My name is Cynthia and I am currently a student in the Montessori cohort of the Bachelor of Education Elementary program. I have recently completed a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Psychology at Simon Fraser University.

I chose to enter the Montessori cohort in the Bachelors of Education program because I believe that children should be free to explore themselves and their environments in their own unique way. Growing up, my parents

provided me with the opportunities to explore a variety of extra-curricular activities I attended which allowed me to explore my own interests. I think that the ability for a child to discover their own interests and develop their own independence is a wonderful event that should be encouraged.

I volunteered at Chaffey Burke Elementary school in a Kindergarten classroom, a Kindergarten/Grade one classroom and a Grade 5/6 classroom. I contributed to the compilation of in-class work material, provided students with encouragement and support while they are working on their respective assignments, and helped organize class activities. During “centers time,” in the K/1 classroom, I lead my own arts and craft table where I taught the children how to fold origami. Another learning experience I obtained from volunteering at Chaffey Burke was the chance to teach a two-part lesson on healthy living in the grade 5/6 class. I was given the opportunity to work with children with autism, attention deficit, limited English, and a variety of learning disabilities as well. It was through this experience that I was truly able to develop my passion for teaching.

I worked as a behavior interventionist at an Autistic center where I worked one on one with clients under the age of six. I carried out the behavior intervention plans that were put in place by the occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists and the behavior consultant. One of the children that I worked with attended a Montessori daycare where they had their intervention sessions. Here, I was able to observe a Montessori daycare classroom and it was interesting to watch how the children were able to learn independently. Through this experience I learned the importance of patience and flexibility because sometimes one child may not learn the life, social, or academic skill as quickly as others. As a result, I was able to learn about the diverse range of abilities individual Autistic children may have and it provided me with an awareness of learners of all levels.

On my spare time, I enjoy traveling, blogging and learning. I have my own food blog where I share both healthy recipes and my dining experiences around Vancouver. I love to bake and am always seeking to improve my skills and expand my culinary horizons. I like to be outdoors because I find nature fascinating and am constantly looking for new hiking trails and camping grounds. In the winter time, I like to go up to the mountains to snowboard or go to the ice rink to skate. When I have the time, I enjoy traveling to develop my cultural awareness. In addition, I am fluent in both English and Cantonese. I am conversational in Mandarin and have a basic understanding of French and Spanish as I studied them up to the grade 12 level so I would love to be able to put this knowledge into use.