Get to Know Our Staff: Ryan Vachon

Ryan came to Greenwood in 2018 by way of Hong Kong, where he taught Ontario Business courses at an international school for four years. He also took on the subject leader role in his last two years there. “I couldn’t have asked for better preparation for my role at Greenwood,” he says.

As our Subject Team Leader (STL) for the Business department, Ryan helps set the team’s direction for both the short and long terms. He leads his fellow Business teachers in setting academic goals for the year and supports them in following through on those goals. He also helps the Business department prepare for Ministry of Education inspections and keep their resources organized, in addition to representing the Business team in the school’s broader academic picture.

“I meet with my fellow Subject Team Leaders regularly,” he says. “Along with the professional development committee, the Centre for Teaching and Learning and school leadership, the STL team contributes to professional development efforts and contribute ideas on how to move everyone forward across teams.”

Ryan was drawn to Greenwood by the school’s wide array of Business courses. “I haven’t been able to find a school that matches us, public or independent,” he says. Greenwood’s Business offerings currently include both Grade 11 and 12 Accounting courses, Entrepreneurship: The Venture, Marketing, International Business, Business Leadership, and Analysing Current Economic Issues.

While Ryan takes pride in all of Greenwood’s Business offerings, his favourite course to teach is Business Leadership. “There’s a strong balance of case studies and a wide range of projects,” he says. “The material is accessible for students who haven’t taken Business before; at the same time, I can personalize the course for students who have taken other Business courses by building extension activities based on their background knowledge.”

The biannual Case Competition is now a staple for the Business Department, and its structure is also unique to Greenwood. This competition places Business students in teams of 3-4 and asks them to tackle case studies pulled from undergraduate business programs; industry professionals volunteer to judge final presentations and give students real-time feedback along the way. 

Some people feel that these cases are too tricky for high-school students, but Ryan heartily disagrees.

“When we teach students how to attack the cases and work as a team, they can work on the same types of cases that undergraduates do,” Ryan says. “Greenwood students have shown us that time and again.” Case competitions also teach valuable soft skills -- such as collaboration, critical thinking and presentation skills -- that will be helpful to students no matter which path they choose to take after graduation.

Greenwood also has a very active chapter of DECA, an extracurricular program consisting of oral and written business situation role-plays. Students compete against other schools in local competitions, with top qualifiers moving on to the provincial level. Greenwood consistently sends two to three times more students to provincials than its competitor schools.

On a personal level, Ryan spends his time reading (especially political non-fiction), playing board games, watching TV shows and movies, and following his favourite teams. “I’m a huge Leafs and Packers fan,” he says. (He may or may not have a Cheesehead hat on his desk.)

Looking at his Greenwood experience as a whole, one of Ryan’s favourite things about working here is the people. “The culture gives us space to form meaningful relationships both with students and with teammates, and that really benefits students,” he says. He also values that there are staff members positioned to advocate for every aspect of students’ experience. “A system like that definitely isn’t in place everywhere,” he says. “We’re positioned to make a difference in all of the ways that matter.”

Ultimately, for Ryan, teaching Business means helping students find their passion and develop greater confidence. “The courses support a wide variety of skill sets,” he says. “That allows students to find a niche that really means a lot to them and that inspires their learning across courses.”