For our 6th annual Great Teacher Awards, inspiring stories poured in from all corners of Canada, singing the praises of truly excellent educators. We sent those nominations to some of the top education experts in the country, who separated the very good from the great, and then we encouraged everyone to show their support for these teachers online.

The votes have been counted—over 133,000!—and the selections have been made. We now present to you Canada’s finest teachers.

And the winners are…

Kevin Hrycay
Kindergarten–Grade 8 Music
Birch Cliff Heights Public School and Chine Drive Public School, Toronto
17 years in the classroom
Read more about Kevin Hrycay here >>

Ramy Melhem
Grade 3
Edmonton Islamic Academy, Edmonton
10 years in the classroom
Read more about Ramy Melhem here >>

Janet Shillinglaw
Junior and Senior Kindergarten
St. Patrick Catholic School, Peterborough, Ont.
31 years in the classroom
Read more about Janet Shillinglaw here >>

Our Teacher Awards Panel of Experts

• Neil Boland, principal, Brother André Catholic School, Ajax, Ont.|
• Dr. Linda Cameron, associate professor, department of curriculum, teaching and learning, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
• David Derpak, principal, Killarney Secondary School, Vancouver
• Annie Kidder, executive director, People for Education
• Wolf Kolb, principal, Balwin School, Edmonton
• John MacInnis, Grades 11–12 co-op teacher, Dalbrae Academy, and past winner, Mabou, N.S.
• Beth McCarthy, phys ed teacher and principal, Ian Baillie Primary School, and past winner, Miramichi, N.B.
• Helen Nicholson, reading recovery resource teacher, Englewood School, and past winner, Crapaud, P.E.I.
• Dr. Janette Pelletier, director, Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
• Dr. Charles Ungerleider, professor of the sociology of education, University of British Columbia