Tell us about yourself!

My name is Daniel Radersma and I have been an elementary teacher for the last 9 years in Sherwood Park, AB and surrounding areas. I have taught a variety of grades from 1-6 and currently teach 34 grade 6 students. I love teaching elementary because I get to dig into a lot of different subject areas and I get to know my students really well because they are with me for almost every class. Seeing students succeed and grow is so encouraging and makes it a joy to come to school each day. Outside of the classroom, I am competitive and like playing board games, video games and subbing on my rec hockey team. When I’m not playing games, I keep busy spending time with my two energetic kids and beautiful wife.

What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?

I really enjoy giving students real-world examples of how science and technology are applied. It’s not just numbers and scenarios but rather something they can see on their tv screens as they watch the game. Then they can start building connections to other real-world examples in their own lives.

Who is your favorite NHL® player and why?

There are so many great players that are required to work together to build success but Captain Conner is such a source of inspiration. He was thrust into a leadership role so young because of his skill and continues to grow and mature into that role as time goes on. I see, and appreciate, his dedication to our local community and he makes me proud to be an Oiler fan.

If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?

I have played hockey on rec teams as an adult and I usually play on the left wing because I like being aggressive in the opposition’s zone to provide pressure and drive to the net whenever I can. I’d be lying if I said scoring goals wasn’t an enjoyable part of the game but setting someone else up with a well-timed pass is also exciting.