Roxboro teacher wins prestigious award

BY BRIAN HAMILTON

Grade 3 teacher Stéphane Côté of Ecole primaire Lalande in Roxboro was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. His innovative style won him recognition for the prestigious award.

Côté was selected for the award because of the unique way he teaches and challenges his students. He likes to assign exercises that require his students to use intellectual, manual and relational skills. An example of his method is illustrated in a project he assigned students, in which they had to shoot a silent movie about a moment of Quebec’s history. The students were responsible for collecting funds, recruiting actors among their classmates and had to present their film at a gala in front of fellow students, parents and teachers.

Côté’s use of information and communication technologies, such as computers and video equipment, as part of his teaching methods permits his students to gain knowledge and become comfortable with tools frequently used in everyday life. His students enjoy being a member of his class and are constantly motivated to perform their best. Côté’s teaching style has been so effective that seven of his students ranked in the first percentile of the Pythagoras mathematics competition. “Mr. Côté always supports his students, because he insists his students show him that they can perform better. His students discover the joy of learning and predispose them to a long-term engagement with education. His class transforms into a laboratory in which all students are proud to be a part of,” said Normand Bergeron, principal of Lalande.

A financial award of $5,000 is donated to the recipients’ school and is spent in accordance with the teacher’s guidance. The money can be used towards items such as books, study materials and computers.

The Prime Minister’s Award has two stages. First is the Certificate of Excellence, awarded to the top 15 teachers across Canada. The second is the Certificate of Achievement, awarded to the following top 50 ranked nominees. Educators of all disciplines from preschool to high school are eligible for the award. The award seeks to honour and recognize teachers with innovative ways to teach and prepare their students to meet the demands of the 21st century.

With the thousands of teachers in Quebec only 17 were nominated for the award, with Côté the sole winner. He was also awarded the Certificate of Achievement in 2005.

A selection committee comprising of teacher’s federations, parent-teacher associations, post-secondary institutions, provincial and territorial education ministries, business organizations and student groups decide who receives the awards. A minimum of one nominee must be selected from each of the following regions: British Columbia, the Prairies, the Territories, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces.