Totheadministratorsofmychosenfieldofstudy,

Thedominantfocusofmylifethesepastfiveyearshasbeentoworktowards
thegoalofbecomingahighschoolteacherintheSocialSciences.ThereasonwhyI
spentalmostayearsavingnearlyeverydollarIcouldtouprootmysettledlifein
CalgarytomovetoMontrealoverfouryearsago,dedicatednearlyawholeyearto
learningFrench,andchosetofinishmystudiesasadoublemajorinHistoryand
English,wasspecificallyforthepurposeofhavingthepotentialtoteacheitheror,
evenpreferably,bothsubjects.TheJointSpecializationprogramtowhichI
enrolledwastoutedasbeingoftenchosenastheacademicpreparationforacareer
inteaching.Itseemedlikeanaturalfit.

Virtuallyallofmyhobbiesandpersonalpassionsarebroadlyconcerned
with,andcenteredon,thearts,culture,history,politicsandphilosophy:inessence,
thehumanities,theintersectionandinterplayoftruthandbeauty.Ihavenever
waitedtobecompelledorcoercedtowardsaddressingtheissuesandsubjectsto
whichIhopetobecomeaneducator:theyareanoutgrowthofhowIchooseto
spendmytimeandfocus,theyareareflectionof,andcentralto,myidentityand
selfconception.ThisiswhatIdo,andwoulddoregardlessofwhetherornotIwas
grantedtheprivilegeofteaching.
Teachingisaprofessionthat,Ibelieveitisfairtosay,stronglybenefitsfrom
proficientcommunicationandeffectivepublicspeakers,patientandthoughtful
individualswhomaintainandfosteranactiveinterestinthesocietyweunavoidably
share,peoplewhoarewillingtoquestionourcertaintiesandgentlychallenge
presumptions.ItismybeliefthatIamcertainlyamongstthesortofpeoplewho
sharesthesequalitiesthatexperiencehasledmetofeelthatIamanatural
educator.Thedifferentialbetweenthelevelofdedicationandexpenditureofenergy
andfocusrequiredtodothejobwell,andthefinancialburdensandeventualceiling,
coupledwiththelowprobabilityofanysortofadulation,meansfulfillmentmust
flowfromtheeducationalprocessitself.Yettherearefewactivitiesoutsideofthe
roleoftheeducatorthatIcouldimaginebeinganymorerewarding.Theprospectof
conveyingmyenthusiasmforcultureandananalysisofourrealitythepotentialto
inspire,atleastinsomelittleway,aninterestintheworld,andhowweinterpreted
it,beyondimmediateexperienceisonethatIfinddeeplycompelling.

Thosebornintothe21stcenturywillhavetonavigateasocietywithperhaps
increasinglyaccentuatedcontradictions:theinternetallowsforthereadyaccess
anddisseminationofinformation,butitalsounderminesthefinancialsupportof
mediaandcompelsconsolidation;automationandotherformsoftechnological
developmentsupportthecreationofapostscarcitysociety,whilealsoundermining
itthroughjobloss,depletionandenvironmentaldegradation;advancesin
biomedicalengineeringallowsforthepotentialofhealthoutcomestoexpandinto
therealmsoncereservedforsciencefiction,whilethethreatofaworldwith
increasinglylesseffectiveantibioticslooms;andsoon.Ourgeopoliticalandsocietal
futurecertainlypromisestobenolesscomplexthanourpastorpresent.The
arguablydecreasingprominenceoftheliberalartsandsocialsciencesinpost

secondaryeducationmeanstheroleoftheeducatorinthesesubjectsatthe
secondarylevelmaybeallthemorevitaltohelpfosterandmaintainaninformed
andcriticalcitizenry.

Thepresentalsoaffordseducatorsnewfoundopportunitiesforconveying
informationthatwere,incomparison,somewhatcrudewhenIattendedhighschool.
Whileadheringtothecurriculaisassumed,theaccessibilityofmedialarge
databasestogathermaterials,casualfootagefromtheeratosetascene,
photographsandvisualartthatconveyatruthorasenseofamoment,passages
fromimportantnovels,newsreels,film,radiobroadcasts,newspaperheadlines,etc.
etc.meansthatthereisalargecreativepotentialfortheproactiveeducator.This
realityisespeciallycompellingtomeandevennowIsometimeshavetrouble
sleepingatnightimaginingthewayscertainlessonplanscouldbepiecedtogether
andpresented.
Foralmosttwoyears,duringaperiodwhereIwasgenerallypursuingmy
ownstudies,IservedasaprivatetutortoEnglishasaSecondLanguagestudents,
primarilytostudentsfromtheKoreancommunityinCalgary.Themajorityofmy
studentswereofaUniversityage,withmanybeinginCalgaryforagapyearwith
thespecificpurposeofimprovingtheirskillsinEnglish.Ialsohadafewstudents
whowerestillinhighschool:individualswhohadimmigratedtoCanadawiththeir
familiesandrequirednotonlyhelpintheirspokenEnglishabilitiesbutalso
assistancewiththeirhighschoolhomework.Thesecasesoftenprovedthemost
challenging,asitwasuncommonthatsuchstudentswerelikelytostruggle
intellectually,yetdidexhibitconsiderabledifficultywithexpressingthemselvesin
theirspokenandwrittenEnglish.Asaresult,theirgradessufferedandotherwise
verycapablestudentsexpressedstrongfrustration.Butanyappreciable
improvementintheirabilitiesandgradeswouldnotrestonanyquickoreasyfix:it
wouldtakemanymonthsofwork,oftenmeetingtwiceaweek,witheachvisit
lastingbetweenthreeandfourhours,andlessonswhichentailedstrenuous
clarificationandrevisionwithoftenantsy,attentiondividedteenagers.Itwasmore
commonthannotthatentireessaysandassignmentsrequiredarewritebutIalso
couldnotsimplydothisworkforthem(aswassometimesrequestedofme):the
onlywayimprovementwouldbegainedwasforthestudenttodotheworkfor
themselves.Thus,eachsentencealmostprovidedalessonontoitself:aworkshopin
howtoarticulateonesselfinEnglishinasgracefulamanneraspossible.Some
issueswererectifiedmuchfasterthanIwouldhaveimagined(specifyingcorrect
verbtenses,forinstance),whileothersprovidedmorelastingchallenges(issues
regardingthecorrectuseofarticleswerealmoststrangelypersistent).Thesenseof
fulfillmentintheprocessofbringingastrugglingstudentfromasenseofpainand
dejectednesstooptimismandconfidencewasonethatIhadnotanticipated.Butit
wasafeelingthatcertainlynevercameeasily.

Themajorityofmytutoringwork,however,waswithKoreanstudentswho
hadlearnedaremarkableamountofEnglishintheirnativeKoreabutthiswas
oftenpreciselytheirproblem.Theirspeech,whileoftenrestingonasolid

foundationandexhibitinganimpressiverangeinvocabulary,usuallylackedfluidity,
wasoverlyformalorregularlyreliedonantiquatedwordselection(Isuspectfrom
havinglearnedEnglishfromKoreanteachers,andtextbookswrittenbyKorean
educators,whohadthemselveslearnedEnglishinanearlierera).Onasociological
level,itwasinterestingtowitnessthelimitationsoflearningasecondlanguage
withouthavinghadmuchinteractionwithnativespeakersinthatlanguage,a
struggleIwouldexperiencemyselfinmyattemptstolearnFrenchinclassroomsfull
ofEnglishandSpanishstudents.
Whatmystudentsdesiredwastomoreseamlesslycommunicateand
integratewithEnglishcommunities,oftenbothforworkorsocialpurposes.What
theywantedfrommyself,astheirtutor,wasanativeEnglishspeakerwhowould
correcttheirspeechandsuggestbettermethodsofexpressionthroughthecourseof
ourcommunication.Thus,thefocusofourtimewascenteredonaccentreduction
(improvementinthepronunciationofRsoundsgenerallyshowingrapid
development,Lsoundsprovidingpersistentproblems),andspecifyingmore
contemporaryandinformalmeansofexpression.Acertainlevelofcultural
educationwasoftenintrinsictotheprocess(i.e.itisveryunlikelyonewould
addressanoldermanasdude,butthatdoesnotmeanyounecessarilyhaveto
alwaysaddressthemassireither;andsoon).Thefactthateachweeklylesson
wasneverlessthanthreehours(tojustifymynotinsubstantialtraveltimetoand
fromtheirlocation),andthateachstudentexhibitedtheirownuniqueissues,meant
thatlessonplanshadtocomfortablymiximprovisationwithpreparedness(three
hoursisasubstantialamountoftimetofillifyouhaveastudentwhoisneither
forthcomingwithissuestheyspecificallywishtoaddressorespeciallyexpressive).
Onesoonlearnsinthisrolethatlessonsquicklyheadincirclesifthereisnotsome
degreeofstructureinplace.Thus,Iwouldoftenstartalessonwithwords,phrases
andmannersofexpressionthatIhadnotedthestudenthadbeenstrugglingwith
previously,wewouldworkshoptheseissues,andthenlaterIwoulddirectour
conversationintoplaceswheretheywouldnaturallyutilizewhatwehadlearned
earlier.Thiscombinationofstructurewithspontaneityseemedtoyieldveryfruitful
results.Thisprocesswasaparticularlyfascinatingandfulfillingonebecausethe
improvementsstudentsmadeweresoconspicuous.EventhoughIhadlittleinthe
wayoftrainingforthejob,IwassurprisedtofindIhadtheabilitytohelpsomeone
significantlyreducetheiraccentinthecourseofafewmonths.Itwasanalmost
joyfulexperiencetowitnessastudentexpressingideasandfeelingsthattheydid
noteitherhavetheconfidenceortheabilitytodosowhenwefirstmet.
InmyfreetimeIamanassociateeditorofTheNorthStar
(http://www.thenorthstar.info),which,inlessthanthreeyears,hasbecomethe
secondmostvisitednonpartyaffiliatedEnglishlanguagesocialistwebpublication
intheworldaccordingtoAlexarankings.InthiscapacityIhavetraveledtoNew
YorktoattendLeftForuminJuneof2013atPaceUniversityandassistwithhosting
andrecordingpublicfora;inMay2014IwillbetravelingtoTorontotoattendthe
HistoricalMaterialism2014conferenceatYorkUniversityinthesamecapacity.I
helpedtocoordinate,host,recordandwritequestionstobeposedatapublicforum

entitledWhatsNextfortheQuebecLeft?atQPIRGMcGillinJuneof2012.Allthis
said,Itaketheresponsibilityoftheeducatortorefrainfromusingtheclassroomas
apulpitfortheirownpersonalpoliticswiththeutmostseriousness.

AttendingMcGillUniversityhasbeenanaspirationofminesincemyseventh
gradeteacherinasmall,ruraltownintheinteriorofBritishColumbiaspokeso
highlyofhistimeatthisinstitution(afascinatingman,whoalsorowedinthe
MontrealOlympics,andexudedtherewardhefeltfromhisprofession).TheMcGill
campuswaswhereIdidthebulkofmyresearchwhileattendingConcordia
University,andtowhichIhavealreadybecomequitecomfortableandfamiliar.The
factthatIamnearingthepointwherethereissomepotentialtoattendMcGillisa
surrealone,acertainculminationofalongjourneythatincludedmanyyearsof
majordepressivedisorderinmyearlytomid20s,tolatergetmylifebackontrack
andbecomethefirstpersononeithersideofmyfamilytoobtainauniversity
degree.Simplysubmittingthisapplicationanapplicationtooneofthebest
universitiesintheworld,andthebeliefthatIamanentirelyworthycandidate
represents,initself,acertainpersonaltriumphforme,regardlessofwhetherIam
grantedtheenormousprivilegeofattending.
Thankyouforyourconsideration.
Sincerely,
SeanJohnston