A tale of two teachers

The Eastern Townships School Board celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week from Feb. 2 to Feb. 8 in honour of all the wonderful teachers out there who make it their daily mission to provide a positive experience for their students. To mark this special occasion, The Record spoke with Melissa Mason, a student in the Education Program at Bishop’s University, and Katherine Thibodeau, in her first year of teaching at Massey-Vanier, about their experiences in the classroom and what inspired them to pursue careers in education. Melissa Mason is in her fourth year at Bishop’s University in the Bachelor of Education program and she is currently completing her final practicum at Knowlton Academy teaching English Language Arts, Math and Ethics and Religious Culture to Grade 6 students. Growing up with a mother who was a teacher, her inspiration to study to become one herself lies close to home. “Growing up I spent a lot of time in the classroom and on field trips with my mother, as she was a teacher too,” said Mason. “So that’s where I think it started. I’ve always loved being around children and thought teaching would allow me to combine my love of school and children into a job that was perfect for me.” From the experiences she’s had in her practicums so far, she has come to learn that being a teacher means more than, well, teaching. “I think the most important thing I’ve come to realize is that being a teacher means being a lifelong learner. You have to have a passion and drive to continue to better yourself every day,” she mentioned. “There’s always something to be learned and something to become better at. The more teachers develop themselves, the more equipped and ready they will be to help develop their students.” See full story in the Friday, Feb. 14 edition of The Record.