Teachers at Nova Scotia children’s hospital help patients keep up with schoolwork

Julia Countway has spent 15 years as a school teacher, but has never taught within a conventional public school. Instead, she works at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, where she is one of seven teachers dedicated to helping hospitalized students maintain their academic progress. "My job is to assist students while they're in the hospital to keep up with their schoolwork or re-engage with their learning," she explained.

Countway focuses on students in her Mental Health and Addictions program, ensuring they don't fall behind academically while dealing with illness. She emphasizes the importance of building confidence for patients who have missed significant classroom time due to their medical condition. The unique therapeutic classroom at the IWK enables one-on-one interaction, providing immediate support and making a significant difference in students' lives.

During the school year, Countway offers classes to students of all ages and grades in a single room. She collaborates with the students' respective schools to ensure they receive the necessary materials to stay up to date. She notes that providing children with the opportunity to continue their education at the IWK helps alleviate any anxieties they may have.

"One of the things that often comes up, despite everything they might be going through, is that when they come into the hospital, it's like, 'Well, what about school? I've got a test on Thursday.' We can right away step in and say, 'Oh, that's our part of the job. We can take that on for you.' "

Alex Neuffer is the only in-house teacher working on the IWK's inpatient floor. He explains that the majority of his classes are one-on-one lessons in a smaller classroom. He works with patients on any of the main inpatient floors, including those undergoing cancer treatment, recovering from surgery, or any other reason for hospitalization.

Countway praises Neuffer's role in supporting youth during challenging circumstances. "Having childhood cancer is not normal, but having the ability to do school while you have that makes it feel a little bit more normal," Neuffer said. "A lot of times they'll beat cancer and they'll go back to a normal life, and that's very rewarding to be like, 'Well, we have a small part in making sure their school was fine.' And that they were ready to engage back into the classroom once they were feeling well enough."

As back-to-school approaches, both teachers are keen on ensuring patients' education remains uninterrupted until they return to their home classrooms.