Sitting Down with Greenwood's Apprentice Teachers

Greenwood’s tenants of personalized learning and character-building encompass the school in many different ways, often through its community and the unique experiences that shape it. The Apprentice Teacher Program is one of these experiences, placing incoming educators into various teaching roles around the school. Teachers in the program can expect the full classroom experience along with a few unique opportunities that are very much ‘Greenwood’. Apprentice teachers work alongside experienced teachers to develop their own classroom management skills, assessment strategies and use of technology integration. In addition to this, apprentice teachers also actively assist in the enrichment of students by participating in the school’s Outdoor Education trips and developing their own personalized learning plans.

With it being nearly half-way through the year, students and staff are quite familiar with the current group of apprentice teachers. Whether it’s their incredible work in classrooms all around the school or leading this year’s many service learning activities, this group has made great strides in not only meeting the needs of students but furthering their own learning as well. 

During one of the group’s weekly meetings, Mark LeBlanc, Toby Lawrence, Lexie Reiken and Alex Walters would sit down to discuss their current experiences in the apprentice program.

Alex: There’s a steady sense of growth when you first come to the school. The beginning of the year starts off at an easier pace, just so you can get familiar with the school and what you’ll be doing each day. Eventually it ramps up over time but you’re always getting feedback from your co-teacher and Mary. I found that the pace makes it easier for me to try out new ideas without being overwhelmed.

Toby: Like Alex said, you really are involved in every facet of school life here. What I enjoyed the most is being able to shadow other teachers and get a sense of what to apply to my own classroom skills. Being able to cover entire classes has also been very enriching, as it lets you apply everything you’ve learned so far in a more independent way. 

Lexie: I mostly teach the science classes and what I enjoy most about them is the diversity in the assignments and the different ways they’re distributed. Being able to watch students engage with the in-class lessons and seeing how they get when putting that into hands-on projects is always exciting. The same can be said for my work in the Adviser program. It’s a learning process for both me and the students, as they get to discuss methods of learning with us and we can assist them in developing a learning plan that’ll suit them in the classroom.

Mark: I’m very fond of the Greenwood community as a whole. The first thing I noticed when starting here is how encouraging and welcoming the environment is. I’m incredibly proud to be a teacher here and being able to work in a role that furthers Greenwood’s student-centered learning and ideals is very rewarding. Teaching math especially has allowed me to create and apply different learning strategies with a variety of students, which is always enjoyable. 

Alex: Service learning is something that we all actively participate in, and it’s been crucial to our own personalized learning. Having to pick the activity or focus for service learning allows us to get in touch with so many different organizations and give back to the community each week. I recently organized the Hockey HEROS session and it was great seeing the students participate.

Toby: Exactly! Service learning is such an important part of how we get involved with the school outside of the classroom. The Outdoor Education trips give us the same opportunity as well. Being able to start the year off with the Fall OE trips allows us to connect with the students before getting back to the classrooms. It lets me understand the students better and I find that the students are more receptive and aware of me as a teacher once classes begin. 

Do you know a new educator? Greenwood is hiring Apprentice Teachers for the 2026-2027 year. Apply or share today!