Two NWT teachers have been recognized for their service with Canada’s highest honour within their profession.
Paige Driscoll of Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk and Jennifer Tweedie of Princess Alexandra School and Harry Camsell School in Hay River were named as recipients of the Prime Minister’s Award in recognition of their work in teaching and early childhood education.
The award winners were announced on World Teachers Day, Oct. 5.
“Every day, teachers go above and beyond as mentors, coaches, counsellors, and advocates for the next generation of Canadians,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Today, we congratulate the 2023 award recipients; your dedication and service to our kids help make Canada the best country in the world.
Awarded the National Certificate of Excellence, Driscoll has lived in Tuktoyaktuk for many years. Her approach involves making education a useful tool that students can adopt to enhance their quality of life and develop opportunities. She has used three of the four core subjects — math, science and social studies — to help her students learn about coastal erosion in the area.
Her Grade 1 to 9 students have completed projects including solar-powered robots and coded-microbit soil readers.
Driscoll’s approach merges traditional knowledge and modern teaching techniques, bringing Elders in to talk about the historical and cultural significance of the Northern Lights, for example, and then allowing her students to present their findings through their choice of digital or analog medium. Her holistic classroom encourages students to support one another and to express themselves through the arts.
Community is central to Tweedie’s teaching philosophy. Awarded the National Certificate of Achievement, she has immersed herself in the Dene culture of Hay River and the surrounding area. Finding ways to connect her lessons to regional history, Tweedie is noted for leading her Grade 4/5 class in a digital writing project, compiling stories in both English and Dene Yatie about traditional artifacts donated by the Dene Cultural Institute for the Grade 2 class.
The books were also shared with parents and Elders. Her personalized teaching allows her to reach out to students of a variety of learning styles and she’s in constant contact with parents and family to ensure students are getting the most out of their education.
“Early childhood educators are the cornerstone of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system,” said Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds. “Their work is critical to fostering the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of young children and the success of the system. Congratulations to the 2023 Prime Minister Award recipients; you have made an incredible impact on our country and communities.”
