Teacher Stories

“I have been teaching at Gateways International for two months. It has been great getting to know the students and being able to learn more about other cultures. During class we have many great discussions and a lot of laughter. I feel that Gateways has a positive environment for students, where they can feel comfortable practicing their skills without being afraid to make mistakes. One thing I have noticed is how students encourage each other. Even though some students are at different levels, they are still encouraged by their peers to try and not to be frustrated. Students are patient and accepting with one another. It is clear that this school is not only a place to learn English, but also a place to make lifelong friends! “
Lauren Greenwood

“I love teaching and it has always been a goal of mine to positively influence peoples’ lives. Teaching is a profession that extends far beyond the classroom, and this is what I enjoy the most about teaching at Gateways. The students here are eager to learn and really want to share what they know to help other students. This has been especially true in the adult language classes where there is a spirit of friendship and sincerity. Long after the students have left my classroom, they carry their lessons with them. Sometimes it’s about what they’ve learned to appreciate about the English language, and sometimes it’s about what they’ve learned to appreciate about themselves. Either way, teaching allows me to make a positive difference in their lives, and that’s why I became a teacher.”
Helena Wiest

“Teaching at Gateways has been a wonderful experience. There is an atmosphere of excellence here that challenges me to keep on improving my teaching skills. I have been teaching both Korean and Indo-Canadian students, which has allowed me to learn about their culture and a bit about their languages. I’m also in charge of creating our bi-monthly newsletter (The Gateways Mosaic), which allows me to express my creativity and to display student work for people in the community to read. For me, teaching is about investing my life into students so they may become all that God desires them to be academically, spiritually, and relationally.”
Michael Jantzen

I especially like working with the students at English Flight School, a Gateways afterschool program which meets at Clearbrook Elementary. The students, in Grades 1-3, have been learning about animals, the continents of the world, and about weather. They have learned new vocabulary, such as “thermometer” and “temperature,” and practiced their speaking and reading skills through fun and interactive games. In addition, they have practiced their listening skills through English songs such as “Baby Beluga” and “Down by the Bay.” The students have enjoyed the singing as well as creating actions that reinforce their understanding of the songs’ lyrics. Lastly, they have worked on their writing skills through fun, creative stories about “a weather adventure” or “how they would catch a wolf.” The students have shown many improvements in their writing; they are giving more details and are learning to use punctuation appropriately. I am proud of my students. With only three and a half weeks left, I am already thinking about how much I am going to miss them. I love my job, and I am excited about being part of the Gateways Team!
Amy Schmidt

An “Aha! Moment” occurs when a student suddenly understands something new. Since I have started teaching at Gateways ESL Learning Center, I have seen students suddenly understand something new. The excitement in their eyes, the smiles on their faces and the joy in their voice is a thrill. As students explain what they have learned or complete a project with excellence, their whole being lights up with confidence. They hear a voice inside say to them, “Well done!”
A young elementary school student struggled with reading and writing. When he first came to Gateways ESL Learning Center, he could not complete a sentence. He also had difficulty answering simple questions. His response to questions was a simple: “I don’t know.” After many weeks of completing reading and writing activities suited to his learning style and aimed at building his confidence, he began to give more detailed responses. I remember the day he said, “This is easy! I can do this!” His eyes were bright and a smile was on his face. From that moment, he began to read with greater confidence and to attempt writing complete sentences! This may sound like a small step, but to this young learner, a new world of reading and writing was opening up!
Here’s an “Aha moment” that happened with two high school students who were preparing for the iBT TOEFL exam. They were learning how to answer the independent speaking TOEFL questions. After practicing these questions, they listened to recordings of other speakers who had already taken the test. I watched my students listen to TOEFL samples: their eyes began to light up as they realized that their speaking skills were much clearer than the TOEFL samples! Confidence was created, and now these two students know that they have the skills to competently complete the speaking segments of the iBT TOEFL.
Three high school students have been working hard to prepare for the SAT test. Two weeks ago, we began to learn about the important critical reading skill of paraphrasing, which is tested throughout the SAT. Most high school students will have some practice with paraphrasing, but what made this class different was that we took time to talk about WHAT is paraphrasing, WHY paraphrasing is important, and HOW to paraphrase. For the first time, these students were able to connect paraphrasing with the academic skills needed for Grade 12 and future university research skills.
A moment of understanding took place with these students: they were learning a very important skill that will help in all their future studies. What is wonderful about these three “Aha!” examples is that students learned something new and grew in confidence. Students will carry this knowledge into their future studies. Students who learn to apply knowledge to their world demonstrate maturity and wisdom!
Jacqueline Smid