Eileen Hines | Article

“ Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges .”

— Joyce Meyer

Five generations of teachers , and counting . My mom , a teacher herself , had an aunt , one daughter ( me ), one daughter-in-law , a grandson , two granddaughters , and a great-granddaughter who all trained as teachers . Even my siblings and my children who didn ’ t become teachers still got a taste for the profession by coaching minor sports . Connection with — and commitment to — the next generation has been a profession , a passion , and a source of joy for all of us . We are all teachers at heart !

My mom started at a time when many teachers went to “ Normal School ,” the mid-nineteenthcentury teacher training for the rapidly expanding public education sector . She , however , went to the University of Alberta . Mom ’ s first job was a oneroom school in Jumbo Hill with a wood stove , the odd chink in the walls between the logs — perfect to see if the superintendent was coming — and a stable for the kids ’ horses .

She taught when the teacher handled everything . Thirty-two students ? Handled . Special needs nobody understood yet ? Handled . Poverty and foster kids who needed extra support ? Handled . There were no special education consultants and no educational assistants , but also no disrespect from anyone . She had community support and more options for discipline — letting parents know about their children ’ s misbehaviour was often the worst punishment . It was a time when personal responsibility was considered important , and communities supported their members . She believed that catching kids being good was the best form of discipline , and in meeting the kids where they were at — regardless of what the curriculum said .

I always knew I would be a teacher . I worked as a “ TA ” in Mom ’ s classroom as I was earning my degree , and later I incorporated many of her strengths and ideas . As teachers , we are encouraged to seek out new ideas and teaching strategies , learn

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