An Examination of Preferred Instructional Techniques Among Seventh-Grade Students Garth Chalmers Vice Principal University of Toronto Schools
PERSONAL INTRODUCTION I have been an educator for 21 years, most of which has been spent working at the University of Toronto Schools (UTS) – a school for high-achieving students. After 13 years teaching Grade 7–12 geography in the classroom, I moved into an administrative role. In this role, as Director of Admissions, I was responsible for all aspects of the admissions process – from recruitment to integration of 140 new students each year. Now, as Vice Principal, I oversee a number of departments as the administrative liaison, as well as discipline, teacher performance and program delivery, and the management of facilities issues. Throughout my career I have been interested in student life, and as an administrator I have continued to interact with students on a daily basis in a variety of settings. For example, I continue to coach teams and serve as the staff advisor to a number of student groups and organizations, including student council. During my eight years in administration, my role has evolved and the level of responsibility increased. In my current role, I have been committed to working to improve teacher instructional strategies. When the opportunity arose through the Newton Foundation to systematically investigate what students think best suits their learning style, I jumped at the chance to learn from the learners.