Edmonton Oilers December Teacher of the Month!
Name:
Real VanBrabant
School:
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School and Evergreen Catholic Separate Regional Division
Classroom Team:
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
I was always the kid that other students went to for help with schoolwork so it seemed like a logical choice.
What has been your most memorable moment as a teacher?
Walking through my community and hearing “Hi Veebs!” (my nickname) from cars driving by – my daughters claim that we can’t walk for more than 10 minutes before it happens. A more specific moment was when I was out for shoulder surgery for 3 months and, during the second month, I stopped by the school to visit and students came running out of classrooms to come and see me – my principal at the time commented “it’s like he’s a rock star or something”
What is your favorite part of Future Goals and how are you using it in your classroom?
That students can work at their own pace. Future Goals is great for those students who work more quickly than others and otherwise might get bored or distracted easily.
What was your student’s reaction to the program?
Quite positive overall. Students appreciated that they could work on it as they pleased instead of having to follow a set timeline.
Who is your favorite hockey player?
Ethan Bear because he is Cree Canadian and I am always looking for ways to develop and apply foundational knowledge about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit for the benefit of all students and having a local professional hockey player who is a member of one of these groups helps a great deal.