In last month’s blog, we announced the Teachers Life Living Values Service Excellence Awardee from OSSTF Peel District, Karen Goodeve.
This month, we are pleased to share that Megan Anderson is the Teachers Life Living Values Service Excellence Awardee recipient in the OSSTF Windsor-Essex District 9.
When we approached the Essex District leaders about the award, they took a slightly different approach. They had each of their high schools nominate one candidate. There was a random draw for the winning recipient, and that draw winner was Megan from Leamington District High School.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Megan about her love for teaching and what motivates her daily as a teacher. Before we dive in, we would like to acknowledge and give a shout-out to all the other incredibly talented and exceptional teachers who their schools in OSSTF Windsor-Essex also nominated.
These include:
Belle River District High School – Michelle Moison
Kennedy Collegiate Institute – David Platt
Kingsville District High School – Paul Gelinas
Vincent Massey Secondary School – Lisa Keletgian
North Star High School – Kary Coulson
Riverside Secondary School – Aimee Demeter
Sandwich Secondary School – Tiffany Faubert
Tecumseh Vista Academy – Melanie Cardinal
Walkerville Collegiate Institute – Andrea Abbott
Westview Freedom Academy – Joanne Ferasol
Program Department – Bill Fetter
Alternative Education – Scott McGuffin
Extraordinary leaders in Education often do incredible work every day because they are passionate about making a difference for the students. These teachers are so deserving of this recognition from their peers. Congratulations to all of you!
Megan Anderson – Teacher with a passion and commitment to her students
When we spoke with Megan, it became apparent that she too is an exceptional teacher so deserving of this award. Here are a few amazing things about Megan: She runs her school’s Snack Program and Breakfast Program. Her students help by packaging the food, distributing the food, cleaning the trays, and even coming with her to do the grocery shopping. They learn and practice many skills that look great on a resume. She also runs the Recycle Program, where she and her students collect the classroom bins, sort, educate, and run incentive programs from homeroom classes (one of her classes also helps with this). She has organized an overnight camping trip for students in the MAPS (Special Education program she teaches). She also organized the school Truth and Reconciliation Day walk, where her classes joined Caldwell First Nations. In the classroom, Megan has a group that gains work experience at a non-profit called Gleaners – she and her students go once a week. They have also learned how to raise chickens, set up and maintain a small greenhouse, gardening skills, pet ownership, working from a budget, filling out a basic tax form. She and a colleague have also coached a Special Olympics basketball team, and they received a silver medal at the Special Olympics Ontario Provincial Championships in Chatham.
Incredible contributions!
Q: Megan, thank you so much for meeting with me today. I know your summer is just getting started, and I appreciate you taking time out of your summer break to speak with me. Congratulations on being the inaugural winner of the Teachers Life Service Excellence Award for Essex. We are so thrilled to be able to recognize and celebrate teaching excellence. My first question is, what motivates you daily to do exceptional work?
A: Hi Martha and thank you. It is my pleasure to speak to you. What motivates me is the students. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a special education teacher. I have been teaching for 15 years now. As a special education teacher, I am motivated by little daily wins. It could be seeing one of my students being able to read a bus schedule, learn literacy skills, how to tell time, and learn how to use money for simple purchases. It is all about reaching the student where they are and asking them about their individual learning goals, helping them achieve them. This provides me with a sense of purpose. During the COVID lockdown, I had to be creative in how I was able to work with my students. One of my students didn’t have internet access at home, and they couldn’t come into the school, so I made up learning packages every two weeks and brought them to their house. I walked the student through the material with their parent, so they felt comfortable with it. I would also do grocery shopping to help them out. You determine their needs and work with them, including their families, to make their learning journeys as tailored and meaningful as possible.
Q: Wow! What an incredible story that is. I can see why your colleagues felt you deserved this award. You mentioned you have been teaching for 15 years now. What positive and negative changes have you seen over those 15 years for teachers, particularly since pre-COVID?
A:I will start with the positive changes. COVID and the lockdown challenged us to think of different ways to reach our students. It forced us to get creative. It made us all realize how much we take things for granted. Since COVID, we have been asked to do more. We need to be a lot more hands-on with our students. When we are in person with the student, we are doing much more interactive and socializing than ever before. Everything is so student-centered and experiential, which is lovely. Regarding the negative, we have a lot more responsibility as a teacher than ever before because we have had to bridge both the in-person and the online world of teaching. That has put much more pressure on teachers as preparing your lessons requires more time and effort. This, in turn, takes away from our ability to focus on more innovative approaches to teaching.
“We gave the money to a student in the Special Ed program who is in grade 11, and he wanted to start an ice cream and popsicle bike business.“
Q: That makes a lot of sense, Megan. Thank you for sharing both sides with us. How has your approach to teaching changed over the years?
A: I didn’t begin my teaching career in Special Education. I had some exposure to special education in mainstream teaching, and that was when I changed over to focusing on special education. The most significant change was I was more focused on individualized instruction. I would focus on their skills – where they were and what the student wanted to learn. They very much guide the teaching plans and what they wish to achieve. Some of the learning involves non-credit coursework, which is very tailored to the student.
Q: What does this award mean to you professionally and personally?
A: It means so much to me that my colleagues nominated me. They are the ones who see you in action and knowing that they feel I deserve this recognition and award means so much. We can now do more things for our students with the award money. We gave the money to a student in the Special Ed program who is in grade 11, and he wanted to start an ice cream and popsicle bike business. So, the school and I allocated the funds towards him buying his bike and paying for his business license. On a personal level, as teachers, we do what we do because of the students and to try to make a positive difference in their lives. We don’t get recognized for that, and while that’s not why we do it, it is always nice to be recognized occasionally for doing good work. There are so many people supporting me to do what I do – from excellent colleagues to knowledgeable support staff. This year, I had a principal who was willing to say ‘yes’ to many of the in-class and school projects. She took a risk, knowing it was for the students – thank you, Bonnie!
Q: That is incredible. Knowing how the award money has been spent gives me goosebumps. What a fantastic, worthy way to celebrate your teaching award. My last question is, do you have any advice for teachers just entering the profession and starting their careers?
A: To new teachers, it can be overwhelming at first. Be flexible. You have a lot of experienced people around you. Make sure to lean in on your colleagues for support.
What an absolute pleasure it was speaking with Megan and hearing about all her wonderful work as a Special Education Teacher. Another goosebumps interview for me. I feel so inspired and lucky to be able to work for an organization that elevates and recognizes such extraordinary professionals. Thank you, Megan ~ you are a gift to your profession, your students and an inspiration to us all.
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