Tiffany Vossos is a Grade 1 and 2 teacher at Pine View Public School in Petawawa. Her interest in teaching started at a young age when she would volunteer to help out in her mom’s classroom.
From the Ottawa Valley to Nipissing University and back to Petawawa where she teaches now, Vossos says she knew she wanted to live in a small town. She adds it’s nice running into familiar faces and families while out in the community.
Vossos says one of her favourite parts of the job is coming and seeing smiling kids everyday instead of office papers on a desk. She adds everyday is a bit different and says it’s nice to see kids get excited over the smallest things. Vossos said the other day she was showing her students where water goes when it comes out of the sink and the kids thought it was so cool.
One of the biggest challenges she finds is worrying if you’re doing enough to help those struggling and she says it’s important to rely on other resources to find answers that might help.
Vossos adds learning the technology for online learning was also challenging. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Vossos had to get creative to keep her class engaged in virtual learning. Vossos felt lucky to have a supportive principal with resilient kids and families. She says the pandemic presented opportunities for new learning such as virtual field trips to museums and roller coaster rides at Canada’s Wonderland.
Vossos encourages others who are considering teaching to get involved. She says it’s a great career if you love to learn and teach.
Listen to the full interview with Tiffany Vossos here: