'He helps me learn new things': Saskatoon teacher recognized with top teaching award

To understand David Crowell's passion for science, you just need to speak to his students.

"Every day that I have science, I always tell my mom, 'Today I have science, I wonder what I'm going to do today,'" Grade 5 student Meadow Fauvelle says.

Fauvelle excitedly talks about her favourite project from Mr. Crowell's class: building a car using recycled cardboard as the base and DVDs for the wheels.

"We got to race them down the hallways," Fauvelle tells CTV News.

"And right now we're working on a project where you burn your name into a piece of wood."

Crowell's students have also used tools to disassemble donated end-of-life electronics to repurpose parts. In the past five years, Crowell estimates students have diverted more than 4,000 pounds of waste from the landfill.

Students working on a STEM project in the classroom. (Laura Woodward / CTV News)

Crowell has been teaching at Montgomery School for nearly three decades.

His hands-on, practical teaching approach was recognized at the highest level. Crowell was one of 74 teachers in Canada to receive the Prime Minister's Award for teaching excellence.

It's well-deserved recognition, according to Grade 6 student Trinity Belhumeur.

"I feel like I'm very lucky to have Mr. Crowell as a teacher because he helps me learn new things and I have lots of fun having him as a teacher," Belhumeur says.

Crowell's latest endeavour involves a 900-pound laser machine.

The teacher has laser-cut wood pieces for students to construct bee hotels — shelters for solitary bees, that don't live in colonies.

Crowell handed out the kits to the other teacher recipients of the Prime Minister's Award, who gathered in Ottawa on Thursday.

Crowell, who has a background in engineering, says he focuses on teaching students real-world skills, to give them a taste of different career avenues.

"The kids are continually blowing me away with what they take from our lessons and what they create with them," Crowell says.

He's modest about his latest achievement, calling it a collective win, crediting his colleagues, community partners and students.