My Teaching and Learning Portfolio
As a teacher and artist-educator, I am focused on presence, building resiliency, and social-emotional learning. I specialize in the dramatic arts, mindfulness, nature and outdoor education.
I'm interested in helping people of all ages become more present. I believe that while the goal of a teacher should include helping students develop literacy, numeracy, and knowledge development, the overarching goal of education should be to nurture well-rounded humans; people who are resilient, passionate, kind, and mindful.
My Teaching Philosophy
"Intelligence is the door to freedom and alert attention is the mother of intelligence."
-Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are
I decided to pursue a formal teaching degree relatively late in life. I had an English teacher in high school who had a decade-long career as a journalist before becoming a teacher. She told our class that she believed teachers should leave school, enter the workforce, have another career, and then become teachers later in life when they have enough life experience and knowledge to share. Those words have stayed with my throughout the years, and I've come to feel strongly that I wouldn't be the educator I am today without the past experiences I've had as an actor and outdoor trip leader. These experiences have led me to develop confidence in my drama and outdoor education teaching, as well as a growth mindset across all subjects. I believe that teachers should be well-rounded citizens of the world, who care about people and who want to make the world a better place. The teachers I've had over the years have had a profound effect on my life, and I hope to pay this forward as much as I can.
Work and Work-in-Progress
This page features photos I've taken over the last few years that highlight my love for the outdoors and for extraordinary adventures. I've been lucky enough to work in the active travel industry for over 6 years, and I hope to inspire others to think "outside the box" when it comes to what a career can look like. I've been fortunate enough to have some incredible adventures. This is a small taste!
Thanks so much for your interest in my teaching career. A detailed CV, summative evaluations from practicum teaching at OISE, and professional references are all available upon request.
