Meet Amanda Spadafora, a WKTEP graduate from the Class of 2024/25 whose background in the arts brings creativity and connection to everything she teaches. In this Hear from our Grads feature, she reflects on how rural teaching, community, and place-conscious learning have shaped her journey as an educator.
Q1. Why is teaching rurally meaningful for you?
Teaching rurally feels deeply connected to community and place. In smaller settings, relationships come first. You really get to know students, families, and the landscape itself. I love that learning often extends beyond the classroom, whether it’s walking down to the river, visiting a local gallery, or connecting with Elders and community artists. It keeps education grounded in real experience.
Q2. What role did community play in your practicum experience, and what was your big takeaway from practicum?
Community was at the heart of my practicum, especially in how it supported and celebrated student art. I had the chance to share and exhibit student work in local spaces, giving their learning an authentic audience and a sense of pride. Seeing students light up as their art was appreciated by the community reminded me how powerful it is when learning becomes part of something bigger. My biggest takeaway was how important connection and celebration are to meaningful education.
Q3. How did the place-conscious learning model at WKTEP shape your understanding of teaching in rural settings?
The place-conscious model helped me see teaching as a living practice, not just something that happens in a classroom. It taught me to value story, community, and care, and to recognize that the land itself can be a teacher if we take time to listen.
Q4. Did you have a favourite educational topic or class that you especially loved, or one that made an impression on you?
I really connected with the inquiry lessons where we reflected on self and its connection to teaching and education. Those lessons encouraged me to slow down and think about who I am as a person and how that shapes the kind of teacher I want to be. That reflective practice continues to guide me today.
Q5. What advice would you give to future teacher candidates in WKTEP?
Stay curious and open. Lean into the community, ask questions, and take time to notice what feels meaningful. WKTEP is such a unique experience. The relationships you build here, with people and place, will continue to shape your teaching long after the program ends.