Teacher retires but continues to educate

Shirley Fourney wasn't ready to retire from teaching three years ago but she decided it was necessary so she could care for her ageing mother.

With that care load easing in the past few years, though, Fourney's getting back in the business of teaching by founding Learning Boost. The new business is a service which matches the skills of retired or underemployed teachers with students who need help.
"I thought it'd be a shame to hang my three degrees on a hook and forget about them," says Fourney, who has her BA, B.ED. and a Masters in Education. She's also taught in three different provinces including Saskatchewan. "With that behind me, I decided to offer my services as a tutor."

Despite 30 years of experience and her wealth of education, Fourney still found gaps when it came to connecting with potential clients. "I learned quite quickly that, despite all of my experience and having taught all the grades from K to 12, inevitably someone will turn up whom I can't help. In my case it was senior chemistry."

Another problem she discovered was that people weren't always willing to pay a fair amount for the service. Like many entrepreneurs, she knew there had to be a better way, one that only she could do.

That was where Learning Boost gave Fourney a foothold. "I thought there had to be a company structure. Tutors would be insured, ... we would follow all the government rules in terms of accreditation.

"Learning Boost is a teaching service which recognizes that, in today's world, students can't always pick up everything they need to know from the classroom," she says of the new service.

More importantly, through Learning Boost, Fourney has established a data bank of teachers. "I thought there would be other teachers looking for this type of work," she explains. "I found out there are just tons of them." As a result, her business now has 35 people who can offer their services in English, French and Cree.

Teachers who come on board are checked out by Fourney. In addition to ensuring that they're accredited, all Learning Boost contractors also must complete a police record check.

Fourney says Learning Boost's services could be offered at home, in the school or wherever the client feels comfortable. She notes, too, that, with their experience in the provincial curriculum, all her teachers can work closely with a child's teacher.

For more information, call Learning Boost at 374-0909 or visit www.learningboost.ca on the Internet.

Eremondi, T. (2003, November 2). Teacher retires but continues to educate. Saskatoon Sun, p 8.