It is difficult for me to separate my educational, technical and leadership background, because all three areas have been an integral part of my experience since I have been working full time. Because of my background, I sincerely feel that this Master's program is the absolute perfect place for me, as it will effectively combine these three areas and give me the continued skills to excel.
After I had graduated from the U of L (the first time – with my BA and BEd), I did not go directly into the teaching profession, but spent approximately two years working as a Manager in a local call centre that provided technical support to internet and cable TV subscribers. This position gave me the chance to explore my technical skills and was when I began to develop my managerial capabilities. Although I enjoyed the position, it was a far cry from what I had gone to University for, and I made the decision to return home to Calgary to pursue my intended career, as a school teacher.
Starting in 2005/2006, I began working at CBe-learn, which is the Calgary Board of Education's online high school. During my time at CBe-learn, I have been involved in teaching and developing online courses from a variety of disciplines, with the exception of Math. I settled into the English department early on, and have been teaching ELA 30-1 or 30-2 consistently for the past six or seven semesters. Because the majority of my student teaching was in elementary classrooms, that's what I had been expecting upon obtaining a full time position. However, when I heard about the unique and exciting program that CBe-learn offered, I knew I had found the perfect place to launch my teaching career.
Since starting my position at CBe-learn, I have had the chance to move into a unique role that allows me to act as the technical and instructional support for all of the teachers in our online educational environment. This has given me the chance to continue exploring my own personal leadership and technical capabilities. Half of my time (0.5 FTE) is dedicated to this role at CBe-learn.
All of the teachers at CBe-learn share in the unique experience of teaching in an online high school, and our talents were quickly realized by the rest of our school board. Therefore, many of us have been deployed into other schools to act as Learning Leaders, assisting with technology and pedagogy on a regular basis. The nature of my support has been extended along with these teachers, so I am able to provide them with the continued help and assistance they need. Over the past two years, I have had the distinctive pleasure of helping teachers in their work facilitating other teachers!
In our summer school session at CBe-learn, we hire approximately 30 teachers. Some of them come from within our school, but we also hire teachers from the entire CBE who may or may not have taught in a distributed online environment. A significant part of my responsibility in Summer School is to mentor these 'new' teachers, and make sure they have the right supports in place. I also act as their liaison, and field any of their questions or concerns about students, technical issues or pedagogical practices. This was an incredible experience last year, and shows promise of being just as rewarding this year. Although I am not acting in an administrative role, I am a Leader to all of our Summer School teachers, and provide them with the technical and instructional support they require.
I am incredibly fortunate to have these possibilities open up to me so early in my teaching career, and approach each new opportunity with optimism and enthusiasm. I strongly believe in the work we're doing at CBe-learn and across the Calgary Board of Education, as I know it is making a significant impact on student learning. By continuing to explore how I can be more thoughtful in my teaching, more skilled with information technology, and stronger and more confident in my leadership, I hope to continue to make an impact on all teachers and students; those who matter most.
-Monti Tanner
