Freya Green with horses, Dibley (left) and Roman (right)
Freya Green, MA, C-AAIS, PhD student, has never believed in doing things the conventional way. Growing up in the UK highly standardized education system, she couldn’t see herself fitting in as a future teacher.
“The education system in the UK is very structured and outcome-focused, which worked well for me, but not necessarily for everyone” she says. “I was interested in Education, but I wanted to focus on supporting those who didn’t fit in to that mold”
It was during her master’s in education that a professor, Dr. Philip Balcaen, helped her in reframing what teaching really meant.
“It was Dr. Balcaen who really changed my language around what it means to be an educator” Freya says. “I’m an informal educator. Being a Kindergarten to Grade 12 teacher and standing in front of a class may not be for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t facilitate deep conversations and foster creativity in a different way.”
That philosophy shapes how Freya approaches her TA role. As TA for the Bachelor of Education program, Freya supports students across multiple courses and works with multiple instructors simultaneously. She’s less concerned with how to deliver content and more about how to deepen it.
“One of my big things is challenging students to think deeper,” she says. “To ask the why and the how, and wade into those murky waters of identity, who we are, the challenges we’re going to face, and how this will impact our students”
What makes this work particularly meaningful, Freya says, is witnessing what happens when adult learners allow themselves to be remade.
“These are adults who have identities already. It takes a lot of strength and courage to break that down and rebuild. With some of their recent reflections, I’ve seen such a transformation. The growth is huge and I’m also seeing a real willingness to be vulnerable. Deep, heartfelt, hard things. It’s a genuine privilege to be part of that.”
The experience has transformed Freya’s own understanding of what teaching is.
“I think the heart of teaching is about connecting and relationship building. I think that’s what makes us human and real, authentic teachers, rather than robots just imparting wisdom.”
In recognition of her contributions to the BEd program, she received the 2025/2026 Provost’s Award for Teaching Assistants and Tutors.
“The nomination itself was huge for me,” says Freya. “It’s an honour to be recognized by people you admire so much. I’ve always done things in an unconventional way, and people have always questioned that, and so to find an environment where that’s supported and embraced, and then to be recognized by the greater university, means a lot. It encourages me to keep moving forward.”
To future Teaching Assistants, her advice is to be authentic.
“Be you. We all do things in our own way, and if you’re trying to do things in someone else’s way, you’re not going to reach your full potential. It’s also so important to connect with your students, and realize the difference you’re making. I remember my very first TA on campus. That was more than a decade ago, and I still remember the impact he had. You can be doing really meaningful work.”
It’s a sentiment that runs through everything she does.
“I channel the lessons my own inspiring teachers and mentors taught me every single day,” she says. “I am who I am because of the educators I’ve had. And I wouldn’t be nearly half as good at any of this without them.”