Teaching those who teach
Hundreds of education employees back in classrooms following conference
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 3, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
In her speech in front of hundreds of education workers Wednesday, Gayla Meredith emphasized how the everyday work that teachers carry out has a lasting impact on their students and families.
Meredith, the president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association, recounted how the mother of Faye Grandjambe reached out to her Monday to thank her for her work when she taught Grandjambe as a child.
Grandjambe was found unresponsive in a Yellowknife alley Saturday morning and declared dead in hospital shortly after.
"It's because that's what teachers do, without even realizing it or understanding why. All teachers touch the lives of their students and families," Meredith said, reflecting on the call from Grandjambe's mother, also a member of the teachers' association.
Meredith said it's the personal connection with students that really makes a lasting impact.
It's a message that resounded with teachers from Yellowknife schools following the 2014 Territorial Educators' Conference that brought together hundreds of educators from around the territory.
Students had three days off as approximately 900 education workers came to Yellowknife.
"The big message I took from it is that building connections is very important to your students, building community and connections," said Jodi Keats, a program support teacher at Range Lake North School.
It's as important as the curriculum, she said, because it makes students more engaged in what's happening in the classroom.
"If you set up a positive relationship with the kids, the kids are going to want to learn," said Metro Huculak, superintendent of Yellowknife Education District No. 1.
Meredith said she heard from conference attendees that the event, the second of its kind in the NWT, was as good as any teaching conference held down south.
"The concept is brilliant," she said about bringing educators together to network and hear from speakers.
"I heard nothing but positive comments," Huculak said about the things he's heard from staff who attended.
He said it was especially valuable for teachers in communities outside the larger centres who don't have as large a teaching network to exchange teaching ideas.
Meeting others who have experienced the same issues can help them become better at their jobs, he said.
Huculak said the organizers deserve credit for the work put into the conference.
"They've pulled off a phenomenal event," Huculak said.
Meredith said whether another conference is held will come down to funding availability and will be discussed in the future.
The event cost about $850,000 to hold.
