Year: 2020 — Province: Ontario
Certificate of Achievement Recipient
Macphail Memorial Elementary School
French-immersion language, math, social studies, computers, art, drama, dance, grades 4 and 5
Flesherton, Ontario
As a direct result of Tyler, my grades, my relationships with friends and family, my mental health and my world outlook were changed for the better almost immeasurably… . My life would be different and not nearly as fulfilling, were it not for Tyler.
An artist, dancer and professional speaker, as well as a teacher, Tyler Boyle inspires countless people, both inside and outside his school—whether he is facilitating art therapy sessions at a youth addictions centre, raising money for a local food bank or supporting a summer camp for kids with cancer. He has also travelled to First Nations communities, Kenya and Cambodia to learn, teach and share.
Teaching approach
Tyler is well known at his school for his energy, his enthusiasm and his empathy with students experiencing difficulties. He encourages all students to participate in interdisciplinary activities, and even the layout of his classroom changes frequently to keep things fresh and interesting.
In the classroom
- Engages students using the arts: costumes and props immersed students in history during units on Egypt and New France; movie trailers built interest in math; a fashion show intrigued students in all grades.
- Promotes kinesthetic learning: dance parties help students learn literacy and math concepts, such as fractions and angles.
- Fosters social responsibility and generosity: coordinates monthly assemblies on themes such as the Golden Rule; due to his encouragement through the Who Is Nobody leadership and stewardship program, students have volunteered at an animal shelter, collected litter and donated money to a hospital.
- Hones students' and colleagues' conflict-resolution and communication skills: students have become attentive listeners and learned mutual respect through the Tribes program Tyler uses; he also helps teachers implement Tribes in their classrooms.
- Supports students' resilience and mental health: helped a troubled student to express his worries through poetry and art; gives students advice on overcoming anxiety.
Outstanding achievements
- Created historical film: students wrote and performed in a film about life in 1913 that was screened at a movie theatre in a nearby town; several students went on to further drama studies.
- Developed the board-wide P.L.U.S.+ (Pause, Listen, Understand, Support) program: the program fosters open conversations with at-risk youth, leading to less frequent office visits and quicker conflict resolution.
- Organizes annual school-wide Literacy Week: activities have included a game show, book shares and a celebration of Canadian literature.
- Co-founded his school's meditation club, Dreamwalkers: created 50 YouTube meditation videos for kids, now used around the world.
- Coordinated school plays and musicals: productions often involved more than 30 students and raised thousands of dollars for the school's arts program.
Get in touch!
Macphail Memorial Elementary School
49 Campbell Street
P.O. Box 160
Flesherton ON N0C 1E0
519-924-2752
margaretha_wilson@bwdsb.on.ca
https://mac.bwdsb.on.ca/
https://www.tylercboyle.com/