Sarah Olshewski is a student at the University of Manitoba studying to be a teacher. Olshewski is currently taking her northern practicum in Norway House Cree Nation, and was awarded the Fund the Future scholarship to help with her costs. “Travelling and living in the north can be extremely costly. Since teacher candidates are not provided with extra funding to cover the costs of food or travel, scholarships like this really help reduce monetary stress that is added to the already nerve-racking experience of teaching outside your comfort zone. I believe that I was selected for the reason being that I had sufficient reasons for needing extra funding due to travel costs, and also that my passion for teaching in the north really came through in my application.”
The application process consisted of a letter to student council of the Faculty of Education explaining why the student needed the scholarship. The hopeful applicant also had to include a budget in the letter. Members of the student council reviewed Olshewski’s letter, and awarded her nearly $400 to go towards her stay in the north.
During the northern practicum Olshewki will be working with cooperating teachers to help guide her and teach her how to become an effective teacher. Olshewski says the northern practicum varies a bit from teaching in an urban setting due to the isolation. “In the north, communities are much smaller and therefore teacher candidates run into their students on a frequent basis. In my opinion this makes your relationships with your students become much stronger. It has been my personal experience that knowing more about my students’ lives, playing against them in community sport leagues, and bumping into them every now and again, helps me transmit knowledge more effectively in the classroom. You can relate to your students to a higher degree, and I find that the classroom ultimately becomes just another comfortable place where you can interact with your students, and help them acquire the information that will be beneficial to them in their future. They do not only see you as a teacher, but a mentor, friend, and member of the community.”
Teaching in Norway House has allowed Olshewki to gain an immense amount of knowledge regarding the education system, and how it differs from an urban to a rural setting. “Teaching last year in an urban school, I found that students were attached to their cell phones, and rarely spent time participating in outdoor activities. In the north I find that my students love partaking in activities related to the environment, and even had one high school student tell me that ‘no matter how old she is, she will always make time to play in the bush.’ I find that in the north, students are more inclined to use their imagination, and this factor has made teaching here such a great experience.”
Olshewki says she has learned how to take life at a slower pace, enjoy every moment that life has to offer, and has learned that there is no rush to get to tomorrow working in Norway House.
“I would love to continue my teaching career in Northern Manitoba. It is evident that there is a gap between the academic strengths of students based in northern schools compared to those based in urban schools, and this is something that I want to change as an educator. As teachers we need to understand that we play an integral role to the development and the lives of our students. Teaching in the north has allowed me to see how much that role matters,” the student teacher said when asked if she would ever consider permanently teaching in Northern Manitoba.
As for right now though, Olshewki is continuing to focus on her work in Norway House Cree Nation and her upcoming graduation in May. “Graduating at the end of May I am eager to begin my career as a teacher, and I am excited to see what opportunities the future has in store for me. Overall, I am very grateful to have been granted the opportunity to experience teaching in Northern Manitoba.”
