Being a teacher at Oyen Public School is a dream come true

Commentator/Courier Photo Submitted by Samantha Johnson. EDWIN PARR NOMINEE: Kayl Davies, who teaches Grade 6 at Oyen Public School, is the Edwin Parr nominee for Prairie Rose Public Schools this year.

By Samantha Johnson
Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer

Working at Oyen Public School (OPS) is a dream come true for Kayl Davies, this year’s Edwin Parr nominee for Prairie Rose Public Schools. Davies currently lives on an acreage near Cereal with her fiancé and credits her future mother-in-law as the one to inspire her to pursue teaching as a career.

“I knew I wanted to go back to school. My mother-in-law is a retired teacher of 30 years and she always speaks so highly of education. My fiancé was born and raised in Cereal and attended OPS. His mom also taught there, so it is full circle for her to be the inspiration and for me to now teach at the school she taught at.”

Davies trained as a speech language pathologist assistant and communicative disorder assistant and then worked for several years with AHS. Having always dreamed of becoming a teacher, she chose to return to post-secondary and obtained her degree in education.

Both her practicums were with Grade 5 students and, even though she was hesitant about teaching Grade 6, when the job opened, she knew it was too good an opportunity to pass on. There are 16 students in her Grade 6 class and Davies also teaches both Grades 5 and 6 social studies and Phys-ed. Additionally, she teaches Grades 3 and 4 Phys-ed twice per week and also coaches mini basketball and mini volleyball.

“Everyone laughs that I am coaching sports because I’ve never made a team in my life. I am the least athletic person, so coaching and teaching Phys-ed is comical. I’m a part of student council, I have helped with bon spiels, led a few assemblies and run multiple field trips. I feel like there is always something to be doing.”

Davies describes herself as a passionate person and someone who pours everything she has into whatever she does. She is grateful for her students, who tell her she is their favourite teacher. It is the highest honour that students find her classroom safe and feel they are able to make mistakes on their learning journey.

Four of her students – Kieran, Scarlett, Dior and Hadley – all talked about how kind Davies is and the time and attention she gives to each of her students. Kieren particularly likes the style of teaching Davies uses and the fun activities she plans to make the lessons more interesting.

“She has a really good personality and knows how to teach a great lesson. If you are confused, she has a really awesome way of helping you understand the lesson,” stated Scarlett, who added Davies is quirky and often uses dance moves in class to make them all laugh and lighten the mood.

Dior said Davies was kind, funny, smart and makes the lessons engaging. “She always listens and offers extra help. She’ll even stay after school if you need help. She does classroom economy and spends her own money on prizes for our class, which I think is pretty awesome.”

“Miss Davies includes everyone and finds different ways to make us have fun while we are learning,” added Hadley. “You feel like you can talk to her about anything. Nothing we have learned is boring. She is such an amazing teacher who knows how to do her job well. She is funny and makes you laugh whenever you are down and aren’t having a good day.”

As a Christmas enthusiast, Davies and her fiancé are planning their wedding for December 13 this year. It’s been a busy year for her, but also a fulfilling and exciting one and she’s glad she took a risk on herself and pursued her dream of becoming a teacher.