Elaine Haupt

Year: 2016 – Province: Ontario

Certificate of Achievement Recipient

Elaine Haupt

Huron Park Secondary School
900 Cromwell Street
Woodstock, Ontario  N4S 5B5

Principal:  Christine Sharpe
School telephone: 519-537-2347
School email: huronpark@tvdsb.on.ca
School website: http://www.tvdsb.ca/HuronPark.cfm

Subjects and grades taught: Teacher-librarian, grades 9 to 12

At home in the outdoors, Elaine Haupt tends the school gardens of the Library and English departments, helping more than 800 students and staff to grow, with hard work, and her patient and gentle demeanour.

Teaching approach

Mrs. Haupt teaches and lives according to one simple motto: "Read, write, speak, grow." She includes each element in her daily lessons to encourage comprehensive exploration of course texts, social connections, experiences and reflections, and ensures students feel welcome and supported in class.

Outstanding achievements

  • Led a pilot project to blend technology with a student-driven inquiry approach to teaching Canadian History in order to engage junior students with the subject and improve their collaboration skills.
  • Improved outcomes for at-risk Grade 9 Geography students: in English class they used their geography readings to learn how to decode graphics, summarize text and formulate questions.
  • Created and shared with other board teachers a standard for participating in e-learning courses, which has led to students being actively and meaningfully involved in online discussions.
  • Employs creative, tactile activities to teach students how to properly formulate references for their research.
  • Developed, before a careers course was available, real-world experiences for Grade 9 and 10 students: after being coached on how to prepare a resumé and cover letter, students participated in mock job interviews with local employers, and some students even secured paid employment through this exercise.
  • A long-time mentor for new teachers and is the in-school liaison for Teacher-Candidates, offering weekly lunch and learn sessions on topics such as lesson planning, classroom management and interview strategies.

Rave reviews

"Elaine has made a lasting impression on her students and colleagues by combining exemplary teaching practices with astute and caring awareness of the people in our school community."

Principal

"[As my mentor, Elaine] made my move to a new school comfortable: her mentorship made me feel like I belonged, and she me helped me discover that I could make a difference at this school."

Colleague