By Lyonel Doherty
Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t figured it out yet.
Learned advice from a retired social studies teacher who hopes local graduates push out of their comfort zone to “experience the world.”
Educator Werner Kopp from David Thompson Secondary School (DTSS) tends to see a lot of former students at the grocery store for some reason, and it’s hard to believe that many are now in their 40s.
“I’ve actually taught some of their kids,” he mused. “Most ex-students still call me Mr. Kopp. Hey guys, now that I’m retired, it’s probably okay to use my first name,” he chuckled.
Kopp thinks back to when he first started his teaching career in Bella Bella, a First Nations community school on the central coast of BC.
For 32 years he imparted his wisdom to pupils who would listen, and many actually did in his history, law, and English classes at DTSS.
He also taught at Windermere and Edgewater Elementary Schools, and was fortunate to do a teaching exchange with his family in Hobart, Tasmania (Australia) in 2007.
Reflecting on his career, Kopp said the most significant change he has seen in education is the advent of social media and cell phones.
“These have not really benefitted the culture or our school, in my opinion. It is impossible to compete with games, Snapchat and TikTok,” he told the Pioneer. “Getting students to put their phones away during class time consumed way too much time and effort. Back in the day, students passing notes in class was the worst of my worries.”
Kopp noted that students appear to be much more stressed and anxious today compared to when he first started teaching.
“I’m not sure why, but the after-effects of COVID may be part of the reason. From what I have read, increased levels of student stress and anxiety is a worldwide phenomenon.”
When asked what his fondest memories are as an educator, Kopp mentioned the dedication of principals David Gee, Darren Danyluk and Glen Sage, noting they were truly invested in their work.
“These guys took great pride in our school, really cared about our students and worked very hard to build positive relationships with staff.”
Kopp added that Sage stepped up as principal for two years and “saw us through those challenging years of COVID.”
To the graduates who are fearing the future — travel and meet new people, Kopp advises.
“If the idea of going overseas scares you, start small . . . Cranbrook is nice this time of year.”
