Introduce yourself and the courses you teach. What, in your opinion, is the best thing about being a teacher at Centennial Academy?

My name is Nicholas Sergerie, Department Head of Social Studies.  I teach grade 10 history and I’ve been teaching here for 11 years.  I began by doing my teaching stage here and was hired the following year.  Teaching at Centennial is challenging although rewarding.  Getting students to achieve success in the grade 10 history is one of the most difficult challenges for many of these students, so I get immense satisfaction from getting these students through the course.[/row]

What are the top 3 things that you think make Centennial Academy unique?

Our approach in the classroom is one element that makes Centennial unique, but I would also highlight that fact that we have a small community and caring teachers.  We ensure that work gets submitted and completed with use of our access team.

Tell me about one of your favorite teaching memories/story?

I used to do a Gallery of Fame project with grade 8 history students.  It was a historical figures research project that engaged students and culminated in an evening where students would showcase their project and come dressed up as their historical figure. This project really engaged students and provided a great opportunity for students to showcase their learning.

What do you think your students like the most about you?

They would probably say I’m fair, organized and serious.

Describe a typical classroom experience or a typical day at Centennial?

Most lessons will begin with a teacher-led review or checking for understanding activity based on the previous lesson.   I try to keep the lecturing to a minimum if any at all. Students will then engage themselves in the content by completing some type of learning activity.

Describe in your own words the Centennial Academy Approach and how UDL really works.

My understanding of UDL is it provides students with various means of understanding and learning the content/curriculum.  It also provides students with multiple ways they can show their understanding also.

Introduce yourself and the courses you teach. What, in your opinion, is the best thing about being a teacher at Centennial Academy?

My name is Bianca Ambrosino and I teach Visual Arts, Multimedia and as well as facilitate the Robotics and Programming club. In my opinion, the best thing about being a teacher at Centennial Academy is teaching new creative concepts to my students every day.

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What are the top 3 things that you think make Centennial Academy unique?

1. Centennial’s UDL approach
2. Our structured routines that help students become autonomous learners
3. The skills we teach our students to help them become resilient

Tell me about one of your favorite teaching memories/story?

My favorite teaching memory at Centennial is when my grade 9 classroom used Photoshop to create a deck of cards as a class in a unit called “52 Pickup”. The project required independent work, group discussion and the use of new techniques. I will always remember when I would hear students excitedly say “I get it! It worked!” as they attempted an especially difficult technique.

What do you think your students like the most about you?

I think my students like that I am passionate about the subjects I teach. I show my enthusiasm by ensuring that I take the time to explain concepts and techniques to them until they are confident with their abilities.

Describe a typical classroom experience or a typical day at Centennial?

A typical day at a Centennial Visual arts or Multimedia class is separated into five parts.
Every class starts with a warm up routine called the “Daily Doodle”, a type of activity that allows students to practice spontaneity in arts by drawing an image of the theme given that day. Following this, instructions and demonstrations would be given based on what project they are working on. Students are then given the majority of the class for independent work. Finally, class time ends with cleaning up their materials and an artistic reflection as they prepare for their next class.

Describe in your own words the Centennial Academy Approach and how UDL really works.

We approach learning in various ways, understanding that not every student can fit into a single mould. By using the UDL approach, our team offers multiple ways to engage in content in a manner that works best for the student! In an art class, this means having the opportunity to learn using visual, kinesthetic and auditory tools, while participating in projects that practice interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.

Introduce yourself and the courses you teach. What, in your opinion, is the best thing about being a teacher at Centennial Academy?

My name is Lauren Kohos, and I teach Visual Arts, Ethics and Religious Cultures, and Integrative Project.

In my opinion, the best thing about being a teacher at Centennial Academy is that we teach in a way that reaches all students. We have a truly inclusive approach to teaching that makes our students succeed.

What are the top 3 things that you think make Centennial Academy unique?

Something that makes Centennial Academy unique is our consistency of routine throughout the school. Each course has an opening introductory activity that gets students self-started. In Visual art we have the daily doodle. In ERC students complete an ethical question of the day. Integrative project has students research a new creator each day.

Another thing that makes our school unique is that we don’t only teach our students the curriculum; we also teach them the tools and strategies for learning. Students are taught active reading strategies and are given graphic organizers to help them be more autonomous learners.

Something else that makes our school unique is our level rooms and access center. When students need extra help, a break or a quiet place to learn students can come to these places. They are equipped with spaces to learn as well as stationary bikes for students to spend some energy.

Tell me about one of your favorite teaching memories/story?

My favourite memory at Centennial is when we held our art show last year. Seeing all of the students enter the transformed cafeteria was an exciting moment. Students were given the opportunity to showcase their work to family and friends. It was truly wonderful to see the students so proud of their accomplishments in the arts.

What do you think your students like the most about you?

I think that what my students like the most about me is that I take their interests into consideration. When planning lessons, I am always thinking about what that group is interested in learning. By making their themes and topics relatable, students become more engaged in the lessons.

Describe a typical classroom experience or a typical day at Centennial?

A typical class at Centennial has a strong routine. The class always begins with an opening activity to reinforce learning. Students are then given instructions and ample time to complete an in class assignment. The last 5 minutes of class are always dedicated to preparing students for their next class.

Describe in your own words the Centennial Academy Approach and how UDL really works.

At Centennial Academy, students are taught to be autonomous and resilient learners. Assignments and projects are created in ways that can help students self-launch. With clear and concise instructions, and step by step assignments, students are given the tools to work independently. All course materials are accessible via paper copy, and online, as well as we provide oral, written and visual instructions. With UDL we create course materials that are easier to read and understand for all students. We use clear sans serif fonts, and high contrast PowerPoint presentations. All students are given tools such as WordQ, reading strategies and graphic organizers to help them learn. At Centennial Academy, we make sure to reach ALL students.

Introduce yourself and the courses you teach. What, in your opinion, is the best thing about being a teacher at Centennial Academy?

My name is Krystal Lapierre.  I have taught in South Korea, New Zealand and Tanzania and this is my seventh year teaching at Centennial Academy.  I currently teach grade 9 and 10 science, including the advance science course.  I have also taught grade 8 science and grade 11 math in the past.

I find teaching at Centennial very rewarding as I feel that I can have a really positive impact on the success of our diverse learners.  I also love changing students’ perceptions about science by making it engaging and hands-on.

What are the top 3 things that you think make Centennial Academy unique?

1. Centennial allows students to overcome the challenges of learning in an environment that is supportive and inclusive.  This gives students the confidence they need to succeed academically and socially.
2. Centennial staff are consistent in their approaches to teaching and learning which allows predictability and helps the students stay organized and on the path to success.
3. We focus on learning behaviours as a means to improve academic performance.  These are skills that aren’t explicitly taught at other schools and which go a long way towards creating a more effective learning environment.

Tell me about one of your favorite teaching memories/story?

My favourite time of year with the grade 9s is the period right before December exams, when we do the sheep’s heart and frog dissections.  I usually have a number of students who are squeamish and who do not want to participate.  I never make it mandatory that they participate, however, more often than not, curiosity overcomes any trepidation the student may have and they become engrossed in the dissection, asking lots of questions and making valuable connections between what they are seeing and how their own bodies work.

What do you think your students like the most about you?

I think that my students like how passionate I am about science, and how I can relate what I am teaching to their day-to-day lives.  I am organized and punctual in returning assignments to my students so that they can promptly learn from their mistakes and work on improving for their resubmission or next assignment.

Describe a typical classroom experience or a typical day at Centennial?

A typical day at Centennial is very predictable.  The student comes into their classroom, where they will stay for majority the day, and the teacher puts the learning target and agenda on the board so that the students know what will be happening that period.  There is usually a portion of the class dedicated to introducing new material and then the rest of the period students are practicing that new concept.  In science, we try to get into the lab as much as possible so that students can be involved in their own learning.  Students will finish their day with study hall, which is a 45 minute period for students to complete homework and seek out their teachers for help, should they need it.  Students are then expected to only do 30 minutes of remaining homework or review once at home.

Describe in your own words the Centennial Academy Approach and how UDL really works.

The Centennial approach uses UDL to ensure that no matter what the learning challenge of a student may be, that that student can engage with the material in a manner that suits them.  At Centennial we provide PowerPoints, course packs, videos, interactive websites (gizmos, facile learning and phets are commonly used in science), hands-on activities, as well as a variety of other tools.  We also encourage the use of WordQ and students often have the option to type or hand-write assignments.