Ms. Mendes

Education: Bachelor of Arts, University of Toronto; Bachelor of Education, University of Western Ontario
Length of time teaching: 23 years

 

What do you love about teaching?
I love the challenge of presenting material to learners that have a variety of needs. Because of this, I educate myself with effective strategies to facilitate their learning and improve their skills. So, every year, I refine my approach to teaching.

 

How do you measure your success as an educator?
I measure my success by my students’ skill mastery, authentic engagement, and of course, contented smiles.

 

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received or could receive as a teacher?
The best compliment I have received as an educator came from many students at different times, post graduation, over the years. Inspired to contact me because they felt strongly enough about my role in their young lives, they reached out through time and pulled me close. They wanted to keep me in their lives. One thanked me for advice I gave to her in ninth grade. Another credited me with her choice of career: English teacher. A couple contacted me to apologize for wrong-doings (seven and nine years later). Yet another wanted me to proofread an article she was set to publish. But, the most heartening was the playdate that my children had with a former student’s children  (she is now a nurse). I cherish that the most. To this day, we all still communicate with one another.

 

What do you want your students to gain from having known you?
I hope my students know that they have gained a fan for life.

 

What are some of your interests and passions outside of the classroom?
Outside of the classroom, my passion is experimenting with ingredients and cooking/baking techniques in the kitchen with my daughters’ assistance. The culinary arts are a science, and we enjoy exploring delectable possibilities.