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A8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 878-2881 cop.r COMMUN\ITY 487 Laurier Are. Teacher of the Month lBruce Trail's Mr. Belford 'best teacher ever' By Stephanie Thiessen CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF I was a race agaînst the dlock as grade 7 student Brooklyn Harding sîruggled to get ber history test dune belore the bell rang at the end uf the day But the bell dtd ring, and Brooklyn wasn't done, presenting a dilemma: should she fin- ish the test and miss ber buts, or leave the test unfinished to catch it? Tbankfully, Brooklyn didn't have to decide either way. "Mr. Belford askecl the bus driver to hold the bus for me 50 1 could coruplete my test," Brooklyn explaineci in a nomination letter for The Champions Teacher ol the Month. His kindness then went a step luriher. Knowîng a few of his students were par- tocularly wtorried about bow tbey dîd, jell Belford stayed ater scbool to mark soîne of the tests. "He called me that nîgbt to tell me that 1 bad dune well on ît and that 1 could relax and enjoy my weekend," Brooklyn explained. WVitb such a thootgbtill attitude, its not wonder The Champoon selected Belford, wbo teaches at Bruce Trail Public Sehool, as Decembers Teacher of the Month. Accordong to Brookly'n, hes", the besi teacher ever." Neyer too busy to belp "Hle deserves thts because no mattet buw busy be t',, be takes tome to bclp other stut dents and myseli to do better in scbool,- she wrote. The fact Bruce Traîl Public Sebool opeoied just over a montb ago bas presented Belford witb a unique set of challenges and rewards. Due to a delay in the new sebools open- ing, students attended Chris Hadfield Publoc n Sebool until their new sebool was ready * Its been tougb," Belford satd. "Its doffi- cuit establtsbing your own identity in terms * of aroutone and expectations." His students are just settling in now, saod Belford, wbo's in bts seventb year of teacb- ing. His grade seven students are in a unique posttion this year, sînce theres no grade 8 class, makong tbem the oldest students in the sebool. Next year tbeyll be the birst grade 8 class. He said be tries tu Împress upon tbemn the fact tbeyre role models for the other stu- dents. This comes easier to some students than otbers. 'Tbeyve been tbrown mbt this," bc said. Normally in grade 7, students bave a few teacbers for the different subjects. But not GRAHAM PAINt / CANADIAN CHAMPION BELOVED TEACHER Brooklyn Harding and Jef Belford look over some books. Harding nomînated hîm for The Champions Teacher of the Month. thîs class. "The only tbing I don't teacb tbem is trench and music," Belford said, addîng, "if tbey didnt like me, it would be a diffbcult sut- uation." Beliord also spends time otut of the class witb some of bis students, stnce be coacbes the volleyball team and belps wtb the stu- dent parliament. "Because Ive gotten to spend su mucb time witb tbem, Ive gotten to know tbem on a personal level," Belf'ord said. This bas allowed bom to do some unique projeets witb tbe class, oncluding write a play based on tbemselves. Tbey'll be performning t for the entire seboul. Belford bas taugbt a variety of grades su far, but said bes really enjoying grade 7, wbere the students are 1l and I12 years old. I tbînk its a futn grade, but its also chaI- lenging becauc the kids are at a stage wbere tbey really need tu be motivated,' Belford said. The Milton resident said bes excited about working on the same cummunity in wbocb be ltves. He previously worked in Burlington. Working witb kods comnes naturally tL Belford. Its sumetbîng bes dune for a long time, startong wben be was a youtb giving swimming lessons in bis backyard. After be graduated from universîty be worked in a grou p home for a few years and iben decided to attend teachers college. Unlike many inspiring teacbers, Belford said be didn't bave a good scbool experience in bis yuunger years. "I struggled a lot and ond it bard mak- ing connections wvitb the teachers," be saîd. Perbaps tbat's wby it's su important for Belbord tot cunnect witb bis students and to realize not everyune learns the same way 't challenge myself to, lind new or better ways tu get information across," be said. One ut the ways be recognizes kids' dif- ferent learning styles is by not relying on tests alune as a measure of students' abilities, not ail studenîs are good test writers, be said. Its important to teacb lite skills as well as subjeets, Belford said. This year, bey empba- sizing goal-setting as well as building a sense ut community in the classroom. "A good teacher recognizes peuple's strengtbs and weaknesses and fosters a com- munîty wbere we can celebrate tbat." Stephanie Titiesseot can bc reached at sthiess-n@ýniiltooicaniadianchampion.co)m. 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