English Montreal School Board celebrates ‘Teacher Recognition Day’

The English Montreal School Board celebrated its “Teacher Recognition Day,” by honouring three of their many teachers they say are key to their community.

“They care and love us,” said one student at Dunrae Gardens Elementary School, where a special event was held on Thursday.

Noemi Battista is a music and ERC (Ethics and Religious Culture) teacher at Dunrae Gardens, where she has been teaching for the last five years. “I feel privileged to be in such a beautiful community.”

“I think it’s when we see that spark that you teach the students something that you’re excited about, but you’re hoping they got it. And then you see that spark and you see that passion that they’re feeling. And it makes me become passionate,” explained Battista.

Dr. Nikolai Krilov has been a Electromechanics Program Teacher at Rosemount Technology Centre for 23 years. “I like my students. I hope you like me, too,” he says looking over at some of his students. “And we are together doing, I think, a good job. Right? See, they don’t give me a chance to lie,” he adds with humour.

“My favorite part to be a teacher is to make the future better,” asserted Krilov.

Andy D’Alessandro, a physical education and health teacher at Laurier Macdonald High School since 1995 – and a teacher for 22 years, was also honoured.

“I love the fact that just knowing that kids are going to come in and learn a skill, whether they’ve done it before or not – seen how their confidence sometimes builds with them getting better,” he explained.

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“Teachers are important, because if you don’t have any teachers, you won’t learn and you won’t be able to pass school,” said another student from Dunrae Gardens.

“They help us learn and we have to. And they help us get a good education, so that we can get a good job and they care for us,” said another.

“They’re nice. And they’re caring for us. And we learn from them,” explained a student.

“It’s definitely a great honour, but I have to share it with my colleagues, my students and my administration, because otherwise I will be just one standing alone tree and not the forest,” added Krilov.

When asked about their advice to aspiring teachers? “I think what’s important is just honestly make (students) understand that everything you’re doing, honestly, is for them to find their way,” said D’Alessandro.

“(I) want to do it every single day in my life. It doesn’t feel like a job at all,” added Battista.