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

Within the walls of the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, a dedicated team of seven teachers works tirelessly, not in a traditional classroom, but within a hospital setting. Julia Countway, who has been teaching for 15 years, focuses her efforts on patients within the hospital’s Mental Health and Addictions program, ensuring their education doesn't halt during their stay.

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My job is to help students while they’re in hospital keep up with their schoolwork or re-engage with their learning.

"My job is to help students while they’re in hospital keep up with their schoolwork or re-engage with their learning," Countway explained. Her primary goal is to prevent students from falling behind and to restore their confidence, especially after significant absences from regular schooling due to illness. She highlighted the therapeutic classroom's unique ability to offer responsive, one-on-one support, making a tangible difference in the lives of these young patients.

During the school year, Countway and her colleagues operate a one-room schoolhouse offering classes for all ages and grades on weekday mornings. Crucially, they collaborate with each student's home school to obtain the correct curriculum, ensuring continuity. This proactive approach helps alleviate the academic anxieties that many children face, even amidst serious health challenges. "We can right away step in and say, ‘Oh, you know what, that’s our part of the job. We can take that on for you,'" Countway said.

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The unique setting of the therapeutic classroom that we have here, which allows us to work one-on-one with students, to provide the in-the-moment supports to be responsive and to really make a difference for these students and help them through difficult times in their life.

Alex Neuffer serves as the sole in-house teacher on the IWK’s inpatient floors, primarily conducting one-on-one lessons. He supports students undergoing treatment for cancer, recovering from surgery, or dealing with any condition requiring hospitalization. Neuffer finds his role deeply rewarding, particularly when he sees students regain a sense of normalcy. "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," he stated.

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You know, show them that, ‘Yes, you’ve been out of school for a couple of years, but you are still able to do this. You’re capable. You know things. You can be successful and like let’s get you back into school.’

Both Countway and Neuffer emphasize the importance of education in maintaining a sense of normalcy and capability for children navigating difficult health circumstances. By providing consistent academic support, these hospital teachers help young patients not only keep pace with their studies but also foster resilience and hope for their future return to school.

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One of the things that often comes up, despite everything they might be going through, is that when they come into hospital, it’s like, ‘Well, what about school? I’ve got a test on Thursday.'