Two teachers from Chinook's Edge School Division have been named as finalists for the Excellence in Teaching Awards.Gayla Moore, a teacher at Olds High School and Darlene Kusick, a Grade 3 teacher at Ecole Olds Elementary School, were named as two of 23 recipients across the province to receive the awards. A total of 341 teachers across the province were nominated for the awards.Moore said she doesn't consider herself to be doing anything more than what other teachers are doing across the province.“It's not the recognition of anything grandiose. But if it's a tribute to what excellence in teaching has always been, which is simply that a teacher is engaged in compassionate teaching … inspiring and engaging their students, then I appreciate that tribute. To me it's a tribute to the personal part … of the equation in education and to me, that is the … most important part of the foundation of any education,” she said.“I had no idea that I would be considered a finalist. I was stunned. To be given the award is astounding.Moore has developed what she calls the Kaleidoscope Program at the school that takes students who are struggling and works with them to provide a place where they can find success. She said she couldn't have developed the program without the great staff and supportive administration at the school, including principal Tom Christensen.“I can (connect with students) because I work with a small class size,” she said, noting that she works with 15 Grade 9 students and 16 Grade 10 and 11 students every day for half the day for the entire school year. Moore works with the students on all their core subjects.“You really get to know them individually and you understand their background, you understand their needs, but you also understand their strengths, and you build on the strengths and you shore up the challenges … and enable each and every one of them to make progress to be successful,” Moore said.Each award recipient also receives $4,000 to be put toward professional development opportunities.Moore said she is unsure, at this point, how she might use those funds.Kusick said she was honoured to chosen as a finalist, especially in light of all the excellent teachers both locally and across the province.“I have mixed feelings. I still have lots to learn so I sometimes think it shouldn't be me because there's lots of wonderful teachers out there. For me, it's about the kids. I never do this for the rewards or the award,” she said.Kusick said the more she learns about teaching, the more there is to learn, especially from the students.“If we (as teachers) don't continue learning as well, then how do we teach?” she said.Kusick has been invited to speak in both Chicago and Dallas next fall at National Council of Mathematics conferences. Kusick said she would also like to take in other presentations and bring back the knowledge that she gains from that and apply that in the classroom.
