Educators value the success of all students. Educators care for students and act in their best interests.
- I strive to ensure that I treat my students equitably with acceptance, dignity, and respect.
- I strive to manage my classroom in a pleasant, caring, respectful, and fair attitude towards students.
I am a second generation Indian Residential School survivor. I recognize the connotations that can hold for some families, students, and myself when it comes to school. I was very fortunate to have begun my education at a school in which my father, a first generation survivor, was a teacher. I grew with school being this safe space in which I felt valued, loved, and cared for. I have so many fond memories of this time in my life. They gave me a voice, they made me feel heard, and encouraged me along the way. I am the first generation in my family to feel this way. My father created this nest of support for me at this school and made it a place I love very dearly. It is my goal to create this space for students in my class, school, and community. I love children. I enjoy working with them. I value their words, experiences, and stories. I want to continue this legacy created by my father. He told me that children do not respond to yelling, to shouting, to aggression; their natural reaction is to shut down in these instances. I carry those words with me in my day and strive to come to my students with respect, care, and kindness. Though I recognize the need to be firm at times, it can be done without shame and it can be done in a manner that still respects the child.
I recognize that all students have different levels of ability, but that at the core of it, they are eager to learn new things and explore their world around them. I hope to create a learning space that encourages student inquiry and discovery. I hope to create a space in which students feel safe to question their surroundings and take stand when they feel strongly about issues, content, or causes. I hope to encourage critical thinking and personal reflection within my classes. Learning is a lifelong endeavor. I hope when students leave my classroom or our schools, that they have the skills necessary to seek out information and learn/self-teach as they continue to develop throughout adulthood.
