About
I grew up in the interior of BC and have taught in both BC and Alberta. After moving
back and forth between the provinces several times, I settled on Vancouver Island
in 2020. I've been an educator for 28 years, with a focus on supporting diversabilities
and have taught in K-12 and post-secondary settings. I am passionate about guiding
learners to better understand themselves and how they learn so they can maximize their
opportunities for personal and professional growth. In my role at NIC, I've enjoyed
expanding my work with diverse learners beyond education to consider accessibility
and inclusivity in a more global context.
As a nature lover, I can often be found outdoors when not teaching - walking or hiking
with my dog, paddling, snorkeling, swimming or snowboarding. I also enjoy travelling
and exploring varied places and cultures. Since moving to the Island, I've appreciated
learning about the Kwakwaka’wakw People and this land, redefining my concept of "nature
lover," and I look forward to continued learning about this territory, its land and
its people.
Credentials
- Bachelor of Education, English with a minor in Learning Disabilities - Simon Fraser
University, 1998
- Master of Education, Special Education including Giftedness - University of Wollongong,
2005
Workshops
January 2025: Heart-to-Heart Learning
This workshop led an elementary school staff through an exploration of principles,
values and mind-sets to then build actions and strategies to improve students’ readiness
to learn. “Heart is the root from which all learning grows.” This was then followed
by two days of one-on-one coaching with various teachers.
January 2024: Decolonizing teaching practice, starting with assessment
Participants were guided through a process of self-reflection to de-construct their
own assessment practices and then re-build those practices through the lens of concept-based
instruction and the First Peoples Principles of Learning. The guiding questions were
“Do my assessment (and reporting) practices honour the First Peoples Principles of
Learning?” and “Do they honour what I believe about learning?”
October 2023- February 2024: Embracing First Peoples Principles to engage all students
in the love of learning
At various conferences in BC and Alberta, explored how three of the Principles can
be guideposts for utilizing the inter-dependent relationship between learning and
well-being. By learning to live in our gifts as educators and learners, we can elevate
communication with students and their families while also teaching them how to learn
not just what to learn.