Toronto Maple Leafs November 2022 Teacher of the Month

Future GoalsTM Program

Toronto Maple Leafs logo

Toronto Maple Leafs November 2022 Teacher of the Month

Name:

Jennifer Tilston

School:

AB Ellis Public School

Classroom Team:


Tell us about yourself!

Since I was a child I have wanted to be a teacher. I am currently teaching grade 5/6 at a publicly funded school in a small town in Northern Ontario. I love connecting with kids and we have a lot of fun in the classroom and beyond. I have been involved with Espanola Minor Ball, Espanola Little Theatre and am an active Unionist through the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. When I am not at school you can find me jogging, hiking or snowshoeing.

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

I love Future Goals because it ties in beautifully with what I believe in. When I teach, I make a conscious effort to connect learning to the real world. This was exactly the topic of my Inquiry Project (as a teacher) last year. Children buy in to their learning when they see a reason for studying that particular topic. I love the STEM component of Future Goals. I have a group of very athletic and energetic students in my class this year. They were very engaged while playing Paint the Ice. We had just covered coordinate planes while doing Patterns. The program has a lot of neat ways of connecting sports and math.

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

I would play defence because I have never enjoyed being front and centre of things. I consider myself dependable. Playing defence would align with my personality – I would be another layer in the game before one can reach the goalie.