Exploring through a Love of Learning (My History as a Learner)
Growing up in rural Ontario, I attended Sir William Osler Public School from grade 1 to grade 7. A key memory is of Ms. Hilton, my grade 1 teacher, who encouraged my creativity through endless art supplies. Years later, I found out that the principal was less than happy about the quantity of supplies used during that school year. Life lesson: Don’t hesitate to push back when politics tries to limit investment in students.
I completed my undergrad in Psychology, Sociology, and History. Teaching had always been on my mind, but it was observing the difficulties that international friends faced in navigating university-level English—despite their deep understanding of the material in their primary language—that set me on the path to teaching multilingual learners. Life lesson: The foundations of past education support present and future learning. A rocky foundation creates barriers and limitations.
Despite a challenging start to working in Japan, I was hired by Language House Inc. under New Zealand mentor teacher Allan Dawn. He introduced me to one of my most treasured texts, "The Adult Learner" by M. Knowles. Our office was in a traditional-style home with tatami mats and sliding doors, but we often went to factories and offices to teach. Lesson: A classroom can take many forms.
Clients focused on job-specific English, such as the process of welding cargo ships. I noticed that many students' self-esteem was influenced by the results of standardized tests (e.g., TOEIC), even when they had reached a higher level of skill. I unofficially took one myself and found that the speed of the test tripped me up a few times. Life lesson: Good teachers recognize when students need a cheerleader to help build their confidence and encourage them to take risks with new skills.
During my second year in Japan, I started taking weekend trips once a month. I would jump on a train Friday evening and spend Saturday exploring a new town or city. One time, I unexpectedly came across a performance by Hikone City's mascot. Yes, it was for kids, and yes, I enjoyed every minute of it. Life lesson: You have to actively seek out opportunities to learn, as it's easy to fall into a rut of routines and habits.
While living abroad, I seized many opportunities to travel and learn about different traditions and cultures. One of these locations was Vietnam, where a neighbour back home reached out to me about their Flat Stanley project. During my travels, I took pictures with the paper doll and recorded what I learned in a notebook to send back. Life lesson: We can learn from our own and others' lived experiences.
Stories are a big part of understanding culture, even if we are not quick to recognize their significance in our own society. When the historical names and dates faded, I still remembered the stories I learned while traveling. This includes the Thai story about the Crane and the Tortoise. Storytelling as a traditional method of teaching re-emerged when I lived in Nunavut. Life Lesson: Learning through stories engages feelings and understanding that last long after dry facts are gone.
My Japanese skills lagged despite self-study, weekly tutoring, and speaking as much as possible. So, I moved to Okazaki, Japan, to attend Yamasa Institute, a language school. Mornings focused on reading, writing, and oral language, while the afternoons included extracurricular activities with cultural significance. Life lesson: Learning requires a balance of structured experiences to develop a skill and unstructured experiences to experiment with it. (Also, every student's balance is different.)
Interactive cultural events, such as carrying a traditional shrine to the waterfront for a local festival, expanded my learning in ways that reading about the event or watching from a distance could not. However, the pre-event scaffolding that would have allowed me to deeply understand the rituals was often missing, making it difficult to remember all the details to ask about afterward. Life lesson: Scaffolding makes the difference between a fun event and a rich learning opportunity.
As a child, I often heard the phrase 'Lest We Forget' during Remembrance Day ceremonies. However, I didn't truly understand this message until I witnessed firsthand the effects of conflict (e.g., war, cultural genocide) on communities and, more recently, on my students who were displaced from their homes. Life Lesson: Don't shy away from hard conversations. Instead, find an age-appropriate and mindful way to acknowledge the past while fostering hope for the future.
I was ready to transition to being a classroom educator, but I wanted to continue gaining experience abroad. I was accepted into the Primary and Junior Teacher's College program at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Integrated and project-based learning had been a key part of education there, and it continues to be a central aspect of my teaching pedagogy. Life lesson: "Whoever our students may be, whatever the subject we teach, ultimately we teach who we are." (P. J. Palmer)
A requirement of teacher’s college was to complete volunteer hours. I contacted the Japanese School of Melbourne, where the ESL team took me under their wing. They blended Australian and Japanese teaching methods to create a program that supported students who came from or might return to the school system in Japan. Life lesson: Every pedagogy, method, and strategy has its strengths and weaknesses; focus on the needs of the student rather than strictly adhering to what the manual dictates.
While studying at teacher's college, I was accepted for a student exchange to Beijing. There, we lived on the University of Beijing campus, attended lessons on various cultural topics, and traveled to historical sites like the Forbidden Palace. Life lesson: Culture is far more diverse and deep than how it is represented in media (both news and entertainment) in other countries. Lived experience provides additional layers of awareness and understanding.
One of the places we visited during the exchange was similar to the pioneer villages back home. The field was set up into areas with traditional housing, performances, craftspeople (e.g., seamstresses), and clothing representing various cultural groups of China. I knew a bit about Mongolia from books, but I deeply treasure the experience of speaking with a Mongolian educator and being invited to participate in a traditional activity. Life lesson: Learning through respectful and mindful experienc
Educational programming in Melbourne introduced me to using creativity in cross-curricular learning. For example, the Melbourne Zoo had a display about the effects of deforestation and the benefits of using recycled paper to make toilet paper. One of our projects was to connect this field trip to the Literacy, Numeracy, Science, and Health curriculum. Life Lesson: Learning with a sense of humour encourages more learning.
In my second year of teaching, I was hired as the kindergarten to grade 4 ESL teacher at Ulaajuk Public School in Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik), Nunavut. I remained there for three years and have fond memories of Geebowah checking in to update me about students, Elisapee teaching the students traditional Ayaya songs, and taking students ice fishing with elders. Life lesson: Traditional knowledge and curriculum knowledge can complement and strengthen each other.
Community and school in Nunavut were heavily connected to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Traditional Knowledge) and the land. This was a significant lens through which the curriculum and teaching methods were built. Life Lesson: Extending the classroom beyond its walls and bringing nature into the school deepens learning and fosters a more connected experience with government-assigned expectations.
Exploring with the Third Teacher (Classrooms over the Years)
I really liked how the STEM center in my Grade 4/5 classroom turned out. Everyday materials and a challenge were added for the students to solve in small groups, from lifting an elephant with pulleys to building the strongest toothpick structure.
First experience creating flexible seating using the available desks and chairs in a Grade 3/4 classroom. Choices ranged from carpet space to groups and individual desks.
Developing a bilingual kindergarten classroom that promotes literacy skills through the celebration of student authors. (A little friend experimented with the letters in the word READ underneath.)
The body break area in my junior autism classroom was a popular spot for students to take breaks throughout the day. Although sensory rooms do exist in some schools, the schedules are often packed with the highest needs. If only a few of these items could be included in regular classrooms to support self-regulation! I have been able to provide my own small gym mat and wiggle chairs to meet some of the needs, but the waiting list for school board-supplied equipment can take months or even years.
My first classroom as a Grade 5/6 teacher in Kugluktuk. A cringy reminder of how far I have come in my understanding of the impact of the environment on learning. The classroom was organized in rows with the teacher's desk at the front and only one small table for collaborative work, which was mainly used by the education assistant.
While supporting students with autism, I had my first and only experience using an interactive SmartBoard. Two years ago, there was another chance, but I was unable to get the SmartBoard to work because the remote had been lost.
The reading nook in my junior autism classroom featured comfy bean bags for snuggling with a book. It also doubled as a relaxation station when a student needed some time to self-regulate, but I learned the hard way that this is not a good multi-purpose combination (e.g., damaged books).
A shared classroom with my French immersion teaching partner. The Word Work display on the left was part of the Picture Word Induction process to develop reading skills. I aim for 75% of the displays (e.g., anchor charts, posters, etc.) to be created by the students or to be interactive spaces. This goal is often achieved two-thirds of the way through the school year.
This was the year I fully embraced small-group learning through interactive centers around the classroom. Videos, texts, and hands-on materials were provided for students to research Social Studies topics such as ancient civilizations. The students recorded their observations in notebooks and wrote questions that arose on post-it notes on the front board. When information from whole-group activities answered one of the questions, the students would record the information on a second note.
Exploring Through Play (Pedagogy and Methods)
Scaffolding that is personalised to the needs of the students makes the difference between a strong and weak foundation. Recognising the limited exposure to Canadian animals and animal-related words (e.g., fur pelts), we did an expansive investigation about the beaver that included building beaver dams. When the curriculum topic of Canadian First Nations was started, the students quickly connected the at-grade material, such as hunting methods and traditional clothing, to their recent learning.
Total Physical Response is a method of teaching oral language by having the students mime the actions while using the related language. I noticed that young children would engage in this activity but rarely apply the vocabulary spontaneously afterwards. Combining TPR with dramatic play then post-play reflection ("How did you make your garden?") improved retention and usage of new words.
Click the picture more information about Total Physical Response.
My initial training for Social Thinking was focused on using the strategies to support students with Autism. However, this highly structured way to help students reflect on their behaviours continues to be a big part of my behaviour management routines.
Click on this picture more information on Social Thinking.
Picturing Writing is a technique that combines crayon resist artwork with descriptive language. After gaining confidence in the technique, I merged into into other subjects such as Health. The students made crayon resist pictures of themselves as babies (from family photos), today (using a mirror). and the future (after a lesson on puberty).
Click for more information on the methodology of Picturing Writing.
Play-Based Learning is an instructional program in Ontario's kindergarten classrooms. However, I often integrate some of the methods into other grades as dramatic play centres provide many opportunities for using skills (e.g. writing, speaking) that have been introduced during targeted lessons. Shy students are also more likely to participate in these casual interactions than in carpet activities were everyone is watching.
Click for more information about dramatic play.
The move to online learning was difficult, but it nudged me to think about items around the house that can be used for interactive and authentic learning. This included investigating weight and buoyancy using aluminum foil boats in the sink.
I found the dot sets provided in teacher manuals too small to use for whole-group games. However, I discovered how to make paper plate versions while scrolling on Pinterest. These materials have become my go-to for flashcard-style activities.
Click the picture for more information about subitizing with dot plates.