Some footage used in this video was filmed prior to the pandemic and may not depict social distancing measures.
Year: 2021 — Province: Ontario
Certificate of Excellence Recipient
The Linden School
Designated early childhood educator in a Kindergarten classroom for children ages 3 to 6 years
Toronto, Ontario
Quote
“In working with my daughter, who was a recipient of acute bullying, Tonja engaged through an approach of empathy, knowledgeable digital strategies/ practices, and character building. My daughter slowly moved from hating being at school or any educational institution to thriving.”
Philosophy of care
Tonja approaches those first few school years with the premise that they profoundly influence how children learn to be learners and how they perceive themselves going forward.
Support of child development
Tonja is an innovator, developing programs and using limited resources in ingenious ways. Although she knows the provincial curriculum and delivers an engaging imaginative play-based program for her students, she looks for ways to improve, especially when it comes to finding answers to her students’ questions. One of her students was curious about the differences between materials like metal, paper, and plastic. Tonja designed a safe and exciting lab activity in which she helped students burn different materials under the exhaust fan to see what happened. She connected this to a lesson on fire safety at home, and with her class visits to the nearby fire station - just one example of integrating experience and learning.
Her methods prepare her students for life long curiosity, confidence, and commitment to the world around them. This is core to her focus on supporting student success and skills development. She encourages without pressuring, she celebrates big and small achievements in a way that makes children feel honored, and she creates opportunities for children to feel independent, capable, and connected to each other and the community.
Involvement with parents, families and the community
Tonja brings together care and commitment. Her activist work including support of Greenpeace and involvement with the Community of Black Early Childhood Educators has led to improvements in her community. She finds ways to empower her students to take meaningful action like raising funds for the World Wildlife Federation, collecting supplies for the Daily Bread Food Bank, and raking leaves at a nearby women’s shelter. Not only do her students embrace the importance of actively caring for their communities, but they develop the pride and self-confidence that comes from contributing in important ways.
Tonja has been instrumental in helping her school strengthen its anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices. Working with students, she started an affiliate club for racialized students in all grades, creating a space to talk about ways to navigate the world as a racialized student, to act for meaningful change, and to help non-racialized students be effective allies. Tonja has led anti-racism workshops for parents, teachers, and administrators. And she has been doing the challenging work of guiding colleagues through difficult but necessary conversations. Her courage has led the school forward at a crucial time.
Get in touch!
The Linden School
10 Rosehill Avenue
Toronto ON M4T 1G5
416-966-4406
Facebook: @lindenschool
Twitter: @TheLindenSchool