Hear From Our Teacher Colleagues
The 2023 CPABC Teacher Colleague of the Year, Andrew Leong, Business Education Teacher at the Prince of Wales Secondary School, shared some of his experiences and thoughts by addressing questions from Larry Jung, Student Recruitment Officer at CPABC.
From left to right: Andrew Leong and Larry Jung at the 2023 CPABC Appreciation Party.
How long have you taught accounting at the secondary school level?
This is my 6th year teaching accounting and financial accounting at the secondary level.
Were you an accountant before you became a teacher?
I worked for one year with the Sauder Co-op program at a public accounting firm.
Why are you so passionate about your work and the future of the accounting industry?
The students' work ethic and commitment drive me to provide lots of learning opportunities to my students. Their passion and dedication to their work inspires me, and their joy and gratification when they do well in their studies motivates me. Many of my students have taken an introductory accounting course, and then aspire to go into business studies at post-secondary. The future of the accounting industry looks bright!
Additionally, I am grateful for the support I get from my fiancé, parents, and my family - they have been there for me through my career progression. I appreciate their undying and continued love and support. The school I have been teaching at has been very receptive to my teaching as well, from the admin to the students and the parents.
How did you encourage your students to participate in extracurricular activities such as CPABC’s COIN Competition?
Our school business club has been very successful in participating in business case competitions. These events and activities supplement their learning and allow them to develop critical thinking skills, communication skills, and collaboration / teamwork abilities. Many students were interesting in competing in the CPABC COIN Competition, and accounting students in my class as well were excited at the prospects of participating in 'business-focused extracurricular' activities such as the COIN Competition. It's always a big draw for the students, and the 'fanfare' of the Top 25 recipient party and awards ceremony encourages others to participate. The COIN competition and events are done very well. We went bowling a few months ago to celebrate the recent winners and enjoyed a pizza lunch.
What particular ways did you help so many of your students rank in the Top 25 of the COIN Competition?
I did practice problems with my accounting students in class and provided a couple of lunch time workshops & tutorials where students could receive extra help as needed. I also encouraged my students to study and prepare well for the competition. With the practice and support, students felt confident in their abilities and subsequently performed exceptionally well. They were very happy with their results!
Any words of wisdom for other teacher colleagues?
Check out the CPABC Teacher Colleague program for additional resources, cases, and assignments to give to your students! The portal has a lot of free, high quality educational resources to supplement learning.