Professional Practice and Knowledge

As an educator with a Masters of Teaching degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, I have had several years of experience working in childcare centres, aftercare programs, and school environments- including four years working in the Kindergarten program. Recently, I have started consulting on social justice based curriculum projects for organizations such as the Canadian Foundation for Aids Research and Raising the Roof.

As an educator, I am committed to developing confident, independent learners who are encouraged to apply their curiosity and creativity towards solving problems and learning.

I believe in teaching children strong personal character and engage children in outreach initiatives, leadership opportunities and conflict resolution skills. I strive to empower children to think deeply about their community and how their actions affect the people around them. By creating their own rights, responsibilities and rules for work and play, the children in my classroom are able to be successful participants in a self-created community.

I believe in teaching lessons that not only follow the curriculum, but are geared towards the child’s developmental levels, needs, interests, and learning styles. I place an emphasis on open-ended, real life and relevant experiences that involve cooperative learning and relate to my students’ personal lives. I make every effort to give the children I work with the tools and language they require to regulate their emotions, solve problems, and practice self-reflection. I encourage children to share their personal life experiences with their peers by taking an in-depth look at specific topics of interest. I also infuse social justice and equity into my lessons and am particularly strong and incorporating mindfulness and restorative practices into my everyday practice.