The rich are welcome in their own homes, but the learned are respected anywhere in the world.

Dr. Siva on his last day at MGCI

Over the years, a number of students have been lucky enough to be a part of Dr. Sivakadadcham’s teaching career at Garneau. Here, he sits down with us to talk about his experiences.

How did you get into teaching?

I was a university professor before I came to Canada. I wanted to be a teacher when I came here. They asked me to do a Bachelor’s education, because I don’t have teaching experience in high schools. So, after about six months, I got my certificate and became eligible to be hired. The principal selected me, and went to my first interview at Islington and Finch. From there, I came here.

What is your favourite thing about teaching?

One of the good things about teaching is that you teach students and they learn from you, but you also learn from them every day. If you want to be a lifelong learner, it’s the best job.

What is your favourite memory from your years here at Garneau?

Every day you learn something new. You make mistakes and from those mistakes you learn how to correct them in the next year. I felt that my teaching performance and style increased every year. Every year was very good. I especially liked teaching TOPS, because it’s easy – they usually get it quickly. At the same time, I enjoyed working in applied classes, because sometimes they have behaviour problems, but you can develop personal relationships with them as well. For me, every day was unforgettable.

What are you looking forward to in the future?

I’m a writer, so I’ll be writing. I published a book while here at Marc Garneau. I’ll be visiting the country in which I was born, and the university there to give some lectures. And here also, the students can come to me for help. I’ll be willing to help the students here whenever they need it.

Is there anything you’d like to say to the students of Garneau?

There is a very ancient proverb in Tamil: the rich are welcome in their own homes, but the learned are respected anywhere in the world. Learning is the most important thing, as far as I am concerned. Everything else comes after that.