Karen Faulkner of N.J. Macpherson School has just won what is widely considered one of the most prestigious teaching awards in the country.
This morning YK1 proudly announced that Faulkner has been honoured with the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education.
Faulkner is a junior Kindergarten teacher who has been teaching with YK1 since 2017. YKI said that the teacher is known for her “dynamic, curiosity-led approach to learning.”
Faulkner gives the credit to the children, emphasizing that they are “very capable” and each child is unique in their learning style.
“It’s how you put your direction across and what you’re teaching. And you need to know every child individually, so you can give them their needs and support what they need and just build a capable community in the classroom and going forward, that really creates great citizens of society.”
“Her classroom brings lessons to life through student-driven research using art, storytelling, and science. The award also highlights Karen’s commitment to nurturing the whole child—supporting social, emotional, and academic development while creating a safe and inclusive space for every learner. Her work embodies YK1’s belief that the early years are critical in setting children up for future success.”
One parent compared Faulkner’s teaching approach as an ‘act of love” having a “ripple” affect.
“The love and impact of teachers like Karen are boundless… Nancy Tillman writes a book about acts of love and kindness and how these acts ripple through life and touch everyone we meet. I am reminded of it when I think of teachers like Karen. I believe teachers like her help students to become wonderful citizens of humanity, and this will extend to every place and person these children meet,” said a parent at N.J. Macpherson School.
The Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education was first introduced in 2002, to put a spotlight on the leadership and commitment of teachers who do outstanding early childhood learning work.
Faulkner stands among one of only 15 award recipients, and one of only five to receive the very prestigious Certificate of Excellence.
Faulkner is expected to travel to Ottawa later this year for the awards ceremony, present her best practices and work together with the other four Certificate of Excellence recipients.
“YK1 and N.J. Macpherson School are extremely proud of Ms. Faulkner’s efforts, and
congratulate her on this well-deserved national recognition,” said YK1 in the announcement today.
“When they called me originally, I just kind of sat there and stared off because I couldn’t believe it and I was so overwhelmed and very appreciative, but I’d have to say I’m very overwhelmed,” Faulkner told True North FM today.
Back in August, Faulkner received a phone call informing her about the award, but had to wait for the official announcement today before more openly sharing the news.
“That was very hard for me. I like to talk about a lot of things but I did tell my family, of course and my close friend and there was a couple of teachers that were in the room when I got the phone call,” explained Faulkner.
“So they were screaming and yelling and the lady on the other end was laughing and I didn’t know what to do and but yeah, it was really exciting,” confided Faulkner.
The mom and full-time university student, has been teaching for over 25 years and first aspired to become a teacher while in highschool. After graduating, she thought about other careers but her dreams took her back to teaching.
Since graduating with an Early Childhood Education diploma in 2000, she has kept going.
“I’ve been doing it for 25 years, so I’ve seen so many changes in that amount of time, but I want to keep doing it because I see the impact on the students and on the families. The children want to come to school. They’re having fun and they are engaged, like they like the things that we’re talking about because sometimes it’s things that they want to talk about. So we kind of research further and with the families – I’ve had families over the years, come to me and say ‘what you’re doing with my child, it’s really impacted us as a family because we’re learning through our child.’ And so, they’ll tell me some things that they’re going through that really helps them,” said Faulkner.
“Some people will tell me that I go above and beyond but to me it’s just I will do what I need to do for the students and families. Like I will support them in any way that I can and so I think that’s just what I’m here to do,” she added.
That enthusiasm goes a long way in connecting children to limitless learning spaces all around them.
“I’m a firm believer that children still need to have fun. Sometimes, I think we forget that fun is a huge part and all learning can be fun, it’s how you present it to them. Everything can be fun,” explained Faulkner.
It’s all about being inclusive and making space for diverse learners, she said.
“We’ll sit down and we’ll talk about how we can communicate with a diverse learner, who may not be verbal or they may do things that children may not like, but they know how to communicate. My approach is making an all-inclusive classroom that my students are also responsible to invite children to play and engage or go to the playground and meet new children at recess and introduce themself. Just give them the confidence. I’m a very big confidence builder and independence (supporter), I always tell them that they can do hard things, and you will make mistakes, but this is how we learn. So, it’s a very relaxed environment but I’m always very direct and to the point and we have great conversations around that. In turn, everyone does really well in the classroom because they include all of each other.”
Faulkner explained that in the JK classroom, it’s important that everyone works as a team including the teacher and the teaching assistants.
“We have great teamwork. So we collaborate really well together. And the kids see that, because the children need to see – ‘hey, look at our adults in our classroom, they’re funny. They’re having a good time but they’re teaching us and so it’s like a little family in the classroom.”
Faulkner said if she had a magic wand and could bring anything into the education system she would love for there to be “unlimited funding” across the board for all children in the country.
Faulkner also emphasized that the system needs more than funding, as there are social and emotional components of the curriculum, which are “huge” to what teachers do everyday. Those components are not always formally recognized but Faulkner said she thinks those components need to be formally included for all students in each grade.
In her childhood, Faulkner was inspired by two teachers who encouraged youth to not be afraid to be themselves and to think independently. Those teachers began a “connection” for her that continued into studying and practicing Early Childhood Education. One of the teachers was a primary school teacher.
“I remember everything about her and she was so kind and she gave us the autonomy to … Of course, children come into a classroom knowing things, like their prior knowledge, so she always allowed us to be ourselves and she was just kind, that’s what I really remember from her. And then I had her husband in grade eight and he was the same. So, I remember these people who always allowed you just to be you and that’s one of my things I love to do in my classroom. I tell the children, I say – just be yourself, like be you, be proud.”
Faulkner is in the process of completing a Bachelor’s of Early Childhood Education and is enrolled in full time studies while also working.
“It’s actually great because so far there’s quite a bit of it that’s validating for the way I’m doing things in my classroom, how I view the children.” The program also opens up doors for working in other early childhood spaces.
“I’m expanding my learning and my knowledge and am really excited to share with all of that too,” said Faulkner.
It’s all about empowering youth to see the potential that is there within them, she emphasizes.
“My main thing that I want everyone to know is that children are very capable and it doesn’t matter their age, they are very capable. It’s how you put your direction across and what you’re teaching. And you need to know every child individually, so you can give them their needs and support what they need and just build a capable community in the classroom and going forward, that really creates great citizens of society. Like they’re going to be amazing as they get older. I still have students that I’ve had in previous years, they’re in grade 10 now and they come back and they tell me all these things. They remember stuff from Junior kindergarten and I’m like, how do you remember that? It’s because they’re capable and I treated them as the individual that they are and their uniqueness and I tell them to never forget that.”
