Sunday, August 21, 1994 - North Shore News - 43

UCATION

Mixing passion with learning ©
Gridiron hero tackles new role Wee

THERE ARE few similarities between playing foot-
ball and teaching save that both require a great deal
of dedication.

By Fiobert Galster
Contributing Writer

But that is precisely the path John Blain‘'s career
has taken.

During the past seven years Blain has been the
head teacher and administrator of the Sentine! Work
Activity Prograrn (SWAP) in West Vancouver.

However, his career started with a football schol-
arship at San Jose State where he received a degree
in physical education. He was drafted by the NFL's
New Orleans Saints organization, and ended up play-
ing for the B, C. Lions from the 1977 season until
1987.

During his first year back in B.C. he completed
his teaching certificate at SFU and started teaching at
both Sutherland and Handsworth Secondary Schools
on a part-time basis.

“T always knew what } wanted to do, and it was
great being able to do both at once.” said Blain. “It
made the transition (from football) a little easier,”

EFFECTIVE TEACHING is as

While his football career was both long and distin-
guished — including three CFL all-star team selec-
lions — Blain now wants to make a difference off the
playing field and inside the classroom.

SWAP is one of the oldest alternative school pro-
grams in the province. It was started in 1972 and
secks to help students that don't fit into the tradition-
al school system.

“These are kids that just weren't motiveied in the
regular system and that were having difficulties for
one reason or another, but still wanted to continue
going to school,” said Blain.

SWAP incorporates a computer learning program
that allows its students to learn at their own pace
which is not necessarily slower than that at a regular
school. Some students’ complete 1% and even two
years of study in one school year.

Blain says that many of the 40 day and 30 evening
students end up graduating when they never thought
they would.

“There's a lot of the family strife and difficulty
when the kids are not on track and when they start to
be successful with us, all those negative things are
gone,” said Blain.

Math teacher thrives on challenge

much art as science and this is
especially apparent in high
schools as many educators find
themselves facing increasing
class size, and decreasing
funds.

By Robert Galster
Contributing Writer

Many also find it difficult to get
excited by a course outline that has
not changed for 10, 20 and some-
times even 30 years.

Mathematics is one such stagnant
discipline, yet it is amid this setting
that lan deGroot, mathematics
department nead at Sutherland
Secondary School, thrives. He has
recently won both the Prime
Minister's award for excellence in
teaching mathemavcs as well as the
Outstanding Mathematics Teacher in
B.C, award.

DeGroot realizes that the stan-
dard stand and deliver math teacher
is rarely effective. As a result, he
varies his approach and regularly
introduces new subject matter.

SUTHERLAND SECONDARY school math department head,
left, stays away from the “stand and deliver”

“I’m constantly reading the litera-
ture. I’m constantly thinking. I’m
constantly changing what I do — it’s
just a natural evolutionary process
with me,” says deGroot. “I’m also
constantly looking for things in the
newspapers that make mathematics
relevant.” :

Some of his classroom trade-
marks include students working in
groups, never assigning more than
two questions at a time and an
intriguing absence of textbooks.

’ Even though he has co-authored a
textbook in the past, deGreot says
they are still generally too restrictive.

“The bottom line is it doesn't
matter what you do in the classroom
with the textbook... the bottom line
is the teacher in front of the class,”
deGroot explains.

“ve always been an innovative
and creative person and I have a
strong love and desire to make math-
ematics appreciated by young people
in a meaningful sense,” he adds.

Call now ~ classes start in September

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and your children

Join us on campus for classes three times per
week. We offer a range of support services to help
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To find out how you can become a student in the

2055 Purcell Way
North Vancouver
British Columbia
“Canada V7J 3H5

Capilano College Family Literacy Class, call the
Family Literacy Coordinator at 984-4971,

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NEWS a Mike Wakefield
FORMER CFL all-star John Blaine (centre) Is the head teacher

and head administrator of the Sentinel Work Activity Program
{SWAP}, a West Vancouver alternative school program.

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