Becoming a teacher was just what the doctor ordered for the recipient of a prestigious education award.
“I had originally thought I would pursue medicine and it wasn’t until I was doing some research on childhood anxiety in school and I interviewed some teachers for my first undergrad degree, that I decided to make the switch to teaching,” said Katlin Strand, a Grade 2/3 teacher at Big Rock School in Okotoks.
Strand was named one of six provincial recipients of the Edwin Parr Teaching Award for outstanding first-year teachers at a ceremony in Edmonton on May 21.
Being at Big Rock is a case of déjŕ vu for the 2008 Foothills Composite grad.
“It has been a full-circle moment for me — I am teaching in my old Grade 4 classroom,” Strand said with a chuckle. “It’s strange but it is a good thing — it feels comfortable.”
She had plenty of mentors while attending Big Rock, Okotoks Junior High School and the Comp as a student.
“There were some teachers who inspired me to work with kids,” Strand said. “One was Liz Brennand, who taught me Grade 2 and 4 at Big Rock.
“Mr. (Wes) Hollings, was an incredible teacher at Foothills and he really inspired me.”
She was inspired and also darn good. She graduated with honours with distinction at Foothills and with Great Distinction and a teaching award after graduating from the University of Lethbridge. With such a strong résumé, Strand likely had a choice of where she wanted to teach. But right from the get-go, there was no place like home.
“It was a great division to grow up in and to get an education,” she said. “This is where I wanted to come.
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride – it has been incredible and eye-opening. You think university will prepare you, but until you actually have that real-life experience where you are in the classroom and have all your kids in front of you, you can really enjoy what is happening.”
She recalled highlights such as a young student smiling with joy after writing five sentences consecutively, something the young person wasn’t able to do in the past.
“A whole class achievement my kids and I loved was that they all created websites for our passion projects this year which is inquiry based and they got to research something they were passionate about,” she said.
Strand discovered early her passion for teaching and has no regrets about leaving the lucrative medical field.
“After the first day of my practicum, I phoned my mom and said: ‘I absolutely love it,’” she said. “And that feeling hasn’t gone away.”
Strand was nominated by Big Rock principal Caroline Roberts.
“Ms. Strand’s classroom is a caring, positive and supportive environment that empowers everyone to do their best and be involved,” Roberts said during the ceremony on May 21. “Ms. Strand is compelled to step up when things need to be done and is the first to raise her hand to lend a hand. She thinks, acts and dreams big. She has big goals, big ideas and her enthusiasm and energy for life-long learning is big. She is passionate about pioneering new ideas and motivates and inspires others to do the same.”
Strand got a major boost of confidence from the Foothills School Division recently when she received word she will be back at Big Rock next year.
