Kali Brasseur, Mikala Abbott and Mike Johnston are this year’s NWT recipients of the Prime Minister’s Awards, which recognize the achievements of teachers and early childhood educators.
“You don’t get into teaching for recognition in awards, so it’s humbling to be nominated and to win an award like this,” said Johnston, an alternative education teacher at Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchokǫ̀ and recipient of a Teaching Excellence (Achievement) award.
Johnston’s biography associated with the award describes him as “known for helping those who often feel left out of traditional school systems.” He told Cabin Raido he is happy that land-based and hands-on programs are getting recognition.
Brasseur, who teaches high school math and calculus at Yellowknife’s École St Patrick High School, said she was “honoured” to receive a Teaching Excellence in Stem (Achievement) award. Stem stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
She said she is inspired by the book Building Thinking Classrooms and has been trying to make math a “collective endeavour.” This means her lessons involve group work, collaboration and conversation.
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“I’ve seen our students be more and more willing to take risks, to try things out, to think about things in different ways, to try new ways to solve problems, and to become learners who are just more engaged and more autonomous,” said Brasseur.
Abbott, an English teacher at St Pat’s, said their Teaching Excellence (Achievement) award “validates the priorities that I have in education,” which they describe as teaching students as “autonomous individuals who are developing their capacity to make change in the world and really holding them to that standard.”
“I think it’s incredibly important that everybody in Canada knows and recognizes that every person’s voice – doesn’t matter their age, it doesn’t matter their geographical location – everybody’s voice matters,” said Abbott.
Abbott grew up in High River, Alberta and moved to Yellowknife in 2015 to work as a teaching assistant at Weledeh Catholic School. In 2020, they decided to move into teaching.
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“It really is such a gift to be able to spend so much time with such truly interesting people. I really love my job,” they said.
Brasseur, who grew up in Yellowknife and graduated from St Pat’s, said she wants to see education efforts in the NWT recognized and have northerners come back to the territory to strengthen the community.
“I think it’s important for people to remember that we’re up here and that we are doing great things too,” she said. “Our schools and our students are doing fantastic work and are creative, critical thinkers who are learning and living in the North.”
Johnston, Brasseur and Abbott thanked their students, families, communities and fellow teachers for their support.
“Teaching is probably one of the most difficult but satisfying jobs there is,” said Johnston.
A ceremony recognizing some of the recipients will take place in Ottawa later this year.
