Peter Himmelman

Award Leader

I find being a Duke leader to be one the most rewarding roles I play as a teacher. The observable growth in confidence the students experience as they progress through their award levels is, for me, what teaching is all about. 

There are many facades that we and our students put up in our daily lives. The Duke program manages to strip these away and gives the students and leaders a chance to see what they each truly capable of. The four areas of the award provide a well- rounded challenge to the students and invariably at least one of the areas will push the student to the point where quitting seems like the easiest option. As a leader, I feel that this is one of my most important roles - where you sit with the student and problem solve and plan a way to accomplish the task, whether is setting up volunteer time, or finishing the final 10km leg of a trip.

May 2014, Peter Himmelman, Shelburne Regional High School, Nova Scotia