Recipient's Name: Trevor Elmslie

School: Preston High School

Grade: Grade 10, 11, and 12 History

Number of Years Teaching: 10

Trevor Elmslie has been a teacher for ten years. He greatly enjoys spending his days with his grade 10, 11 and 12 History students at Preston High.

Trevor finds inspiration in seeing his high school students change and find happiness and confidence in themselves. As their teacher he is aware that he can inspire his students and their futures. Each day at high school is a new day. He seeks to open the students' minds to a new sense of possibilities. He is honest with his students, he doesn't talk down to them and lets them know that he is going to walk with them through the highs and lows of being a teenager. Trevor said, "They have lives and often their lives are tough. Their day does not start and stop at the school bells. I want them to come and talk to me and let me help. I want them to know that I will work hard with them to make their lives work out well." A teacher has to decide whether to teach the curriculum or the kids. If you teach the kids the curriculum will come. As Trevor teaches his students history he never doubts that an individual can change the world. He celebrates his students so they know they can change the world.

Trevor changed the world of his nominator. His student Justine wrote:

Mr. Elmslie and his great teaching have not only inspired me to be a teacher, but also to teach History. He is an exciting teacher who keeps you wanting to come to every one of his classes. He leads the class in innovative ways. He is different in his approach. He always has great stories to tell that keeps the class listening. He gets you to think and apply the question, "why is this important?"

One of Mr. Elmslie's best traits is the smile that never leaves his face. His happiness makes the school environment a great place to be taught and makes school very pleasurable. He also takes pride in his students' accomplishments. He celebrates the accomplishments of everyone knowing that everyone is capable of doing well. On the last test of the year he wrote a note on everyone's test telling them the good year he had with them.

He has always been a teacher who I can turn to for guidance and advice. He helped me recognize my weaknesses and better yet my potential to strive and succeed. He has made a difference in my life and the lives of other students.