Education Undergraduate Society president 2008, Andrew Doyle.

This article is part of a 2022 Faculty of Education Legacy digitization project and was first published in Legacy 2008.

While living on a farm in Mountain View, Alta., a village just outside Waterton, and teaching students in kindergarten and Grade 1, Andrew Doyle learned not only how to teach age ranges different from his university focus on junior high and high school, but also how to teach students in a rural setting.

“I’d never been on a farm before, so living on one was definitely a culture shock,” he says. “But now that I’ve spent my practicum there, I wouldn’t want to have
done anything different.”

Born in Calgary, Doyle moved to Lethbridge while in junior high when his mom attended the U of L’s Faculty of Education. Coming from a family of schoolteachers, including a great-aunt who is a past Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) president, Doyle enrolled at the U of L in 2007. He now spends holiday dinners chatting with his mom about lesson plans.

“Being a teacher interested me for a long time and having my mom at the U of L definitely helped me choose where to go,” he says. “I really enjoyed going through
the semester with the same 37 people – that was probably the best time I’ve ever
had at school.”

Friendships at university also helped Doyle settle into his practicum at Mountain View, where he and a classmate lived with a family. Two friends from the program taught in nearby towns – connections that made it easier to adjust to practicum life.

After returning to classes at the U of L, Doyle was elected president of the Education Undergraduate Society (EUS) in January 2008. He now helps organize conferences and professional development activities hosted by the Faculty and the ATA. In September 2008, he coordinated the Anti-Bullying and Cyber-Bullying Awareness Week, which raised both awareness and funds to keep communication outlets open for children who are affected by bullying. Now planning for life after university, Doyle is prepared for any challenge.

“I graduate next year and feel ready to go where I need to,” he says. “After my practicum experience, I feel comfortable going anywhere.”

This article first published in the Faculty of Education Legacy 2008.

Related story:
Andrew Doyle completed his BEd in 2010 and his MEd in 2020—relationship remains central.
"Build relationships with your cohort. They are the key to your success and lasting friendships," Andrew Doyle  (BA/BEd '10, MEd '20)

Legacy 2008:
• Faculty of Education LEGACY (2008): Dean's Message, Dr. Jane O'Dea
• Faculty of Education LEGACY (2008): Four decades of dedication and hard work by faculty and staff have built one of Canada's most highly regarded teacher education programs
• Faculty of Education LEGACY (2008): Drs. Art Aitken and George Bedard, master's degree prepares teaching professionals for positions of educational leadership within their communities
• Faculty of Education LEGACY (2008): Roy Weasel Fat with Drs. Kris Magnusson and Cathy Campbell, new master's program focuses on Blackfoot culture
• Faculty of Education LEGACY (2008): Drs. Gerald McConaghy and Pamela Adams, dedication and relationships lead to quality and success in the Field Experiences program
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For more information please contact:

Darcy Tamayose
Communications Officer
Dean's Office • Faculty of Education
University of Lethbridge
darcy.tamayose@uleth.ca
Learn more about the Faculty of Education: Legacy Magazine (2008-2019)
Twitter: @ULethbridgeEdu Website: uleth.ca/education
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