Richard Bernard: Encouraging students to think deeply and respond thoughtfully

Note: Some footage used in this video was filmed prior to the pandemic and may not depict social distancing measures.

Transcription – Richard Bernard – 2020 Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence

[Close-up of man in an interview setting. Music playing.]

"I think that the most important piece for kids to be successful is to get them engaged and having them connect with the content."

[Fade to black and then up to white with medium shot of man, smiling, on the left side of the screen, with the following words appearing, line by line, on the right: Richard Bernard, River Oaks Public School, Oakville, Ontario. Fade to black and then up to close-up of Richard in the interview setting.]

" I find that humour is definitely one of the things that helps kids connect with you. If you can make fun of yourself they are definitely going to trust you and also being able to level with them and connect with them on a personal level, getting to know them for who they are as a person and as a learner. I think that is probably one of the most important things there is to be able connect with a kid."

[Fade to black and then up to Richard in the interview setting.]

"The first thing I did, when I came into the classroom, it was full of desks and all this stuff. I actually asked the caretaker to remove all the desks and we put in eight, eight foot tables so that the kids were forced to face each other and share their understanding or ask each other questions."

[Fade to black and then up to Richard in the interview setting.]

"We did some animation stuff in the past with stop motion and apple and all that kind of stuff and that has got to be one of the best things I've ever done because you can really see the kids who are incredibly creative and the process that they do. The amount of detail and the amount of work that they put into it and the level of understanding of communicating a message, it's there, it's there and it's hilarious because when my colleagues come in and I'll say take a look at this one and they'll look at it and say, "holy crow, how did they do that?" And I'm like ask them, because they are the ones that did the work I'm just the guy giving them the tools and saying push yourself further. I think that's really cool."

[Fade to black and then up to Richard in the interview setting.]

"Well, technology is important, but I think that for writing, for the writing process I think just sitting down as well and writing down and creating your rough draft or whatever and working with pen and paper; I think that is an important part of the process to. I think it is good for them to sit down and actually be able to write it down on paper and if they don't like it to be able to crumple it up and throw it away, have add it. It's almost therapeutic to rip up an idea that you didn't like and throw it out as opposed to highlight it and delete it."

[Fade to black and then up to Richard in the interview setting.]

"To become a teacher that's what you really need to do especially if you want to be successful at it and have a positive impact on students. I think you need to own it and to be passionate about it, whatever it is could be art, could be math, and in my case language arts and visual arts could, I think that being passionate about it is what makes a good teacher."

[Fade to black, with the Government of Canada FIP and then the Canada Wordmark appearing in white.]

Year: 2020 — Province: Ontario
Certificate of Excellence Recipient

River Oaks Public School
English, History, Geography and Art, grade 8
Oakville, Ontario

If I could thank Mr. Bernard for one thing, it would be for teaching me to trust my instincts and helping me understand that it's not just ok to be me; it's great to be me!

former student

Richard Bernard's commitment to bringing out the best in students comes from who he is and how his lived experiences have shaped him. He understands that students can overcome roadblocks to learning when they have a champion supporting them.

Teaching approach

Character development, ethical decision-making and global citizenship are as important to Richard as academic learning. He creates a safe, inclusive and accepting community, encouraging his students to share their thoughts and build on one another's ideas, and see themselves as truly capable and valuable learners.

In the classroom

  • Prepares students for the digital world, exploring the intersection of message and media: for example, students examined statements in response to Colin Kaepernick's anti-racism protest, reflected on what their own statement would be and posted related precepts in the classroom for reference throughout the year.
  • Uses photography to help students connect deeply with the world and each other: students take nature photos, create a portfolio and think critically about how their photographs capture places and experiences; very personal portraits of classmates are grounded in in-depth conversations about their likes and dislikes.
  • Seamlessly combines the arts and English: students create, for example, thoughtful and perceptive watercolour paintings to express their thinking on song lyrics as poetry, figurative language and symbolism; mixed-media self-portraits allow students to express their personal interests and preferences.
  • Fosters engagement with history through experiential learning: students research Louis Riel to prepare to re-enact his trial but without knowing the outcome; groups representing colonies present position papers for the Confederation debates, learning how to negotiate and what happens after negotiations conclude.
  • Inspires critical thinking about being a global citizen, through readings about individuals effecting change through writing, and the efforts of sports teams and individual athletes to overcome adversity; students learn that being a global citizen begins with treating those in their immediate sphere with respect.

Outstanding achievements

  • Provides quality learning opportunities for individual students: tailored stop-motion animation project for one student with significant learning challenges; gave high-interest assignments and online feedback to student unable to attend school; consulted Indigenous Knowledge Guide to bridge education and cultural gaps for another student.
  • Inspires students to be leaders: Developed the school's breakfast and snack program but turns over day-to-day management to the Grade 8s, who arrive early to prepare the carts of food that are available to students, no questions asked; another student became the school's tech expert at Richard's urging.
  • Leads by example, mentoring teacher candidates, supporting staff at another school as they set up their own breakfast program following his model, helping colleagues with technology issues and sharing resources.

Get in touch!

River Oaks Public School
2173 Munn's Avenue
Oakville ON  L6H 3S9

905-842-7430
braunbergerl@hdsb.ca
http://riv.hdsb.ca/
Twitter: @ROPShdsb