Kyle Gleason is a virtual kindergarten teacher with the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board.
Gleason attended Bishop Smith in Pembroke. He says when he was in school he had some amazing teachers that impacted his learning and wanted to do the same for other students. Due to his experience as a student and with family in the area, Gleason says it was a natural next step to work for the Catholic Board. He says from the time he was a student, there’s been some big changes in technology and way staff are able to engage students.
Gleason says there’s so many little things that happen everyday that makes being a teacher a rewarding job. He says seeing the light bulb go off when a student finally understands a concept they’ve been working towards or the relationships he’s developed over his career are some of the most rewarding parts.
In terms of biggest challenges, Gleason says changing grades is up there. He adds the first year switching to a new grade and learning a curriculum at a level you haven’t taught before isn’t always easy. Gleason adds it’s not a bad challenge and is one that helps you grow as an educator.
Gleason also talked about difficulties the COVID-19 pandemic presented for teachers. He says they had to figure out ways to take rich, meaningful face-to-face learning and bridge it to online learning. Gleason says as a kindergarten teacher it’s nice to have an early childhood educator to bounce ideas off. He adds to keep the students engaged in virtual learning you have to be enthusiastic, move around, mixed with songs, chants and play.
Early on in his career, Gleason worked with kindergarten teachers and was able to identify a problem with playdate learning time. He says there’s so much play and learning that two people in the classroom would miss everything going on. Gleason says this was something other educators noticed and through a successful grant application he was able to bring in technology to classroom to help document the learning. He says they received iPads, laptops and TV’s and when the kids are learning they are encouraged to take pictures of what they felt was the most meaningful experiences. Gleason says they share these ideas and using students interests are able to adapt the learning experience.
For anyone considering a career in teaching, Gleason says it’s a calling. He adds you need to love helping kids succeed.
Gleason says Ontario educators have been rockstars through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen to the full interview with Kyle Gleason here:
