Riverview teacher nominated for international award

A New Brunswick educator is being recognized internationally for his contributions to teaching in the province.

Ian Fogarty is one of 50 finalists for the 2019 Global Teacher Prize, which is given out by the Varkey Foundation, a global charitable foundation focused on improving education standards.

Fogarty, a science teacher at Riverview High School, called the nomination "humbling."

"When you look at some of the other bios out there and, wow, they're doing some really interesting things, but we're doing some interesting things here too," said Fogarty.

"It's very exciting."

Personalized teaching

The foundation says the winner is judged based on criteria that "identify an extraordinary teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession."

Fogarty is one of two Canadians on the short list this year. Sean Robinson of Port Coquitlam, B.C., is the other.

Fogarty said one of his contributions, along with the rest of the teachers at his school in Riverview, is trying to personalize teaching.

"We're doing some interesting things with technology and assessment … trying to personalize the learning," said Fogarty.

"Instead of just being always textbook all the time, how can we find that little nugget inside a kid and then apply it to what we want to do."

Fogarty recently met up with a former student while visiting New York who had trouble sitting still in class but always wanted to go to the lab to do experiments that included smoke and chemical reactions.

"We took this love that he had of theater and comedy and that kind of thing and said, 'OK, for part of your chemistry project you're going to create a chemistry roadshow' and went around to different middle schools and elementary schools and and doing all these chemistry things," said Fogarty.

"Now he's the lead on Broadway."

RHS legacy

Fogarty is the second teacher from Riverview High School to be nominated for the prize. Armand Doucet was nominated for the 2017 edition of the award.

Fogarty said it feels like the province is leading the way in some areas of education.

"Silicon Valley has a particular space for computer science and you know the the northeast corridor for health and I wonder if New Brunswick isn't going to be a showcase for education," said Fogarty.

"There's so many good things happening."

The winner of the 2019 Global Teacher Prize will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on March 24.