Graduating teacher at MHC takes home social studies award

By ANNA SMITH on April 9, 2024.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Set to graduate this spring, education student Tessa Bailey will move into the workforce with the prestigious Honourable Lois Mitchell Social Studies Teacher Award.

The award is given to graduating teachers, specifically for those teaching social studies, said Bailey, and comes with a glass owl statue as well as an opportunity to meet the former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

When she applied for the award, Bailey wasn’t expecting anything, but she feels beyond excited and honoured.

“We had to answer two short questions about what it means to us to be social studies teachers. And then from that, they picked three contenders,” said Bailey.

From there, the contenders were given a list of historical figures and were asked to prepare a short lesson presentation on the subject to be conducted in front of a small board.

“I did mine on Princess Louise, or Louisa Caroline Alberta. And basically, we just had to do a five- to seven-minute lesson in a grade of our choice, which I chose to do for Grade 4,” said Bailey. “And then we presented to a small board, as if we were teaching, so I just acted like I was teaching a group of fourth graders, but it was really just for adults. It was all online, and just five to seven minutes. And then they have five questions to answer at the end of the presentation.”

Bailey admitted that pretending the board was a group of fourth graders actually made her job easier, as it helped her overcome her nerves.

“It honestly felt kind of natural, just as if I was talking to a group of kids,” she said.

Bailey’s teaching style is all about enthusiasm, as she finds students can tell when the teacher is interested and engaged in a topic, and often feed into that energy and become engaged themselves.

She found out on the same day as her presentation that she had been selected for the award.

Bailey is currently on practicum at Irvine School, which has been a special experience for her, allowing her to broaden her horizons significantly; as her previous experience had been with Grade 2 students, middle school has been a wonderful opportunity, said Bailey.

“I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher since about Grade 11,” said Bailey, who notes she was inspired by a teacher of her own, which inspired her to do for students what this teacher had done for her.

Bailey receives her teaching certificate on April 24 when she graduates Mount Royal University through her time at Medicine Hat College, and is excited to begin work as a substitute teacher, as well as begin looking for her first classroom.

“It was a really awesome experience, and I’m super grateful for it. The instructors at Medicine Hat College have been absolutely awesome in helping prepare all of us for this. I know it was really close at the end, and that speaks to the quality of the college’s work with us. I’m just so excited and honoured to have the opportunity,” said Bailey.

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