When Brittni Turner interviewed for a teaching job at Bentley School, its principal knew right away that he wanted to hire her.
Almost a year after Turner was offered the job, she was recognized by the Alberta School Boards Association Zone 4 as their Edwin Parr award winner.
The award recognizes teachers who are in their first year of the profession and show promise. Teachers across the region were nominated for the award in March.
Turner received the award Monday evening at an awards dinner hosted by Chinook’s Edge School Division.
“I was very shocked, and happy,” said Turner. “Words can’t really describe it, but I’m very thankful that I was recognized alone to be Wolf Creek School Division’s nominee. Then to win was amazing.”
Turner was one of eight teachers nominated from Zone 4. Nominees included Steve Higgs from C.P. Blakely School in Sylvan Lake, Brandon Brown from the Donalda School, Bronwyn Hawkes from Maryview School in Red Deer and Kiel Fredrickson from Hunting Hills. Other nominees were from Wetaskiwin, Killam and Lochearn.
Turner is originally from Rocky Mountain House and graduated from the University of Calgary with a dual bachelor degree in education and science.
She teaches Junior and Senior high math and sciences at Bentley School. She has been at the job for nine months.
Turner credits the position she is in, at a smaller school she has a lot of different courses to teach and her involvement in coaching.
“Her school’s administration had noticed her amazing dedication to her students, a willingness to teach all students of various academic abilities, a willingness to be part of the community and a willingness to coach extra curricular activities,” said Alda Lovell, Wolf Creek Public Schools director of people services. “She was a shining star right from the very beginning.”
Because she was chosen as the Zone 4 representative, Turner is up for the provincial Edwin Parr award, which is decided in November.
The award is named for Parr, an Alberta homesteader who served as a board member and chair of two school districts. He was also president of the Alberta School Trustees’ Association, now the ASBA.
mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter