My Teaching Philosophy
I believe that fostering a love of learning is not something that can be taught directly. It is through mentorship, facilitation, encouragement, and the ability to create a safe and caring environment and relationships that support students when they fail, and then inspire them to learn from these mistakes. These are the qualities that make one a life-long learner, a critical thinker, and one ready to face the 21st-century head-on.
I am passionate about...
Inclusion
Inclusion means learning environments that celebrate diverse learning needs. It means a wide range of learning experiences and education systems that allow everyone to succeed.
Collaboration
Collaborative environments lead to deeper critical thinking. Collaboration between educators, parents, and students build learning experiences that are rich and meaningful and will stand the tests of time.
Relationships
Learning needs relationships. A student will only learn if they feel safe and supported enough for them to take the risks that are required for learning to be achieved. Empathy and compassion are the foundation of learning.
Success
Success is individualized. It is dependent on inclusion, collaboration and relationships. All students can succeed when given the right opportunities and support.
My Story
Learning is a lifelong journey full of iteration. From a very young age I decided I wanted to teach. However, my own educational journey challenged me to look more deeply into what education and learning is.
As my children started their educational journeys I had high hopes that they would be successful, but due to some learning challenges that was not the case. Lucky for us we found support in a program that promoted flexibility and team-teaching and we began our Homeschooling journey.
As we embark our our ninth year of homeschooling, and also my completing my formal education from Werklund at the University of Calgary, my philosophy on education has grown. I fully embrace that learning is messy, learning needs to be self-directed, learning needs to be inclusive, and about all else learning must include relationships.
Teachers are not imbuers of knowledge, no longer do we need to be the keepers and experts of knowledge, a knowledge that needs to be forced and tested in our students. We are the facilitators, the designers of rich learning experiences, the ones who encourage critical thinking in our students. The ones who provide those safe relationships for students to take the risks they need to learn.
My Projects
Inspired Conference
Event Organizer
An inclusive conference for educators who want to support their students and children by accessing secular resources tailored to their learning style.
Speaking Events
Speaker
I speak on inclusion, relationships building, and curriculum design. Drawing my experiences from in the classroom and homeschooling my own children I have a unique perspective on education and learning.
Presentations
Workshop Presenter
I present workshops on how to plan your year, how to assess student growth, as well as many other topics that pertain to individualized learning and student success.
Created Curriculum
Resource Designer
I design lessons, and curriculum resources that focus on character building, community involvement, and diversity and inclusion.
Interested in learning more?
My passion is encouraging students to become successful by facilitating parents, caregivers, as well as other educators to find the right pathway, resources, and support for each individual student.
Endorsements
I will do my very best to support students, but don’t just take my word for it!
