Brett Lappin

Vice Principal

After graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2017 and a Bachelor of Education degree in 2018, Brett Lappin had the opportunity to obtain his first full-time position as a grade eight/nine science teacher with the Surrey School District. The following school year, he moved to the small Indigenous community of Ulukhaktok in the Northwest Territories, where he taught grade six to nine math and science. During his second year there, he moved into the position of math and science coach for the school. As a teacher and a coach for other teachers, Brett was always looking for ways in which the math and science outcomes could be explored through on-the-land learning. Mapping hunting routes on snowmobiles, measuring ice density on the Beaufort Sea, and investigating the anatomy of beluga whales, muskox, and arctic wolves, were all ways in which Brett aligned the learning with Inuit culture. In 2021, he moved back to Alberta and joined Tanbridge Academy as a junior high math and science teacher. Brett currently lives in Cochrane, where he enjoys rock climbing and hiking on the weekends with his dogs.

As an educator, Brett loves having the opportunity to form a professional learning relationship with his students and help them develop skills that allow them to become lifelong learners. In science class, he uses labs and inquiries to foster curiosity and help students to develop questions, collect information, and communicate ideas. In math class, he incorporates open-ended questions and real-world examples to help students view mathematics in a broader, more meaningful context. As a digital media teacher, Brett aims to not only develop student skills in the areas of typing, coding, and robotics but to also communicate the importance of being a digital citizen and the responsibility that comes with it. Throughout all of his classes, Brett believes that making the learning meaningful for students is the first step in helping students recognize themselves as lifelong learners.

In his past role as a school coach, Brett recognized the importance of working with a team of teachers and administrators who share a collective goal of helping students become the best version of themselves. This, along with the small class sizes that allow for responsive teaching, is what drew Brett to Tanbridge Academy. Being part of a team aimed at helping students find success is motivating for Brett because of the progress he sees among his students throughout the school year. This drives him to continue to develop his own pedagogy and teaching practices as a lifelong learner himself.