Free-flowing discussion
with Andrea Brazeau
The idiom “ to teach someone a lesson ” has a seemingly negative connotation, while in the literal sense may be perceived as more positive. Throughout elementary, most students have expressed, at one point or another, mixed feelings about waking up early in the morning for school.
“ Ughhhh… is this some kind of punishment?
Ref, which rule have I broken to get stuck behind a desk for so many periods?!” ”
Fortunately for us, we had teachers who we could look up to, who were able to stimulate our minds and who motivated our desire to come to school each day. As luck would have it, I met a teacher who fits this very description: Andrea Brazeau, a post-secondary graduate who has brought knowledge back to her hometown!
I like to believe that I’ve helped my students build self-esteem throughout the school year. It’s one of the most important things that I can do in the classroom because it allows them to succeed with their schoolwork.
As a first-year teacher, Andrea landed a job as a fourth-grade teacher in George River. It has been a great and valuable opportunity for her to implement, adapt and refine classroom management techniques she learned when completing her Bachelor of Arts at McGill University.
“ Classroom management is key. From there on, you can build students’ confidence and self-esteem and then they’ll have the skills to get their work done. ” explains Andrea. I enthusiastically nod in agreement, even with limited knowledge of classroom management.
“ You seem to know how to work a younger crowd. ”
“ I love working with kids! I’ve always worked with them. It’s about putting on a great performance every day. When interacting with kids, you need to be energetic and fun! ” she explains with enthusiasm.
Adopting a fun approach can produce a change in someone’s behavior. Keeping the learning process fun and fresh has a positive effect on education and Andrea knows how to put the fun back into the game. In high school, Andrea was a passionate hockey player who would help coach the younger Atom and Pee Wee players.
“ Coach Brazeau, bring on the whiteboard! ”
Every Sunday, Andrea prepares her lessons by asking herself :
“ What’s my goal for the week? ”
As I write this article, I find myself asking the very same question. What’s my end goal? Is it to talk about what Andrea brings to the Ulluriaq School team? How do I go about this? Let’s try to answer these questions by launching a learning centre in this article. Take a look at the whiteboard that has been transformed into a hockey rink which we will use to illustrate Andrea’s ‘plays’ or in laymen’s terms her teaching approach.
For those kids who see school as an imposed punishment by their parents (aka the referees), let’s give them another perspective of the game by heading over to the penalty box.
“ See that cooler over there on the floor under the bench? Well, inside it you’ll find frozen hockey pucks. ”
Let’s start by randomly picking one of Andrea’s lessons. Now imagine it’s the cooler. Let’s break this lesson down into many parts each represented by one of the frozen pucks. Every time Andrea asks a question – a potential shot on goal – she is putting a new puck into play, ready to pass to a student. A wrong answer clinks off the goalpost or crossbar and doesn’t cross the goal line. A correct answer is a hockey puck in the net. C’est le but!
“ Hands raised, stick in the air…
Can the student hit Andrea’s pass with a one-timer and score? ”
“ Every time we work on the white board, each student gets a shot at answering, so I really know who knows the material. ” Andrea explains.
“ That’s how you keep track, nice. ”
“ Yeah. It’s a lot of observation, but in the end, I know which level they’re at. ”
“ What are your objectives as a teacher? ” I ask.
“ I want my students to build on their literacy. If the kids can read and write, they’ll be able to do anything in life. I currently use a lot of pictures during tests to guide them through their second language. ”
Being a teacher in the same school where she was once a student, Andrea reinforces her role by bridging the gap between language of instruction and second language. She’s already aware of what the bridge is made of… at this point, she can focus on resurfacing this familiar walkway for her students to confidently navigate.
“ Follow me kids!
I’ll help smooth out the path ahead. ”
“ When I teach something that is harder to understand, I’ll repeat in Inuktitut so that they really get the concept and then explain it once more in English. ”
“ So language repetition and association. Got it! ”
“ Also on the confidence aspect, another objective of mine is to encourage them to become good human beings. It’s about being respectful and aware of the people around. Overall, I focus on teaching them basic life manners and life skills. ”
“ Awesome. Is there anything else you’d like to share before we end our conversation? ”
“ You get a lot in return for being a teacher, I think. It is a very demanding profession but it’s so rewarding and worth it. ” Andrea concludes.