I’m Stephen Wilson, an educator, lifelong learner, husband, dad, and proud resident of Marathon, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Superior.
I’ve spent more than two decades in education, working with students and educators from Kindergarten through Grade 12 in communities across Northwestern Ontario. I began my career as a high school teacher in Geraldton, Ontario, mostly teaching English along with Visual Arts, Computer Studies, and on occasion, even math. As a teacher I was an early adopter of virtual and blended learning models, not knowing that later in my career those skills would be put to work. After 14 years as a secondary teacher, my career path took me into school leadership. I developed my leadership skills as a vice-principal in Geraldton before an opportunity came up that brought me home to Marathon as principal of Marathon High School and then Margaret Twomey Public School. After several years as a school administrator I made the decision to return to the classroom for a new challenge: teaching Grade 1 and 2. The chance to teach primary brings my experience full-circle. It provided me with new perspectives, new connections, and new appreciation for how we teach, learn, and grow.
Today, I work as a Technology Enabled Learning Teacher with the Superior North Catholic District School Board. The role brings together many of the things that have interested me throughout my career: teaching and learning, technology, creativity, professional learning, and connecting with students and educators across our region.
My approach to education begins with relationships. I believe students learn best when they feel known, valued, challenged, and connected. I’m particularly interested in inquiry and experiential learning, literacy, social-emotional development across the K–12 years, and finding meaningful ways to integrate technology into learning. I enjoy exploring how technology can help remove barriers, encourage creativity and collaboration, and provide students with new ways to learn, communicate, and demonstrate their thinking.
Curiosity is probably the common thread. I like asking questions, trying things, creating, solving problems, and learning alongside other people.
That curiosity extends well beyond education. I’m a husband and dad, and family is an important part of my life. I’m also deeply connected to Northern Ontario and Lake Superior. I enjoy camping, kayaking, fishing, photography, local history and geology, and exploring the backroads, forests, rivers, and shorelines around home.
My favourite place is Neys Provincial Park, just west of Marathon, where my family and I spend a lot of our time camping and exploring. Lake Superior has always been part of my sense of home and continues to be one of my favourite places to learn, wander, and recharge.
After more than twenty years in education, I’m still interested in the same basic things that drew me to teaching in the first place: people, ideas, creativity, and discovering something new.