Getting to a deeper level of teaching at a colony school

Tanya Johnson has been teaching for 25 years, working in specialized education and substitute teaching for much of her career before moving into a Prairie Rose Public Schools colony school eight years ago. After taking the position, Johnson achieved a master’s degree in ESL and Bilingual Education centred on teaching students who are learning more than one language.

All students at the colony school have German as a first language and the class sizes on this colony are about 20 students each year with grades ranging from kindergarten to Grade 8. “I love spending time with the kids and watching the ‘lightbulb’ moments, when they first understand the concept, I have been trying to teach,” stated Johnson, who added another highlight of teaching is to watch the students grow and develop into becoming good citizens.

“Every colony is unique and different. My colony is a Lehrerieut Colony and we do not use technology with our learning. My kids start school when they are six and graduate when they are 15 years old. One student graduated a few days ago whom I’ve taught since the day she started school. It was bittersweet, I was sad to see her go because I have worked with her for so many years, but also happy that she is starting the next phase in her life. Teaching the same students every year, you can develop a close relationship and have a huge impact on their lives.”

Johnson lives in Medicine Hat with an hour commute to get to work each day. “I love my job and where I work. I have an amazing community with a wonderful group of people. On a colony, it is very important for the school and community to work cohesively. We are actively involved doing activities with the people in the community. It’s a unique experience,” explained Johnson. “They value their children and education, and the educators that come to the community to work with them.”

The closeness Johnson develops leads to willing and enthusiastic students in the classroom and she is able to get to a deeper level of teaching from knowing the children so well and teaching them throughout their schooling. Teaching so many grades requires a teacher who is highly organized and knows all the curriculum throughout the grades she teaches.

“I need to adapt and be flexible to fit all the student needs in with each of the grades,” stated Johnson. “It’s important that each student is at their level, so I utilize effective curriculum series to address each level. My students don’t get free time, it doesn’t exist in my classroom. Idle hands lead to mischief, so my kids have a challenging curriculum which meets provincial standards. My students are all second language learners and their ability to memorize is extraordinary. They attend German school before and after English school where they memorize bible verses as well as other cultural teachings. Hard work, education, community, and family are some of the core values on a colony. These are wonderful traits to create a warm learning environment. I would never teach anywhere else.”

By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer