The pandemic has introduced unprecedented challenges to Canada’s teachers. But Clinton Jang-Naruse is exceptionally clear about his goal as an Assistant Curriculum Leader in the TDSB: Continue to help students achieve their full potential.
Clinton Jang-Naruse , BA’17 Mathematics and BED’17 Mathematics and French studies
“I always dreamed of becoming a teacher when I was younger,” says Clinton. “I wanted to help younger generations build their own identities and shape a better future.”
Clinton’s decision to come to Glendon was largely influenced by the school’s focus on French language education, in addition to its concurrent education program. As a French immersion student in high school, he was anxious to incorporate French into his post-secondary education. Moreover, he wanted to stay in Toronto. This combination of factors made Glendon College an obvious choice.
“Glendon presented me with a unique experience where French language learning was at the forefront of my university degree. I was exposed to a plethora of accents, vocabularies, and courses that allowed me to achieve the French competencies that I have today. Different from other universities, Glendon offered me the opportunity to really integrate myself into the language.”
In 2017, he graduated with a BA in Mathematics and a BEd in Mathematics & French as a Second Language. While managing the pandemic-related challenges of being an education leader today, Clinton often uses the diverse learning experiences Glendon offered as a reference point.
“While I was at Glendon, I took a variety of courses that were both hybrid and fully online. The experience was unique per course and it helped me figure out what worked and didn’t work for myself.”
When designing lessons for TDSB students, Clinton is mindful of his own experiences in a dynamic learning environment. He reflects on what worked for him, what didn’t, and how his experience might differ from another student’s experience. These are important considerations. The TDSB is the largest school board in Canada and one of the largest in North America. This presents curriculum leaders like Clinton the overwhelming task of creating learning modalities that are both scalable and suitable for different learning styles and accessibility levels. It also presents opportunities to make a real difference.
“I think a lot about the way that I deliver lessons online to my students. Do I have visuals, text, sound, video? It was through my experiences at Glendon that I was able to determine a starting point of how to create the best learning experience possible for them.”
His current role makes him especially grateful for the Glendon professors who delivered meaningful experiences when he was a student. He recalls one standout instructor, Muriel Peguret, who led his FSL and Education Studies courses.
“She inspired me as a teacher. There was a certain way that she was always able to breathe life into the course. I felt involved and interested, and she made language learning fun and engaging.”
Outside of work, Clinton is passionate about creating positive change in his community. He works with a number of LGBTQ+ groups in Toronto to provide safe spaces for interaction and discussion. This community involvement ties into his larger career goals. Decades from now, when he looks back on his career, he says he wants to know he provided a safe and inclusive space for all students to learn and grow. He also wants to inspire students to achieve their dreams and to develop a love of French whether it’s for their personal or career growth.
“I am most excited to see what the future generation will do. Educating them is a privilege that I do not take for granted. I look forward to seeing how they change the world.”
Neya Abdi, BA’16 International Studies
Published in December 2020
