A Montreal teacher from Sacred Heart School of Montreal, Erika Rath, was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
In a recent blog post on the school’s website, Rath shared that she tries to provide to her students what she needed when she was a high school student.
“My objectives are to help female students understand that we need to challenge the way we think about ourselves and others. We need to stop comparing and judging because it isn’t healthy and it causes more harm than good. Instead of being negative, we need to create positivity and be more accepting and open minded.”
According to CTV News, “Not only does Rath work as the school's director of student services, she also teaches a personal development course to students in grades 7 to 11.”
The Canadian government awarded Rath the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, which is considered a high honour in Canada, for her commitment to each student’s success.
"Her definition of student success is not based on grades or university acceptance, but rather on the belief that every student must be equipped with the tools needed to succeed beyond high school, namely confidence, determination and resilience. Erika encourages students to think differently by helping them identify their strengths and their passions, and how the two synergistically work together to help lead a purposeful life."