Autobiography

I have had the pleasure of having had several careers allowing me to have a personal suitcase filled with experience tempered with maturity. Throughout my life there has been an undercurrent of education.

As a teenager, I taught ballet and character dancing under the tutilege of my dance teacher who was, unfortunately, losing her sight. Despite my young age, she placed her trust in me to teach on her behalf.

 

Throughout my many years of working for a major bank, one of my  roles was training new employees. When I left the bank, I began working in my children’s school as an Educational Assistant. Over the 10 years in this vocation, my responsibilities ranged from helping out in a split Kindergarten/Grade 1 class, to helping small groups of high school students. My experience includes working with children with severe physical limitations, serious health issues, learning differences, and behavioural challenges.

In my last four years as an EA, I worked with a student in the Autism Spectrum. I learned so much about social skills, communication and how the brain works, more specifically the function of the amygdala.

 

Attending Royal Roads University was life changing. It was challenging on many levels but along the way I discovered passion for learning and understanding, confidence, and doors that I could open. I learned a new language as I struggled with legal terminology and academic literature but with great perseverance I began to understand, so much so that I graduated with the “President’s Scholar Award” for academic excellence. This experience has given me great insight into the struggles that many student’s face and how their mindset, be it fixed or growth, can deeply affect their learning.

Thanks to the grades I received in my BA Justice Studies, I received two scholarships on entry to UBC. The University Women’s Club of Vancouver also gave me the opportunity to speak to their membership about my journey, inspiring other women to consider possibilities and break down the artificial barrier of age. My reflections on this moment give me insight into the barriers faced by many children in my classroom.

Justice Studies encouraged me to reflect on so many things: critical thinking, neuroscience and it’s applications in conflict resolution, mediation, and education, values as seen through the writing of many philosophers, and of course justice. It is not an easy concept and everyone’s window into the ideals and reality of justice differ. Fair needs be seen through many lenses and always questioned.

I first fell in love with la langue française as a child but it wasn’t until I was an adult that it became an integral part of my life. I was immersed in the language and culture through my many years of dancing and directing French Canadian dance companies. I offered workshops for children in schools around the province, all taught in French. My language skills deepened with the raising of my children and then working as a Specialized Educational Assistant for the Conseil Scolaire Francophone (French Education Authority). My French language journey is expanded on this page.

On a lighter note, I very much enjoy the outdoors and cherish every moment where the classroom can be nature itself. On my long practicum, I had the chance to participate with the other teacher candidates in the after school gardening club. What joy! So much can be learned in the garden. I love to hike, kayak and to sit in awe of the beauty around me. I also enjoy travel and in recent years have spent time in the Brazilian rainforest, Chile, England and France. Life is good and even better now that I have discovered my passion for learning and teaching.