Like us on FacebookRobert Le Masurier's Story
Robert was awarded Teacher of the Year recognising his achievements as the only qualified teacher of Level 1 and Level 2 Certificate in British Sign Language in Jersey.
Robert has been called a gifted teacher and a superb role model for his students. He works with children, adults and those with special needs and adapts his teaching style accordingly.
Robert said, "I was so shocked to have won the regional award, let alone the overall Teacher of the Year award! The competition was strong as there were lots of people who deserved to win because of the different kind of work they do for the community and the challenges and barriers that we face in our daily lives. I was very touched to have been nominated; the people in Jersey have been incredibly supportive and encouraging. It certainly took a while to get used to the idea of winning. The awards ceremony was great and it was wonderful to meet everyone, as far as I can see, everyone who was nominated are winners."
Robert is an enthusiastic, motivating teacher who makes learning fun for all his students. He encourages a commitment to signing that goes beyond classroom learning; he has produced a sign dictionary to support teaching assistants in their work in the classroom and he gets lots of his younger learners to participate in a signing choir.
"I chose to become a teacher a long time ago to give something back to the community and to make people on the island more aware about the language. I truly love my job and I get so much satisfaction seeing people on the high street communicating in sign language," said Robert.
Click here to read about the other winners at the 2009 Signature Annual Awards.