Ms. Prashad is a beloved English teacher who puts her utmost effort and compassion into everything she does. She was born and raised in Zimbabwe, and has taught here for fourteen years. Ms. Prashad, however, has not always been a teacher. She has held different jobs, including babysitting, newspaper delivery, working as a receptionist at a music school, and serving as a counselor at a pregnancy center.
Eventually, she went on to become an English teacher, attending ten different academic institutions in two different countries. “I was fortunate enough to attend Trent University in Peterborough, and teacher’s college at Queen’s in Kingston,” Ms. Prashad stated. She wanted to become an English teacher ever since she was six years old, largely due to her mother’s influence in the teaching field. As an English teacher, she usually teaches grade nine and ten classes, but gets to work with students across all grades due to her unwavering dedication to the Library Learning Commons (LLC).
Besides the LLC, Ms. Prashad also runs the Christian Students’ Association (CSA). The CSA prides itself on their cube display in the commons for Christian Heritage Month, and they enjoy planning school-wide events, such as during holidays like Easter. Personally, Ms. Prashad enjoys being able to share important religious celebrations with others, and equally enjoys learning about different cultures and faiths.
Over in the classroom, she enjoys teaching her students about short stories. But she’s even more fond of learning about her students. She often prepares different engaging activities for her classes to learn more about them, and is always supportive and encouraging about their ideas or passions. “They have value and need to use the power and value they have to do good and to make things in their sphere of influence better,” is a lesson she hopes that all her students will be able to take away from her class.
Besides teaching and giving her all into each and everything she does, Ms. Prashad enjoys baking, reading, and gardening. When asked if there were any messages she would like to share with students, she responded: “High school is a small part of your life, but if you use it to set a solid foundation, you’ll find that you have the tools you need to be successful in life.”
THE NORTH STAR 