Maggie McDonnell, Teacher From Canada Wins Global Teacher Prize 2017
New Delhi:
Varkey Foundation announced the Global Teacher prize Winner yesterday at the Global Education and Skills Conference in Dubai. A total of 10 teachers form around the world were shortlisted for the prize and Maggie McDonnell, a school teacher from a small Innuit community from remote Canada has won the prize. Maggie Mcdonnell lives and works in Salluit, a small Innuit village in the Canadian arctic. Maggie has set up many programs at the local school including Life Skill programs designed specifically for the girls of the community.
Talking about the role of a teacher Maggie said, "I think as a teacher in a small Arctic community, your day never ends. The school doors may close - but the relationship with your students is continuous as you share the community with them."
Apart from the freezing temperature, the region has been the subject of decades of abuse. It was the desire to serve the indigenous population residing in remote Canada, which inspired Maggie to take up the position at Salluit. Talking about her challenges she said that the staff turnover at the school is high with many teachers applying for another job or stress leaves halfway through a school term. The community has deeply rooted gender biases which result in domestic abuse, sexual violence, teenage pregnancies among the girls of the village.
With her various endeavors Maggie has inspired her students to come up with solutions for problems they face every day. Her Life Skill programs which are designed specially for girls has resulted in a 500% hike in registration of girls into programs which were earlier majorly dominated by boys. She has also motivated young people to return to school by engaging them in different projects of their interest. Recently her students also managed to raise $40,000 for diabetes prevention.
The Global Teacher prize is awarded by Varkey Foundation under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Emir of Dubai. The prize is touted as the Nobel Prize for educators. As part of the prize, the winner is awarded $ 1million. Maggie McDonnell plans to use this money to set up an NGO.
Highlighting the contribution of teachers to the development of a society, Binoy Job, Academy Member (Jury), Global Teacher Prize said, "Teachers are the greatest catalysts of change in human life. A good teacher can turn an ordinary person into an extra-ordinary leader. They are the true heroes of human transformation but they hardly get their due recognition. Global Teachers Prize is an effort to recognize their contribution to society."
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Talking about the role of a teacher Maggie said, "I think as a teacher in a small Arctic community, your day never ends. The school doors may close - but the relationship with your students is continuous as you share the community with them."
Apart from the freezing temperature, the region has been the subject of decades of abuse. It was the desire to serve the indigenous population residing in remote Canada, which inspired Maggie to take up the position at Salluit. Talking about her challenges she said that the staff turnover at the school is high with many teachers applying for another job or stress leaves halfway through a school term. The community has deeply rooted gender biases which result in domestic abuse, sexual violence, teenage pregnancies among the girls of the village.
With her various endeavors Maggie has inspired her students to come up with solutions for problems they face every day. Her Life Skill programs which are designed specially for girls has resulted in a 500% hike in registration of girls into programs which were earlier majorly dominated by boys. She has also motivated young people to return to school by engaging them in different projects of their interest. Recently her students also managed to raise $40,000 for diabetes prevention.
The Global Teacher prize is awarded by Varkey Foundation under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Emir of Dubai. The prize is touted as the Nobel Prize for educators. As part of the prize, the winner is awarded $ 1million. Maggie McDonnell plans to use this money to set up an NGO.
Highlighting the contribution of teachers to the development of a society, Binoy Job, Academy Member (Jury), Global Teacher Prize said, "Teachers are the greatest catalysts of change in human life. A good teacher can turn an ordinary person into an extra-ordinary leader. They are the true heroes of human transformation but they hardly get their due recognition. Global Teachers Prize is an effort to recognize their contribution to society."
Click here for more Education News
