Eugene Jenks

Year: 2016 – Province: Northwest Territories

Certificate of Achievement Recipient

Eugene Jenks

East Three Secondary School
116 Kingmingya Road
Inuvik, Northwest Territories  X0E 0T0

Principal: Deborah Reid
School telephone: 867-777-3030
School email: deborah_rei@bdec.learnnet.nt.ca
School website: http://eastthreesecondary.com/

Subjects and grades taught: English Language Arts, Northern Studies, grades 10 to 12

Eugene Jenks reaches out to students across the vast Beaufort Delta in the Northwest Territories, using technology to build rapport with individual learners and creating a sense of community among his far-flung classes.

Teaching approach

Mr. Jenks embraces the physical distance between his students as an advantage and an opportunity, supporting and enabling students to connect their learning to a sense of place and apply what they are learning in meaningful ways in those locations.

Outstanding achievements

  • Connects students in Canada's high arctic through eLearning and videoconferencing: teaches a high school Language Arts course to five classrooms at once; facilitated a debate—with excellent student participation—among students in six isolated communities, all north of 60; organized a performance of Macbeth with students in three locations.
  • Created a paperless classroom using the learning management system Moodle: students have access to course materials for a variety of courses no matter where they are located in the North; they get electronic feedback on assignments and may resubmit them, leading to improved performance; parents appreciate the transparency that comes from having access to the online record of communications between the teacher and their children.
  • Recognized as a leading teacher for curriculum development: designed curriculum for English Language Arts courses in use territory-wide; piloted the residential schools module of the Grade 10 student-enquiry-based Northern Studies course; member of teachers' association curriculum committee.
  • Organizes annual candlelight Remembrance Day ceremony, working with Grade 12 students outside class time to create a meaningful tribute for the whole school.

Rave reviews

"Even though he is far away in distance, Mr. Jenks does a wonderful job at keeping my parents and I informed on my grades. English is now my favourite subject."

Distance learning student

"Gene is the type of teacher with whom students want to engage, colleagues wish to emulate, and parents wish to have in their children's lives."

Superintendent of Schools