Trevor Comeau
Trevor Comeau is a math and science teacher at Hants East Rural High in Milford Station, Nova Scotia, where he works in partnership with his wife, Amy Jo. He gets creative in tying trips back to the classroom—he has a Pythagoras Cup he bought in Greece he uses when talking about the Pythagorean Theorem. He talks about the Rudolph Virchow statue in Berlin when he talks about Cell theory in biology.
Why are you passionate about student travel?
I am passionate about student travel because it pushes my students outside of their comfort zones and they come out of it changed young citizens. Students come back with a new perspective on their life. They grow exponentially in so many ways in such a short period of time; they have more confidence, they have a greater appreciation of world culture and history, they are open to try new things, they are more social, they become more mature and they become more aware global citizens. I am passionate about student travel because it immerses students in culture, food, history, and learning like no other classroom can. For me the learning outcomes that are reached in our student travel are cross-curricular and far reaching. Lastly, I am passionate about student travel because I am passionate about travel. I started traveling in my late 20s, but I have seen first hand how travel has changed my life for the better and how it has made me into a lifelong learner and I want my students to gain this much sooner in life than I did.
What is a major highlight from any of your student travel experiences?
This is the hardest question to answer! There is no major highlight…each tour and each group of students is different and has its highlights. If I had to choose one major highlight it would probably have to be on our 2017 tour to attend the ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge. Being there to honor those who gave so much for our country was an experience like no other for both the teachers and students. Adding to this very special day, we were able to accommodate one of our students the ability to visit a family member’s grave who had died during WWI. She was the first member of her family to be able to make the journey overseas to pay her respects. Still brings a tear to my eye to this day.
What is the greatest lesson you or your students have learned from your trips?
The greatest lesson students learn is that the world isn’t as big as they think it is and that there are many opportunities out there that await them. Student travel has resulted in many students seeking out post-secondary opportunities; one student getting chosen to do her engineering practicum at the World Health Organization and another going back to Paris in order to take French lessons to improve her second language. I have many students yearly who contact me to let me know they are traveling and asking for advice on what to do, where to go and what to see. They have learned that the world is out there waiting for them to discover it and that it is achievable if you want it to be. I might have to say that student travel has taught me the same lesson!
How do you try to tie your travel experiences back into the classroom?
I am a Science & Math teacher so don’t I always have the easy links that Social Studies or Languages would give me, but I try to be creative. In Math 9, we speak about the Pythagorean Theorem. I had purchased a Pythagoras Cup when we were traveling through Greece many years ago. This allows me to talk about the fact that he was more than just a guy who played with triangles and talk about the science behind the cup… the demo where I make a mess at the front of the classroom doesn’t hurt either! I am also one of the teachers in our school who plan our Remembrance Day ceremony and try to show to our Veterans and Legion members how our school has shown their respect through our student travel opportunities. I am also always very willing to talk travel with students…I think they know this and have been able to use it to get me off task at times…which is still a great part of the learning process in my classroom.
From the Nominator:
What qualities make this nominee, both as an educator and travel leader, deserving of this award?
Trevor ensures that travel and accessibility to his trips is always at the forefront – from having his program be laid out years in advance, to talking about and supporting travel for all travellers through the process he makes the dream of travel come to life every year. His dedication to his student both in the travel program, but the multitude of extra curricular (sports in particular) is what makes Trevor stand out. He works hard to make these possible, pushes through adversity to ensure that the tradition continues.
