Laura Briscoe

Year: 2016 – Province: Ontario

Certificate of Achievement Recipient

Laura Briscoe

Oakridge Secondary School
1040 Oxford Street West
London, Ontario N6H 1V4

Principal: Tracy Langelaan
School telephone: 519-452-2750
School email: oakridge@tvdsb.on.ca
School website: http://www.tvdsb.ca/oakridge.cfm

Subjects and grades taught: Visual Arts and Technology, grades 9 to 12, and Developmental Art

Laura Briscoe brings the same passion, dedication, commitment and focus to her art classes as she does to the countless activities she organizes, facilitates and supports outside the classroom.

Teaching approach

Mrs. Briscoe uses a project-based approach to extend the classroom to society at large, making connections to everyday life, ensuring accountability to a greater purpose, being altruistic and making connections to the wider world.

Outstanding achievements

  • Launched new program to engage students in collaborative, community outreach projects: Senior Design and Video students worked with over 28 non-profit organizations in the city to create murals, promotional logos, posters, brochures and videos. Her grade 9 and 10 classes led art workshops for over 150 Grade 7's and 8's; students ran a school-wide fundraiser to help bring clean water to a school in Uganda; collected over 50 dresses to provide low income youth with prom, graduation and formal attire.
  • Spearheads opportunities for students to publicly showcase their artworks including: the local mall, university and galleries; initiated a show in London's Pride Festival was so successful that it now includes students from across the London area; students with significant special needs have their own exhibition space in the school art show for over 1000 guests annually.
  • 2016 Leading Women, Leading Girls, Building Communities Government Award Recipient; recognized as the 2014 Innovative Teacher of the Year by the Ontario Business Educators' Association; and 2016 Bishop Townshend Award Recipient in Thames Valley District School Board.
  • Facilitates the Oakridge Mentorship Program, which sees exemplary student role models foster positive social and academic skills in junior students; has led to better attendance among the younger students and increased participation in school-wide events.
  • Created and donned a piece of wearable art made of recycled computer parts, including a screen, for a fashion show at a London museum; students tweeted comments about social media use, which displayed on the screen.
  • Serves as Coach and Facilitator for the boys' volleyball, track, badminton, FIRST Robotics, Fishing, Poetry & Art Clubs.

Rave reviews

"Every one of [Mrs. Briscoe's] countless contributions has led to success and valuable teaching and learning experience for students, teachers, parents, administrators and community."

Colleague and nominator

"Teaching is not just a job for Laura Briscoe; it is her joy. She shows it in her preparation, presentation, attention to detail, actions and interactions, and in her face."

College professor