Influential Teacher Interview Synopsis
Cheryl Ann St. Onge has been a mentor and influential teacher to myself in many ways. Through my 18 years of being alive, Cheryl Ann has taught me how to walk, talk, smile, dance, sing, and play the piano. You are all probably thinking “wow, how could your teacher teach you how to walk or talk?? Well, Cheryl Ann St. Onge is a multi talented woman who happens to be my mom. Yes, I said my mom. When thinking about choosing an influential teacher to interview, there were several elementary and secondary teachers that flood through my mind but my thought process always came back to interviewing my mom. My highschool experience was a little different than your high school experience as I’m sure many of you did not attend the same high school that your mother was staff member of. But I sure did and I would have not had it any other way.
Cheryl Ann St. Onge is a private piano and vocal teacher for 32 years, an organist and choir director for 34 years and an Educational Assistant for 21 years at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School where she is very involved in the music program and is the school choir director.
Her main inspirations to pursue her career were prior teachers. Cheryl Ann began working in the elementary level and was offered a position at the secondary level and took it. Looking back on 21 years of teaching at the secondary level she is grateful that she did take that opportunity as “in secondary, my musical abilities and education is better utilized in the classroom, choir, concert/jazz band, liturgical celebrations, and community opportunities.”
When asked what her favourite part of her job was, Cheryl Ann answered with the biggest smile “being a part of student successes and offering to students the support they require to be successful and through difficult times in their lives”. However, with every jobs there are challenges. She expresses that one challenge within her workforce is the lack of government funding for special education and towards the arts program.
Over 21 years, Cheryl Ann stated that education is changing. “Computer technology has been the biggest advancement since the beginning my career. Whether it is in the music program or other classes, the internet and computer programs have made for a better differentiated learning environment. It has made our school systems more inclusive”. She also says that more and more accommodations are made for all students whether they have an IEP or not and in order for all students to be successful, differentiated teaching is the key to success. Students have become more kinesthetic learners and teaching children through hands on learning instead of just auditory/visual learning have helped to reinforce what is being taught. Through her 32 years of teaching music, she has noticed that beginning instrumental students are learning faster and committing to their instruments longer by jumping right into playing the instrument rather than in years past where theory was taught first so that students would be reading music before applying it to the instrument.
Cheryl Ann was asked what should be changed in the education system she replied “I would like to see funding for instrumental music programs at all elementary schools along with a permanent music teacher throughout Ontario. I would like for music not to be one of the courses that are always being threatened on the “chopping block”.”
Some wise advice that Cheryl Ann has for future educators is to “always place the needs of the student before your own. Realize that as an educator you were put on earth to serve others. Appreciate what you have been given but to never stop advocating for your program vitality. Never stop performing and practising yourself as how can you encourage your students to be the best if you are not doing so yourself”
Cheryl Ann St. Onge has been a mentor and influential teacher to myself in many ways. Through my 18 years of being alive, Cheryl Ann has taught me how to walk, talk, smile, dance, sing, and play the piano. You are all probably thinking “wow, how could your teacher teach you how to walk or talk?? Well, Cheryl Ann St. Onge is a multi talented woman who happens to be my mom. Yes, I said my mom. When thinking about choosing an influential teacher to interview, there were several elementary and secondary teachers that flood through my mind but my thought process always came back to interviewing my mom. My highschool experience was a little different than your high school experience as I’m sure many of you did not attend the same high school that your mother was staff member of. But I sure did and I would have not had it any other way.
Cheryl Ann St. Onge is a private piano and vocal teacher for 32 years, an organist and choir director for 34 years and an Educational Assistant for 21 years at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School where she is very involved in the music program and is the school choir director.
Her main inspirations to pursue her career were prior teachers. Cheryl Ann began working in the elementary level and was offered a position at the secondary level and took it. Looking back on 21 years of teaching at the secondary level she is grateful that she did take that opportunity as “in secondary, my musical abilities and education is better utilized in the classroom, choir, concert/jazz band, liturgical celebrations, and community opportunities.”
When asked what her favourite part of her job was, Cheryl Ann answered with the biggest smile “being a part of student successes and offering to students the support they require to be successful and through difficult times in their lives”. However, with every jobs there are challenges. She expresses that one challenge within her workforce is the lack of government funding for special education and towards the arts program.
Over 21 years, Cheryl Ann stated that education is changing. “Computer technology has been the biggest advancement since the beginning my career. Whether it is in the music program or other classes, the internet and computer programs have made for a better differentiated learning environment. It has made our school systems more inclusive”. She also says that more and more accommodations are made for all students whether they have an IEP or not and in order for all students to be successful, differentiated teaching is the key to success. Students have become more kinesthetic learners and teaching children through hands on learning instead of just auditory/visual learning have helped to reinforce what is being taught. Through her 32 years of teaching music, she has noticed that beginning instrumental students are learning faster and committing to their instruments longer by jumping right into playing the instrument rather than in years past where theory was taught first so that students would be reading music before applying it to the instrument.
Cheryl Ann was asked what should be changed in the education system she replied “I would like to see funding for instrumental music programs at all elementary schools along with a permanent music teacher throughout Ontario. I would like for music not to be one of the courses that are always being threatened on the “chopping block”.”
Some wise advice that Cheryl Ann has for future educators is to “always place the needs of the student before your own. Realize that as an educator you were put on earth to serve others. Appreciate what you have been given but to never stop advocating for your program vitality. Never stop performing and practising yourself as how can you encourage your students to be the best if you are not doing so yourself”
Here is my Influential Teacher Slideshow:
influential_teacher_interview_slideshow.pptx | |
File Size: | 2692 kb |
File Type: | pptx |