Sept. 18, 2024
School is in session and many students in publicly funded schools throughout Waterloo Region, Brant and surrounding communities find themselves in classrooms led by graduates of Laurier’s Bachelor of Education program.
Offered at Laurier’s Brantford and Waterloo campuses, the Bachelor of Education program produces passionate, enthusiastic and professional educators committed to helping Ontario students thrive.
More than 85% of Laurier Education alumni who graduated between 2021 and 2023 work in schools within 100 kilometres of Laurier’s Brantford and Waterloo campuses, according to the findings of an employment survey by Laurier’s Career Centre.
"It’s wonderful to have our Bachelor of Education graduates contributing their talents and teaching skills in schools of our partner boards,” says Maria Cantalini-Williams, dean of the Faculty of Education at Laurier. “Their work makes a positive and lasting impression on their students and communities.
Below, five Laurier Education alumni share their passion for helping Ontario students be their best.
Giving back to the community that sparked her love for learning as a child excites Olivia Neale.
Born and raised in Brant, Neale is an occasional teacher with the Grand Erie District School Board, supporting schools throughout Brantford and surrounding communities including her alma mater Mt. Pleasant School and Pauline Johnson College and Vocational School.
“School was such a special place for me, and that’s something I want to be able to foster in the students I teach,” says Neale. “It’s important to me to give back to my community.”
Neale chose Laurier for her teacher education program due to its partnership with the Grand Erie District School Board and the proximity of Laurier’s Brantford campus to her home in Paris.
“As a mature student, there are so many things to consider when returning to school,” says Neale. “Being able to study at the Brantford campus meant I could live at home with my partner and continue to work part-time. Having the Education program at Laurier’s Brantford campus was a great opportunity for me.”
Neale’s commitment to community served as the foundation to her experience as an English language teacher at Oita City Higashi-Nakada Elementary School in Japan from 2016 to 2019.
“My students came from low socioeconomic households, often single-parent families living in government-funded housing, which came with stigma,” says Neale. “At a young age, these kids were up against additional challenges and simply wanted to be seen. I made it my priority to ensure they felt recognized and valued in my classroom.”
“Seeing STEM in action makes me feel like I’m making a difference – making subjects that can feel intimidating more fun and friendly."
Christina Chiarenza, BEd '24
Megan Hamill is breaking down language and literacy basics to build the skills and confidence of students in her Grade 1 classroom.
Hamill is an expressive language and phonemic awareness teacher at E.W. Foster Elementary School in Milton. Students experiencing significant delays in language and literacy skills come from across Milton to learn in Hamill’s classroom. There, Hamill teaches all subjects in Ontario’s Grade 1 curriculum with a strong focus on language through a structured literacy approach – an evidence-based method of teaching concepts including phonemic awareness (sounds in language that can distinguish words), phonics (how letters and sounds come together to form words), reading, writing and expressive language.
“Students come into my classroom with the ability to read and write two- or three-sound words— below where they should be for success in Grade 1,” says Hamill. “By the end of our time together, they are reading words with six to eight sounds. Witnessing their growth and perseverance is incredible and very rewarding for me. Early literacy is where I belong.”
Hamill is an advocate for the International Dyslexia Association’s Library Project, which provides Ontario libraries with grants to procure decodable books and resources for emergent readers. Hamill supported the Milton Public Library’s application to the Library Project during the spring of 2024.
“Students all have abilities, and everyone wants to feel successful. Some students just show their strengths in different ways, so their success will look different than someone else’s — and that’s okay.”
Tayyabah Naeem, BEd '24
As an occasional teacher with the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), Isaac Fishbein has encountered hundreds of students. For Fishbein, getting to know his students — whether for a day, a week, or longer — is at the heart of his teaching approach.
“Taking an interest in students and their passions is a great way to build rapport,” says Fishbein. “I still remember the teachers who were kind or made learning enjoyable and I love bringing that personal touch into the classroom.”
During a long-term contract in fall 2022, Fishbein shared his passion for hockey with his Grade 6 students. Weekly NHL games quickly became a lively topic of discussion, prompting Fishbein to bring in his old hockey magazines for students to explore during silent reading time. A shared interest became an engaging learning experience.
For shorter teaching assignments, Fishbein uses trivia and word games to quickly build connections in the classroom. He continues to work as an occasional teacher with the WRDSB.
"Witnessing their growth and perseverance is incredible and very rewarding for me. Early literacy is where I belong.”
Megan Hamill, BA/BEd '09
Tayyabah Naeem believes the key to unlocking each student's unique potential lies in meeting them where they are.
A psychometrist in Milton, Naeem administers standardized assessments to identify potential learning or intellectual disabilities in children and youth.
“I can’t intervene or provide support during the assessment,” says Naeem. “But I often see that, with some support, a student could be successful. This repeated experience made me realize that I wanted to do more than just assign labels or diagnoses — I wanted to help students learn in ways that resonate with them.”
During her placements in junior classrooms with the Halton District School Board, Naeem tailored her lessons to meet the individual needs of students. Together, they defined success criteria, established workflows and used inquiry-based approaches to tackle complex problems.
“Students all have abilities, and everyone wants to feel successful” says Naeem. “Some students just show their strengths in different ways, so their success will look different than someone else’s — and that’s okay.”
Naeem is looking ahead to work as an occasional teacher in addition to her role as a psychometrist.
“Taking an interest in students and their passions is a great way to build rapport. I still remember the teachers who were kind or made learning enjoyable and I love bringing that personal touch into the classroom.”
Isaac Fishbein, BEd '22
Christina Chiarenza's passion for helping others, combined with her love of science, is the perfect formula for teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in the classroom.
During the spring of 2023 and 2024, Chiarenza worked as an innovation educator at St. Clement Catholic Elementary School in St. Clements. In the role, Chiarenza helped teachers meet the coding and robotics requirements of Ontario’s science and technology curriculum. Her lessons, tailored to needs identified by teachers, included activities such as creating structures with a 3D printer, exploring spatial awareness through Sphero robots, and coding with K8 robots.
As a Bachelor of Education student at Laurier, Chiarenza also led a coding club during a practicum placement at John Sweeney Catholic Elementary School in Kitchener, which attracted 80 students in Grade 4 through Grade 6. Chiarenza guided students through interactive and hands-on activities using the school’s Micro:bit computers and programmable robots.
“Seeing STEM in action makes me feel like I’m making a difference – making subjects that can feel intimidating more fun and friendly,” says Chiarenza.
Chiarenza is currently teaching a Grade 7 and Grade 8 class at St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School in Kitchener.
“At a young age, these kids were up against additional challenges and simply wanted to be seen. I made it my priority to ensure they felt recognized and valued in my classroom.”
Olivia Neale, BEd '24
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