I grew up on the Prairies, in a valley with a lake, 30 mins outside of Moose Jaw. I had a privileged upbringing. We didn’t have a lot of material possessions, but we had the outdoors. We went camping, skiing, hiking, and many other fun things as a family. I believe this is where my strong connection to the land started. Through school, I loved my sports, and I was never really interested in academics. Although I did graduate with a bilingual diploma, my family and a few teachers helped me to push and explore my limits, so I was ready for the next stage in my life.
As soon as I graduated, I headed far West, to the then little mountain town of Whistler, BC. I thought what better to do than to be a ski bum for a year. However, a year turned into 10. The small town became my home, full of endless outdoor adventures. This is where I discovered my love for working with children, I became my own person, and I learned how to be an adult. Planning and budgeting were survival skills to have enough money in the off season, to continue living. Amongst the adulting, I developed empathy, resourcefulness, adaptability, and the understanding that personal growth is a lifelong process. Although snowboarding and playing in the mountains was amazing, living paycheck to paycheck was not a sustainable practice: I move to Quebec to not loose my French and get a university degree. After one year in the “sensible” business administration degree, I realized that it wasn’t for me, and I switched to a Bachelors in Outdoor Education. This program helped me to become an excellent leader, and I learned so much more from the land. With my new qualifications, I guided for Windigo Adventures, taking groups for weeks at a time, all over “backcountry” BC and the west cost of the USA. I moved to Texas and Wyoming for 4 years to continue learning and growing, opening my eyes to so many different cultures, histories, and the diversity of land on our planet.
After my time was done in the United States, I moved to Salmon arm and was ready to start a family. I thought all my travels and experiences had prepared me to be a mother, but I am not sure anything can prepare you for that. In other words, my children taught me so much about child development, active listening, adaptability, and patience. My children helped me to see that I really wanted to work more with children. I then went back to school to become an Education Assistant, however it didn’t take long as and EA for me to see I had so much more to offer, so I went back to school again and here I am as a teacher candidate. All my education and my life experiences have helped me develop so many positive qualities, as I continue my lifelong learning journey, to become an effective teacher.
Reading thorough my philosophy, you will see many connections to my bio. After a critical reflection, I now see my privileged upbringing in a new light. I will bring the support I grew up with into my class and I will be more aware of the challenges that some students may face. I learned so much in Whistler, although the life long personal growth is my key take away. After having my children, I understand child development and the needs of children. Finally my time as a certified education assistant helped me to see the need for inclusion and provided me with many tools to include the latter in my classroom.