CTV's Community Heroes: B.C. teacher shortlisted for prestigious honour

A high school teacher in Surrey, B.C., is the only Canadian shortlisted for a Global Teacher Prize this year.

Annie Ohana works at L.A. Matheson Secondary school, where she’s an advocate for inclusivity and empowering students to think critically.

“I want them to walk away knowing they’re good enough, knowing that their identities matter and that critical thinking is absolutely massive,” said Ohana.

She’s no stranger to prestigious awards. The community activist has a trophy case outside of her classroom displaying her acknowledgments for community activism.

“My hope is that I teach skillsets that happen to be how to think critically and then you have to apply that elsewhere,” she said.

Winning the award would give her $1 million – something she would like to use to create scholarships for her students as the high school mainly teaches inner city students.

Inside the social justice teacher’s classroom, her passion for creating conversations around trans rights, Black Lives Matter and No More Stolen Sisters are evident. Her walls are plastered with posters, acting as a launching pad for critical thinking.

One poster reads: “Those preventing history from being taught intend to repeat it.” Another reads: “They wanted to bury us, but they did not know we were the seeds.”

“She’s straightforward and straight to the point, and I like how she explains things in depth to make learning easier,” said Abdullahi Osman, a Grade 11 student in her class.

Her teaching curriculum isn’t the only thing her students find valuable.

“If I have situation that’s going on at home, I can come inside the classroom and talk to her about it,” said Xavier Ordones-Lewis, also a student in her class.

Ohana’s advocacy hasn’t always been smooth.

“We are living in a time that is very divisive. There are people who see anti-oppression work as problematic, that you’re questioning the system,” she said. “I’m happy to be teaching at a time where things are slowly getting better.”

She’s now waiting to find out if she’ll make it to the next round, a group of top 10 teachers. Regardless, Ohana plans to attend the awards ceremony in Paris in hopes of meeting likeminded teachers who have a goal of bettering the future of their students.