Wall of Honour Recipient Darran Teneycke – Education
On January 25, 2020, the College of Education honoured five outstanding alumni for their contributions and commitment to the field of education. Darran Teneycke (BEd’90) has been inducted into the Wall of Honour in the category of Education.
For more than 30 years, Darran Teneycke has made continuous efforts to improve the experience of schooling for children in Saskatchewan and their families. Born and raised on a farm just outside Young, Saskatchewan, Darran enrolled in the College of Education after completing high school.
“When I started in the College of Education, there was only one middle years section. I developed many close friendships as all education curriculum classes were taken together,” recalls Darran.
A competitive volleyball athlete, Darran has been inducted into the Saskatoon and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 1988 USask Huskie Men’s Volleyball championship team. In addition to playing volleyball, Darran has many fond memories of his time at university. One in particular will always stand out.
“In my final year, one of the requirements was to take a methods class in Arts Education. I took both piano lessons and band in high school and felt confident in my music abilities, so I chose to take the Ed Music instead of the Ed Visual Arts class,” shared Darran.
As it turned out, the professor for the course was also the choir master for the Greystone Singers. Upon review of the course syllabus, Darran discovered that singing was part of the final evaluation. Not being able to carry a tune, he investigated the possibility of switching classes only to discover that there were no other options.
“I remember vividly trying to sing the scales eight different ways, along with many other musical singing challenges in the professor’s office during the final,” said Darran.
He was relieved to see that somehow he passed the class and went on to graduate in the spring of 1990.
Darran began his teaching career in the Yorkton area with the Yorkdale School Division. His first teaching position was at Yorkdale Junior High School where he taught physical education and health, followed by a position with Columbia School. Darran accepted his first administrative position in 2002 with Dr. Brass Community School and took over the principalship three years later.
“During my time with Dr. Brass Community School, we offered many unique programs for the first time,” said Darran. “An evening program called Families and Schools Together ran weekly every fall for eight weeks and relied on the staff at the school committing to work with eight school families. We also established a community daycare in the school.”
In 2006, Darran accepted a principalship and returned to Columbia School where he continued to prioritize inclusive education. Noticing the prevalence of student grade repetition, Darran led the school through the Guided Reading, Core Assistance and Response to Intervention programs.
Through professional dialogue, Darran ensured a strong focus on deepening student understanding in reading, writing and math. He ensured that both programs received sufficient supports, often engaging in classrooms during the school day, and working on his administrative duties in the evenings.
“The educators at Columbia were incredible and staff worked hard to analyze data and support students who were struggling. Extra time was scheduled for our team to discuss student results and corresponding interventions,” said Darran.
Through Darran’s leadership and the strength of his team, the number of students in grades 1 through 8 who achieved proficiency in reading, writing and math increased from 60 to 85 per cent over the course of seven years.
In 2013, Darran accepted a position as superintendent of education with Good Spirit School Division and was fortunate to be offered the position of superintendent of school operations for Prairie South School Division a few years later.
“I’m fortunate to be part of a senior administrative team that believes in a ‘people-first’ philosophy and the concept of learning together,” said Darran. “Along with data analysis, collective common sense is a driving force behind the decisions that are made.”
Darran believes that school leadership has a strong impact on student learning. In addition to supporting his school principals, he has volunteered to facilitate and present on many occasions at the Saskatchewan Principals' Short Course, which has always been a highlight of his summer.
Darran belongs to a group of curriculum superintendents from different parts of the province who meet quarterly throughout the year. During some of these meetings, school-based administrators have been asked to join them, allowing networking opportunities with other administrators from around the province. Darran has presented at the National Congress on Rural Education and to the Ministry of Education, focusing on innovation in education.
“I consider myself incredibly lucky to have worked for almost 30 years in a profession I love, with people who have a passion for making a difference. People who I look forward to seeing every day, people who have taught me so much,” shares Darran.
“I also consider myself lucky to have always had the support of my family—my wife Alison, who is a speech and language assistant, and my three children, Ashley, Ryan and Emma.”
Darran will be retiring in July 2020 and looks forward to spending more time at home with his friends and family.