4 students Simaniq Kootoo-Arnaquq and Cindy Kownirk. Back, from left, sound technician Julien Lapszynski, Grade 4 student Akuttuga Peter, NTEP intern Dwayne Haqpi, Grade 4 teacher mentor Morty Alooloo, and student support assistant Lucy Arnaquq. - photo courtesy of Tracey MacMillan

Sivumu, or The Guide, consists of six half-hour episodes co-produced by Arnait Video and Rotating Planet Productions, and is expected to air on APTN in early 2013. Filming started earlier this month in Iqaluit, where crews filmed teacher and student mentors at Nakasuk School.

"It was very exciting for the staff and students," said principal Tracey MacMillan. "We have mentoring that takes place in Inuktitut and English. Various teachers were filmed while mentoring, and one of our Grade 4 classes was filmed mentoring the Grade 1 class."

Nakasuk will be the focus of the education episode, while others will cover topics related to arts, society, health, sports and the land.

"Each episode will probably feature two or three stories that give a sense of community, empowerment, and role models of people leading by example," said Sivumu co-producer Ari Cohen of Rotating Planet, who is working with Marie-Helene Cousineau of Arnait. "The whole project revolves around Inuit leaders, mentors and people who are going to learn from them."

Morty Alooloo is one such Inuit leader who has spent 30 years in the classroom but returned to Nunavut Arctic College and earned her bachelor of education last year. She was a student teacher last year, and this year is mentoring two herself.

"When you're in a classroom, not working with students, it's abstract," the Grade 4 Inuktitut teacher said of new teachers. "When you're working with a teacher plus students, that's when you're learning. When you walk into the classroom, there are other hidden curricula that we don't realize, such as being a role model as a teacher. I have to watch how I say things. This is not written in the curriculum."

At Nakasuk, everyone is involved in mentoring, from the administration to teachers, student teachers, and students themselves. Vice-principal Leeveena Nuyalia is mentoring two new teachers.

"Mentoring gives new teachers the support they need," she said. "Teachers need support from other teachers, parents and the community so they deliver an exceptional program for their students, so the students benefit from everything."

Even children are helping each other. Each Thursday, Kelly Esford's Grade 4 class works with Ria McGillivray's Grade 1 class as reading buddies.

"The Grade fours sort of feel like teachers teaching a younger student how to read," Esford said, "and I think they enjoy that. The Grade ones also get to practise their reading and see what a good reader is."

McGillivray said this mentoring relationship has been beneficial.

"Some of the kids who struggle feel more comfortable reading with a child versus reading with me, or with a child in the same class who is a little bit higher than them," she said. "I saw a few of the kids who were struggling were happy to read, and not feeling forced to read. It helps build their self-esteem by being part of a school community," she said.

That's what Cohen hopes viewers will get from Sivumu.

"I hope people watching will get the feeling that they can get something started," he said. "These people are out there trying to lead by example and trying great things. You need to have role models to feel inspired."

And that's something Alooloo hopes will translate into action by Inuit hoping to be mentors and teachers themselves.

"I know there are a lot of Inuit interested in teaching, and hopefully this will give them more enthusiasm to enter the profession."

Filming continues this spring in Iqaluit, Iglulik, Rankin Inlet or Arviat, Montreal, and Ottawa, Cohen said.

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