Mount Douglas Secondary teacher Adrian French has won his share of accolades during his career, but give him a classroom full of students over an awards ceremony any day.
French, 48, just returned from Ottawa after receiving his latest honour, a Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. The award acknowledges teachers who inspire their students to have a love of learning, providing a basis for future success.
French’s subjects are social studies, history and physical education.
He is described in his Prime Minister’s Award biography as “a storyteller teacher” who creates unique projects to increase his students’ level of learning.
He said the recognition he has received stems from the environment at his school.
“I’m just the point guy,” French said.
“At Mount Doug, I’m blessed to be able to have a whole bunch of colleagues who enjoy working together and collaborating.”
The Metchosin-raised French worked as a tile fitter before deciding to change direction at 27 and complete his university education. He has been a teacher for 16 years, and is married with two children.
Forty-one national award certificates were given out, with French the lone Vancouver Island honouree among seven B.C. recipients.
Mount Douglas principal Shawn Boulding said he knows what a special teacher the school has in French, who co-ordinates the Challenge program for academic achievement.
“I think the big thing he does is he’s certainly into project-based learning, which the kids grab on to,” Boulding said.
“It’s the high-level conversations and things that happen in his classes where a lot of the magic happens.”
Boulding said there are many intangibles that make French the teacher he is, including how well he gets to know his students.
“They know that he cares about them. He knows more about them than what’s typically offered in a classroom. He just has that great connection with them.”
He also gives them a lot of flexibility and freedom to explore their interests, Boulding said.
“The backbone of it all is he’s a master of his craft. His level of knowledge in the areas that he teaches is outstanding.”
French said he is proud to be part of a current effort to build more bridges between subjects for Mount Doug students. For example, the study of Canadian explorers can extend into an exercise in the mathematical issues they faced in navigation, he said.
Science also comes into it when students look at innovations that arose, French said.
In another project created with teacher Ted Meldrum, students look at national immigration policy after creating a fictitious 19th-century immigrant.
“He’s always looking for something to take on,” Boulding said. “He’s always looking to improve what he’s doing.”
Previous honours for French include a 2010 Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History.
