A Grade 1 teacher at St. Mary School in North Battleford has been awarded the Master Teacher Award by the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers' Federation.
Nadine Anderson was nominated by a number of her colleagues for "the excellent work that she has done, and continues to do in mathematics teaching."
Fellow staff members also say she is a modest person so it's no surprise she's spreading the credit around.
"People aren't teaching behind closed doors anymore. It's a team effort," says Anderson.
Light of Christ Catholic School Division has given Anderson a learning coach position within the division to further enable her to share her joy of teaching.
"Her commitment to continuous growth and improvement in teaching is a wonderful example to all of us," is a statement on the St. Mary School website. "She is a lifelong learner and uses that strength to constantly modify and improve her teaching strategies, in all subjects, but with an emphasis on mathematics instruction."
In an interview with the News-Optimist, Anderson credited Karen Hrabinsky, learning co-ordinator for Light of Christ, and Ramona Still, French co-ordinator, for her technology support, as well as the principal at St. Mary School, Michelle Sarenco, all her fellow teachers and the school's teachers' aides, including her own, Sharla Edwards.
She explained the approach to math in her Grade 1 home room as moving away from past practice textbooks and pencil and paper, giving students a chance to show their learning in other ways. Through movement, art, math activities in gym, bulletin board projects, building things, manipulative activities and more, math is being learned across all subject areas.
"The thing is having them learning math and relating it to real life."
It's about getting kids to problem solve, she says, not just memorizing everything.
Her room bustles with students working at various stations set up around the room. Some may be working on a stationery project while others are moving about with the TA, and yet another group may be at a table with Anderson for some extra help. All the activity and change from past practice is about the Ministry of Education new directive of teaching to the outcomes and by integrating math across all subject areas Anderson is working toward that objective.
It is working, says Anderson. Pre- and post-testing is showing results across the school division and in her own classroom.
"The kids are engaged, but it takes a lot of planning," she said.
It is significant work for a teacher to work in this way, plus extensive initial training, but like anything else it gets easier as things progress, she says. Classrooms across the division are at various stages along the progression, she says.
Through their PLCs (professional learning communities) teachers are sharing their ideas and resources, says Anderson. Teamwork in this area makes for success in teaching strategies, and it gets the teachers engaged as well, says Anderson.
