Rundle Trio Honoured with Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching
Published on June 12, 2024
Three Rundle Studio junior high teachers, Danna Euverman, Karen Goepen-Wee, and Tisha Mellor, were recognized today (June 12) for their academic leadership and innovation with a Certificate of Achievement from the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence.
These awards honour the best K-12 educators across the country, who put creativity at the centre of their teaching practice – all for the benefit of their students. Rundle Studio is our online school that focuses on complex learners and students with learning disabilities in grades 7-12, offering a dynamic, innovative learning environment.
“Understanding that every student at Rundle Studio has a diagnosed learning disability, Mrs. Euverman, Mrs. Goepen-Wee, and Mrs. Mellor create lessons for students that are designed to reduce the cognitive load, allow re-teaching, and provide opportunities for enrichment as well,” wrote Studio principal John Wolf in his award submission. “These teachers understand that all of our students can succeed if their learning disabilities are accommodated and they explicitly teach students about these accommodations so that they can learn to self-advocate over time and be empowered. Together, they have created a school community where any student, anywhere, can be seen and heard.”
This trio, alongside John, were instrumental in getting Rundle Studio off the ground in September 2021. They stepped forward as the first three Studio teachers knowing their mission was to help create a school with a real culture, a real community, and one that was entirely based online so students anywhere could access this type of high-quality and personalized education.
In their recognition for the award, the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching website noted the three teachers have “found ways to elevate students’ learning experiences, creating interactive lessons that break down the barriers of online education and give students more autonomy in their school experiences.”
‘It means the world’
“This is a deeply appreciated honour. I feel extraordinarily fortunate to receive recognition for my work, especially since the field of skilled, impactful teachers across Canada is so deep,” says Karen, who teaches social studies and English language arts.
“This award means the world to me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected this,” adds Tisha, a science and math teacher.
All three say they are incredibly appreciative of the recognition, and say the ongoing success of Rundle Studio is truly a team effort that includes John, the growing list of faculty and the students and parents who are part of the community.
“Since finding out about the award, I’ve felt the whole range of emotions: overwhelmed, humbled, honoured,” says science and math teacher Danna, but acknowledges that sharing the honour with her “amazing co-award winning teachers” is the icing on the cake. “We have shed blood, sweat, and tears together. Without their collaboration, sacrifice and support, this would never have been possible.”
Teaching at Rundle Studio
All three teachers say the openness to innovation at Rundle Studio is a key part of what has inspired them in their teaching practices and philosophies.
“Online education and the ever-changing technology world has made me a more flexible thinker and become more comfortable with pivoting from one thing to another in order to produce high-quality, engaging materials to support a universal design for learning for students,” says Danna.
Adds Karen: “Rundle Studio is an incubator for innovation, best practices, and moonshot ideas. I thrive in environments where the default mode is not ‘what have we done in the past’ but rather ‘what can we do for the future?’. In this solutions-centric environment, we can create meaningful learning experiences that impact students long after they leave Rundle Studio.”
Tisha says the tight-knit Studio community, and the intentionality behind building bonds with the students, is an important part of the success of students at Rundle.
“I feel that every student is unique and I want to do whatever I can to help them reach their full potential. I teach junior high math; everyone’s least favourite subject,” she says, “so I try to relate it to real life situations. I try to make learning fun. I get involved in our spirit days and I plan fun meetups so that we can bond and form those trusting relationships. I do everything I can to connect with the students.”
John, in his nearly 5,000-word award submission, pointed to a variety of areas, including academic, co-curricular, and personal development, where these teachers excel and go above and beyond for their students.
“Each one of them contributes in their own unique way, but together they are among the most incredible teachers that I have ever had the pleasure to work with.”
Congratulations, Danna, Karen, and Tisha!