Winning Teachers 2006
Mohini Basran
Reading Recovery, English as a Second Language
St. Edmund Catholic Elementary School
Mississauga
After three decades of teaching, Mohini Basran said goodbye to her classroom in June 06.
But she knew before leaving St. Edmund Catholic Elementary School in Mississauga that she’d be back volunteering. She tells us teaching is not a job for her, it’s a passion. We understand she has already been lured back into the classroom for a short while.
Mrs. Basran spent most of her career providing extra support in reading and teaching English as a Second Language, jobs that connected her with many immigrant families. As an immigrant herself, she knows a great deal about what these new Canadians are going through.
There are cultural barriers, vocabulary barriers and even food barriers. Mrs. Basran could spot the child who was embarrassed to open a lunch bag in front of the other children because of different ingredients and aromas. She provided a welcoming haven in her own room where the contents of all lunch bags were the same.
Her principal Deirdre Furlong calls Mohini Basran “a gift”. She listened, mentored, encouraged and guided staff young and old. She invited parents to observe their child learning, and she modelled and shared suggestions they could use at home.
Her success as a teacher can be seen in the children deemed “at risk” who not only meet their grade expectations but surpass the milestones set out for their level.
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