Autobiography

There have been many dips, turns, and influences that have led me here, to my beginning career as an educator. There have been countless people in my life who have helped me along the way.

I entered my education career as a James Kennedy Elementary “Jaguar.” During my life as a Jaguar, I did not come out of my shell. I was extremely shy boy who avoided attention. I would describe myself as a “mama’s boy” who was socially reliant on his mother. Academically, I was average but socially is where I lacked confidence. As a result, I did not have many friends.

My saving grace at this point in my youth was my involvement in sports. I remember being anxious about trying something new and being around new people and kids. But thanks to my parents, I was pressured into playing sports like baseball and soccer which led me to grow in confidence and gain friends.

My early exposure to sports and talent to excel at high levels allowed me to transition into high school with promise to make connections and develop social acceptance in the new setting. I was fortunate to have a older brother who was well-established within the school community. I was able to follow his lead and try to replicate his behaviour  and ultimately, ride his coattails. I went into classrooms where teachers and coaches recognizing me as “Scott’s younger brother.” I was still shy at the point and would usually nod and keep to myself.

It would take long until I got a chance to prove myself. I would do this through my athletic abilities on the basketball, volleyball court, and soccer pitch. I would soon find myself as a confident young man with plenty of friends and popularity. When I reflect now, I realize at how important sports were in my social and emotional development as a kid. Who knows how I’d be if I didn’t play sports.

A defining moment in my education was being in a special outdoor program called “Edge.” This program exposed me for the first time to education outside of the traditional classroom. I learned about glacial features while on top of a glacier. I reenacted war battles while on a paintball course. I was taught about marine life while looking in tide-pools on the coast of Vancouver Island.

As special as this teaching pedagogy was, what was more special was the connections that were made with my fellow students, and with my teachers. To this day I keep a close connections with my friends that were from that program. Even my connections with these teachers have now transformed into friendships. Ironically, these friendships have led to a future of working relationships as I have been asked to come teach within the program.

The special program of Edge and the extra-curricular sports during my secondary school career took what would have been a passive experience into a memorable, defining moment in my life. I still look back on those days with happiness and nostalgia. It is through experiences like these where great social and emotional learning occurs and strong connections are made simultaneously as students learn the curriculum. This resonates with me and am incredibly proud and excited to be involved in the Edge program as a teacher and will definitely be a coach.

Even with these memorable experience, teaching was still not on my radar (at least not notably).  I spent the next 7 years trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I went to university and received and BSc in Economics from the University of Victoria. After I did a bit of travelling to India and Nepal. All the while, I was volunteering as a hike leader with the Edge program and other programs like it. After a bit of soul searching, I figure that my calling has been right in front of me this whole time. I saw teaching and leading kids/students as a hobby of mine. I enjoyed my time with students but had never gave serious thought of making it my profession. It makes so much sense now that I have made the decision to pursue a future in education.

I thank all of those who I mention here, and all those who I don’t, for the impact they had on my life. I am happy with where I am now within the profession. I see bright things in my near future. I am not exactly sure where I will end up but I am excited about the potential. This blog is far from finished 😉