Graduating teacher candidate Molly McFarlane was recently announced as one of the winners of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) Faculty of Education Award for this school year.
The award, which is valued at $1,000, is awarded to a graduating intermediate/senior or technological education teacher candidate at each Faculty of Education in Ontario who exemplifies the following criteria:
- is an advocate for unionism and related values;
- has demonstrated political or social activism that promotes the professional nature of teaching;
- has shown leadership by supporting and advocating for fellow teacher candidates;
- has shown leadership in organization of events which benefit fellow teacher candidates;
- has demonstrated a high degree of professional competence; and
- is attempting to secure a teaching position that would make her or him an OSSTF/FEESO member.
“Molly is an exceptional student and is deserving of this award,” said Ron Owston, dean of the Faculty of Education. “We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
McFarlane is currently working full-time as a municipality summer program coordinator while completing her additional qualification courses to become a K-12 teacher. This September, she will begin pursuing a master of arts degree in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, where she received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant.
Her research interests revolve around exploring the impact of embedded emotion norms and emotion work on teachers’ mental health and well-being as well as (and in relation to) the concept/construct of the “good” teacher.
Graduating bachelor of education student Gordon Wornoff was also a co-winner of this year’s award.