Lindsay Brown is the kind teacher you wish you had in high school.

In their 14-year career as a classroom teacher, Brown has and continues to play an active role in numerous organizations, such as the Seven Oaks Teachers’ Association, the standing committee for Equity and Social Justice with the Manitoba Teachers’ Society and QUESO: Queering Seven Oaks, just to name a few.

For Brown, the most rewarding part about their efforts is seeing students take on work themselves.

“It’s one thing for me to be able to use the position of power and privilege I have in front of the classroom or in the school to make change, but it’s something entirely different when you see the kids doing it,” they say.

Brown is thankful they get to work in a school division where the faculty are safe to be out and proud about their gender or sexual orientations.

“We have tons of privilege being in Seven Oaks ... there are so many people in the province that still can’t even be out in their communities, never mind in their schools or classrooms.”

In the classroom, Brown teaches English by incorporating inquiry-based learning.

Brown says they’re “really passionate about inquiry-based learning,” and that it’s “all about tapping into what the students are interested or passionate about, what they already know.”

With this method, each student works on assignments that are tailored to an area in which they need to improve, but with a topic of the student’s choosing.

By utilizing this style of teaching, Brown is constantly challenged to learn about their students’ varying topics and interests.

“It also keeps things fresh for me, which I think is why I love English and I love teaching,” they say. “It’s such a cliché to say every day is entirely different, but it’s true.”

1) The epitome of the power pose

“This is Maurice.”

2) It may be plastic, but it’s also immortal

“I will literally kill any plant that I touch.”

3) A sleepy little baby

“This is Moogie.”

4) A bobbing, bouncing, bobbling band of brilliant pop! vinyls

“I have a horrible obsession with Pop! Vinyls.”

5) A fun pastime

“I’m trying to learn (the) ukulele, and I’m terrible at it.”

6) Quality posters

“These are from Field Trip, which is a music festival in Toronto that I’ve gone to for a couple of years.”

7) Lindsay’s favourite

“I lived in Montreal for a year and taught English in the South Shore of Montreal, and so I got to see tons of great concerts, and this was one of the shows that I saw.”

8) This isn’t for a game of capture the flag

“It has been stolen three times ... either it’s really a long-term prank, or somebody’s legit just homophobic and likes stealing my flag every few months.”

Published in Volume 74, Number 14 of The Uniter (January 16, 2020)