Faculty Profile

In Conversation with Joshua Armstrong, Director of Teaching and Learning

What is your educational background? I have a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, teachers’ qualifications from Queen’s University, and am currently completing a professional master of education at Queen’s University.

What is your current role at Pickering College? I am the Director of Teaching and Learning, as well as a social sciences and English teacher.

How long have you been teaching at Pickering College? I have been teaching at Pickering College since September 2016.

What are four adjectives that would best describe you? Imaginative: I enjoy imagining big ideas that encourage my students to become articulate agents of change in the world. I like supporting other leaders to dream big and implement ideas that make our community at PC a vibrant place. I have been doing this with our student committee over the last few years.

Determined: I like setting distal goals that either use innovative ideas to solve problems or that inspire others to cooperate to achieve the goal. I also like to take on challenging projects. Throughout my life, I have broken down large goals into manageable sub-goals that I pursue consistently until achieved. I hope to share this approach with my amazing colleagues as we work together to do great things in the years to come.

Ethical: I have strong values that align with our Quaker values at PC. I believe in creating an equitable society and behaving in a manner that creates trusting and honest relationships. These values are core to the decisions I make and my approach to life.

Approachable: I believe in being an approachable person who builds relationships. I’ve always operated by listening to my students and colleagues. I value the opinions of others and strive to use their ideas to better our community.

What interests do you pursue outside of the classroom? Outside the classroom, I enjoy maintaining an active lifestyle and getting outdoors as much as possible. At the University of Toronto, I played varsity football so I love athletics in general. Today, that translates into challenging myself each day in the weight room and meeting new running goals such as completing half-marathons.

I am also an advocate and fundraise for multiple sclerosis research, a condition affecting my family that reminds me of the importance of living each day to the fullest and taking care of both our physical and emotional well-being. When time permits, you will find me in a canoe with my family as we portage through Algonquin Park.

What is something you are proud of when it comes to your teaching? I have had many students go out of their way to reach out to me years later after taking my courses to say that they used the writing techniques I taught them to excel in their university

programs. I want my students to feel confident that they can express their ideas professionally and engage in academic discussions with ease after working through my courses. I am always excited to see my students grow and challenge themselves to new understandings as they prepare themselves to make a difference in our world.

What is it that drew you to teaching? I always enjoyed discussing social science and English literature topics while I was in high school and university. I find it energizing to see people debate about complex problems. The subjects I teach allow me to engage students in conversations that grapple with difficult problems facing humanity. I felt my place to affect change was in a classroom where I could guide students to show leadership on finding solutions to these issues. I am optimistic that our students will make a difference in the world by boldly facing these challenges. Beyond that, I enjoy building relationships with teams. The classroom is a wonderful place to build meaningful relationships.

What’s the best thing about your job? The best thing about my job is working with the students and staff in the PC community. My colleagues are incredibly talented educators and our students are passionate future leaders. I’m so fortunate to be part of this amazing community.

What is something most people don’t know about you? In many respects, I am an environmentalist at heart. I love interacting with the natural world through gardening, hiking, and camping. I draw a lot of inspiration from observing birds and animals at peace in their natural habitat. I care a great deal about preserving these spaces so that our children’s children can enjoy our connection with the land in future generations.

What are you currently reading for enjoyment? Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

If you weren’t following this particular career path, what would you be doing? I always enjoyed advocating for others and helping people and teams meet goals on their way to personal growth. This translates into coaching sports, personal training, and guiding trips. Many careers that involve working with groups of people and planning for big goals would have attracted me. PC’s commitment to experiential education through the Global Leadership Program has always allowed me to use these skills. Our Quaker values connect us to community goals where we can make a difference. I know I could have used my skills to make a difference in so many community organizations but now I am excited to think about how our curriculum and PC students can create authentic connections with the community.

Is there anything else you would like to share? A big part of my life growing up was teamwork. I played football in high school and at the varsity level for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. I was an offensive lineman, which is not always the most recognized member of the team. I didn’t score touchdowns, but my contributions were an integral part of a larger plan. Playing a sport where team members have vastly different roles helps teach you to recognize that everyone has an important role in a team’s success. We all have different talents and skills that help build our community. I am looking forward to working with our community to help people use their special gifts to build us all up.

“ The best thing about my job is working with the students and staff in the PC community. My colleagues are incredibly talented educators and our students are passionate future leaders.”