-
Second Grade - Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Second grade is the moment in my life when I realized a teacher could make a difference. My teacher was named Ms. Bonnie, and the curriculum lesson I learned from her class was about differentiation. She had a special set of books that she stored behind her desk for advanced readers. I was one of those students in her class, and I had the opportunity to read those books. I just remember feeling special for being challenged. -
Period: to
Curriculum Maker
-
Back to Second Grade
Although I left Our Lady of Perpetual Help School after second grade, my mom was still close friends with Ms. Bonnie, and 7 years later I had the opportunity to return to Ms. Bonnie's classroom to work with her second grade class. This was the first time I ever sat in a room as an older helper. -
Back to second grade...again.
I was invited by my friend Mary to spend the afternoon in her second grade classroom to help with the building of gingerbread houses. This was the first time I remember being an adult assistant in a classroom full of students. -
Experiential Education - University of Missouri
Begin working for the Dept. of Experiential Education at the Univ, of Missouri - Columbia. I worked as an instructor for high/ low ropes course programs. This is a time I remember developing my teaching "voice" and integrating my personal philosophy and outdoor interests with teaching other people. -
University of Maine - Presque Isle
Began a program at the University of Maine to earn a degree in secondary education. I finally committed to the idea that teaching would be the path for me. -
University of Maine-Presque Isle
A day before I could drop classes, I made the decision to switch to the Elementary Studies program. This decision was made after many discussions with teacher friends, and I remember feeling nervous about working with younger students, but so excited to know where I wanted to be. -
Dr. JoAnne Putnam
During my second semester I was required to take a special education course with Dr. Putnam. Because of her, I became very interested in the connection between school education and experiential education. I continued to take as many special education courses as I could because I discovered these were the only courses that actually taught me how to be a classroom teacher and work with diverse students. -
Student Teaching - Part One
My first student teaching assignment was in a grade 2 classroom in Mapleton, Maine. I remember feeling overwhelemed and nervous everyday. My biggest lesson after my two months there was realizing that I had to develop a different language in order to communicate with seven year olds effectively. -
Student Teaching - Part Two
My second round of student teaching was with Mr. Guerrette at Zippel Elem. School. It was a grade 5 class with major behavior issues and a huge variety of personalities. This was when I really took on the role of a teacher, and got to experience my first fist fight and an overnight field trip to Boston. -
Limbo in Calgary
After moving to Calgary, I had to wait for my immigration papers to go through before I could work. I decided to volunteer with the Calgary Reads program, and worked one on one with grade 3 students at a school in Calgary. This was excellent practice for me to see children read and think as well as an opportunity to practice speaking with children about learning. -
First Job
Hired as a grade 4 teacher at Rundle College Elementary School in Calgary two weeks before the students arrived. There is nothing that will ever compare to the first year of being a teacher. This year defined who I would become as a teacher. -
Isaac and my hardest year as a teacher
After a great first year, I was immediately subjected to a year a big challenges. If my first year helped define me as a teacher, this year help defined my beliefs in classroom management and working with challenging students. I remember going home everyday feeling like I had just gone through a boxing match that I had lost. -
Joey and confidence
My final year in grade 4 was spent with students like Joey, Bailey, and Sian who are students who had such an impact on me as a teacher because of the challenges they provided and the lessons I learned from them about the importance of relationships. I finally started to accept that what I did in the classroom made a difference in the lives of my students. -
Switch
Perhaps one of the best teaching decisions I ever made was switching grades after four years in grade 4. I realized I was at a point where I was getting too comfortable with the curriculum, and wanted to remain challenged at my job. I requested a move to grade 5, and I got to go through the process of being a new teacher all over again without that pressure of just surviving like my very first year. -
Masters Degree
After years of searching for programs, I finally had a feeling of excitement when I read about the University of Alberta Math Cohort in a random email sent to me by the Headmaster of my school. I see this a big step in emphasizing my personal desire to be a part of curriculum in ways other than just teaching. I hope to always be a lifelong learner, and this belief guides the curriculum I provide in my classroom.
