Teacher Teaching on Call, Uncertified
In February of 2020, I began teaching on call in School District 57. I was hired as an uncertified teacher. Given the circumstances of the last year, I have been incredibly grateful to have this opportunity. This experience has helped me grow as both a teacher and a learner. Each day, I get to apply what I am learning in the elementary education program at TRU in order to make my teaching more meaningful, impactful, and equitable. Beyond this, I am learning each day from the lived experience of teaching. In addition to this, I am able to meet other teachers and pull from their wealth of knowledge as they advise me in my teaching.
Dance Instructor
I began teaching dance at the age of 16 as an assistant dance teacher at Excalibur Theatre Arts co. I remember being beyond excited to share my love of the arts with young dancers. Eventually, I grew as a teacher and began teaching my dance classes of my own. My art then began to take on a new life as I started to explore dance through choreographing. Instructing and choreographing dance is what sparked my love of teaching and remains a huge part of my life. Teaching dance has inspired me to find ways to incorporate creativity, movement, and teamwork into my future classroom.
Beyond the Bell Program Leader
I began my position as a program leader at Beyond the Bell in 2017. Beyond the Bell is an after school program that is run through the YMCA of Northern British Columbia. At Beyond the Bell, it was my job to support elementary students (grade 1 to 5) who had been identified as vulnerable. Each day, I would lead students in activities based in numeracy, literacy, social skills, and physical health. Additionally, it was critical that I maintained an environment that fostered the values of caring, respect, responsibility, honesty, and inclusivity. This experience opened my eyes to some of the challenges that teachers face. I became increasingly aware of the importance of offering students equitable learning opportunities that value diversity and inclusion.