‘Puts us on the map:’ Dartmouth science teacher wins Prime Minister’s STEM award

Physics teacher Shane McLeod receives the Prime Minister’s Award for teaching excellence in STEM.

Shane MacLeod has been teaching physics for decades.

But his love for the subject stretches far beyond his years teaching it.

“I drove my parents crazy when I was taking physics in high school because I found out what it was and that everything was related to physics,” says MacLeod. “And now, at parent-teacher [conferences], I regularly have parents come in and say, ‘well, you must be doing something right. The kids are coming home and they’re talking about it at the supper table.’”

MacLeod has been teaching physics and environmental science at Dartmouth High School for 20 years.

As the head of the science department, he has focused on empowering students to be creative and see themselves in science.

“I had a couple of wonderful physics teachers, one in high school, one in university. And from when I started taking physics in university, my hope was that I could someday teach physics at whatever level and excite students about science and physics specifically,” he says.

MacLeod was given the 2025 Prime Minister’s Award for teaching excellence in STEM.

A ceremony held at Dartmouth High School Tuesday, saw appearances from MP Darren Fisher and MP Braedon Clark.

MacLeod is only one of two teachers in Nova Scotia to win the award this year.

“Certainly very humbling to receive recognition at this level. It’s not something that I think many teachers set out to do,” he says. “...and the fact that I’ve had the chance to work with so many wonderful educators from across Nova Scotia, around the world even, and to have this recognition, have so many people reach out and offer their congratulations and words of support, since then has been fantastic.”

Eartha Monard, the school’s principal, says she submitted the paperwork for MacLeod’s application, with no doubt in her mind that he would be this year’s recipient.

“Shane is very passionate and an exceptional teacher and I just thought that he deserved the nomination,” says Monard.

“When I submitted the documents, there was no way I thought that he would not be one of the winners…[he] just has a way of inspiring students. And many of his students have gone on to work related to physics. Engineering…we have students go on in the medical field. So he does have a tremendous impact on kids in the classroom."

“I am proud of him. It is really good for Dartmouth High School. Puts us on the map…just the fact that there are only two teachers in this province that got this type of recognition this year, and Shane is one of them, I couldn’t be prouder. It’s a real proud moment for Dartmouth High and for Halifax Regional Centre for Education,” says Monard.

His one-of-a-kind teaching style is what has drawn students like Isabel Khan, to a subject she didn’t expect to love.

“I feel like it’s very comforting to be in a class knowing that you have a teacher who has been doing this job for so long,” says Khan.

“Mr. MacLeod really does force people to kind of speak and voice their results when we’re doing work in class. So that’s kind of one of the more funny things. And also, not a lot of teachers will make you do that.”

MacLeod calls winning the award one of his proudest moments and says he is grateful to be able to pass his love for physics onto his students.

“It’s been a wonderful moment of realizing how broad my reach has been with my students and where they have landed,” he says.

“The fact that they’re here in high school and excited about science, I think is really important for them and for society as a whole.”

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