Making a difference
For Nicole Hall, teaching is her way of making a difference in the world.
The Grade 6 teacher at Dr. Ken Sauer School has been an educator for 24 years. She says she loves being around children, which drew her down this career path.
“My dad was a teacher and I love being around children,” she said. “I got to see the impact first hand that teachers were able to have on others.
“I think I wanted to make sure that I made an impact when picking a career.”
Hall says her passion for teaching has not gone away after nearly 25 years, and that working with students on things like gratitude keeps her going strong.
“We use the term bucket filling a lot with younger students, and my bucket is full every day,” she said. “Not many professions have the opportunity to give love and receive love on a daily basis.
“I feel very lucky to be a teacher.”
With classes being cut short in March, but now up again and looking different, Hall says there are new challenges with the new version of school.
“I know it sounds like a simple thing, but one of the most noticeable challenges is kids forgetting their masks,” she said. “We do have masks for kids, but it’s just about working with students to create a new routine.
“There’s also a lot of absent kids because of the COVID-19 symptoms. We have to work with them to make sure they are up to date with us.”
On the bright side, Hall has been reminded how truly capable students are.
“We always knew kids were resilient, but we’re really seeing how resilient they are on a daily basis,” she said. “Kids are able to adapt to anything that life throws at them and challenges them with.
“It’s really cool to watch them work through this every day.”
Hall says young people going into the teaching profession should make sure they build relationships and enjoy the ride.
“It’s all about relationships for me,” she said. “With humour and love, those relationships are the number one priority. Helping kids with their social-emotional growth, as well as
academic growth is my priority.
“To people thinking of becoming a teacher, cultivate those relationships right from the beginning and the learning will happen after that,” she said. “Being able to spend my day with 25 amazing humans is what keeps this job fun for me.”