Note: Some footage used in this video was filmed prior to the pandemic and may not depict social distancing measures.
Transcription – Maureen Kelly-Gibson, 2020 Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence
[Close-up of woman in an interview setting. Music playing.]
"Teach with your heart."
[Cut to photos, with voice over. Photos: A woman sitting at a table across from a student; a student explaining what he is doing on the computer to his teacher.]
"Try new things. It's OK to make a mistake you know, teachers can learn along with the students. You don't have to have all of the answers, you know?"
[Cut back to close-up of a woman in the interview setting.]
"Engage together in learning."
[Fade to black and then up to white with medium shot of woman, smiling, on the left side of the screen, with the following words appearing, line by line, on the right: Maureen Kelly-Gibson, Calgary Academy, Calgary, Alberta. Fade to black and then up to close-up of Maureen in the interview setting.]
"I would say that the number one factor that contributes to a student's success is connection. "
[Cut to photos, with voice over. Photos: Maureen with two students at a table doing crafts; Maureen sitting across from a student a table using flashcards.]
"Building a relationship with students in the classroom. You can have an openness. An open heart, and an open mind with children…"
[Cut back to close-up of Maureen in the interview setting.]
"…if you're able to be open, and vulnerable with children they feel safe to be open and vulnerable with each other. And you create a safe haven. Like a classroom family where kids can go beyond what they could do without that kind of a relationship."
[Fade to black and then up to Maureen in the interview setting.]
"With project-based learning you really get to focus on big ideas. And allow students to be change makers, and to you know have interests globally…. "
[Cut to photos with voice over. Photos: A student looking at an art project; a different student examining another art project.]
"And to feel that they're really working on something that can make a difference. Things like design thinking can be incorporated when you take project-based learning and high quality project based learning. "
[Cut back to close-up of Maureen in the interview setting.]
"You've got design thinking where students can do frequent iterations on their work to really create beautiful work that they're proud of."
[Fade to black and then up to Maureen in the interview setting.]
"Everyone doesn't fit in the middle. You know there's a lot of students that are on the edges. That are all around the edges of the classroom who learn differently. "
[Cut to photos with voice over. Photos: people in an auditorium; students looking at an art project; a student and Maureen standing in front of a lap top.]
"To be able to have technology allows you to be able to do universal design for learning. Where you can design learning that supports all of the students. It's really inclusive, and I think that everybody has their strengths and we should leverage them."
[Cut back to Maureen in the interview setting.]
"And everybody has needs and we should support them. And so technology allows us to do that. "
[Fade to black, with the Government of Canada FIP and then the Canada Wordmark appearing in white.]
Year: 2020 — Province: Alberta
Certificate of Excellence Recipient
Calgary Academy
All subjects, grades 2 to 4 and 7
Calgary, Alberta
I get emotional when I think of where [my son] would have been without Maureen. [He] is a confident young man who treats people well and has positive, loving relationships. He volunteers in his community and is a strong contributor to society. Our family owes that to Maureen.
Maureen Kelly-Gibson leads the way in adopting new approaches to learning at her K–12 special education private school. Students with learning disabilities who are struggling to learn in the regular public system—and are often two or three grade levels behind—thrive as a result of this veteran teacher's care and commitment.
Teaching approach
Maureen ensures each student knows they are special and valued in the learning community. She gently coaxes and guides her students to create the best work they can, and to be the best people possible. The relationships she builds with her students and colleagues are at the centre of everything she does.
In the classroom
- Explores design-thinking cycle to meet learning outcomes: young students developed and created scale models of a natural learning space, using green screens to record themselves explaining each element of the space while superimposed on their model; project benefited students who struggle with written output.
- Introduced talking circles to support student development by building cooperative and communications skills: students speak about social issues or community concerns in a safe, respectful environment, starting with closed questions and then moving on to open ones as their confidence develops.
- Provides opportunities for deep learning on a single topic: Grade 7s studied the prime minister's 2008 apology to Indigenous peoples, created a mosaic about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 calls to action, and raised money to buy flags indicating that the school sits on traditional Indigenous land.
- Inspired by school's partnership with university math education researchers, introduced intermediate-level concepts of perimeter, direction, timing and geography to students in grades 1 and 2 using programmable LEGO robots; Grade 4s worked with the younger students on robotic solutions to improving river health.
Outstanding achievements
- Led a group of administrators and teachers to design and implement new learning model for school—taking the best from the academy's 40-year history and incorporating progressive thinking in pedagogy and assessment that has wellness, belonging, relationships and self-awareness at its core.
- Pioneered creation of school's social skills program, and added mindfulness practices to her classroom: students develop the capacity to manage difficult and challenging circumstances and develop resilience.
- Was instrumental in creating school's new Kindergarten program, designing it around play-based learning to set the foundation for success in school and with best practices from across the country and an effective assessment tool to meet the province's high standards for new programs.
- Mentored numerous teachers using the "I do. We do. You do." approach that allows teachers to watch her teach, then progress to a collaborative process, and then, when they are ready, take over, with Maureen providing feedback.
Get in touch!
Calgary Academy
1677 93rd Street SW
Calgary AB T3H 0R3
403-686-6444
info@calgaryacademy.com; https://calgaryacademy.com/
Twitter: @CalgaryAcademy, @MaureenKellyGi1
Facebook: @wearecalgaryacademy