Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/609675
Shawn Dorman: The Consummate Student Resource and Physical Education Teacher, West Campus As the eldest of five children, Shawn Dorman is comfortable coaching others. As an educator, he is also at ease learning from others. HIS PATH to developing those important personal qualities began with a French immersion primary and high school education and continued at Brock University. Initially enrolled in psychology as a major, he soon realized it was not the field for him, and was at a loss as to what to pursue. However, a professor suggested he look into teaching and he thought the idea was interesting; after all, he'd taken on a lot of leadership roles in high school. So through the next three years at Brock, Mr. Dorman majored in history, with a minor in French, and volunteered for Brock's Special Needs Accessibility Program (SNAP). Each week, special needs students of all backgrounds and abilities were brought to the campus, and university-student volunteers would work one-on-one with the youngsters to address their specific needs, such as developing fine-motor skills or language and vocabulary. Following his undergraduate degree, he embarked on a one-year accelerated teaching program at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Being in the medieval city was an incredible experience for this self-described "history guy." Further afield, he used his French language skills while travelling through France. After receiving his professional graduate diploma in education, he spent a year as a corporate trainer in Montreal, followed by a teaching role, also in Montreal, which saw him teach history and geography to Grade 7 and 8 students. Then in September 2014, one day before the start of school, Mr. Dorman found himself hired by TFS as a resource teacher for the West Campus. His favourite part of the role is co-teaching with colleagues, whereby the efforts in class are collaborative and can best address the unique learning styles of each student. But this resource and, as of September 2015, physical education teacher doesn't just bring his skills as an educator to class; he goes to class himself, seeking to ever increase his base of knowledge. So far, Mr. Dorman has completed additional qualifications, taken through universities with faculties of education, in French as a second language, special education, senior social studies, guidance and physical education. "I am constantly taking these courses!" he says. "I see it as part of my role as a teacher to continually expand my competencies and skills." 29 TFS ENTRE NOUS 2015