Moisan, Claire

Claire Moisan

Claire Moisan is an outstanding English Language Arts teacher at École Dickinsfield, nominated by school and district for this year’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Her teaching assignment is teaching English Language Arts to all the students in our Gr. 6 “French Immersion stream”. Last year this cohort (37 students in all) included a number of struggling students. Nevertheless, with that same cohort, Claire succeeded in helping every single student (100%) meet or exceed the Gr. 6 English Language Arts PAT standard. In fact 39% of the students met the standard of excellence! Claire truly motivates students to exceed their expectations in all areas. Claire shares her knowledge with others, and helps mentor new teachers. She was chosen to lead a district PLF, which focuses on teaching English Language Arts, and is very popular with teachers who attend. They comment on how much they learn from Claire and in their discussions together. Outside the school Claire consistently puts in many additional hours volunteering and working with students to develop them as leaders. Mrs. Moisan mentors our “bucket filling” leaders, where the bucket represents the mental and emotional self, and where bucket filling means helping to recognize others and make them feel happy. She has helped the students in her group brainstorm and they come up with all sorts of “bucket filling” ideas. For example, Claire organized a Christmas surprise for the bus drivers of our 9 school buses that come at the end of the day. When they arrived, each bus driver received hot chocolate and then the students burst into song, serenading them with a thank you song composed by the bucket fillers to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” Our bus drivers were touched and in some cases moved to tears. A heart for others is evident in all Claire’s relationships and influences the children in developing concern for others. A few years ago, Claire used her entire Christmas vacation plus an extra month (an unpaid leave) to work as a volunteer in the elementary school and learning center at Place of Rescue, a little village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Place of Rescue was founded as a Cambodian NGO as a safe haven for families living with AIDS, orphan children, orphan grannies and young unmarried pregnant women who would otherwise be destitute. Claire’s face shines as she recounts the story of how the young children are learning and thriving; and how recovering AIDS patients tend the plants and the fish pond, and help sew for the children in a sewing center where mending can be done. For her it’s all about others, not about what she has done. In summary, Claire epitomizes dedication, passion, and excellence in all she does; nurturing student growth, in collaborative practices with her peers, in knowledge and skills, and in so many other ways.