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Nathan deBoer
Grade 4 GATE (Gifted and Talented Education), Louis Riel School, Calgary
How long have you been teaching?
Twelve years.
Why did you become a teacher?
Having worked at a summer camp for nine years, I knew working with kids was a passion and my calling. Teaching was an opportunity to build relationships daily with students. That’s what I wanted to do.
Current Association role
Association instructor.
What are your main responsibilities?
Lead professional development for educators (and future educators).
What do you enjoy most about this work?
The opportunity to share successes and struggles that I have had over the years and allow others to learn from those.
What other roles have you held with the Association?
I have been an ATA associate instructor for seven years.
Why do you do this work? Why is it important?
Having been an educator for 13 years, I enjoy the opportunity to work with teachers as learners, build capacity in their daily practice. It is valuable because we are equipping teachers with the tools to teach in a 21st-century classroom.
How (or why) did you first become involved in Association work?
I was looking for a challenge and was recommended to join by my school’s administration.
What is your favourite...
Movie? The Power of One
TV show? The Walking Dead
Band/singer? Whatever my wife listens to.
Book? The Moon Rock, by Boriana and Vladimir Todorov.
Summer vacation activity? Building decks and fences.
Travel destination? Banff.
Article of clothing? A good fall sweater!
What superpower would you most like to have and why?
Invisibility. I want to see what people are like when they think no one’s around ... and it would be just awesome to sneak onto planes to travel the world and be a general sneak!
What fictional character are you most like and why?
Boxer from Animal Farm. I enjoy manual labour, and when faced with a challenge, I put my head down and just get right to work.
What fictional character would you most like to meet and why?
Daryl Dixon. If you’ve ever watched The Walking Dead, you will just know why — he’s Daryl Dixon.❚
