Education/Qualifications
I attended Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School here in Ottawa, ON and graduated in 2000 as an Ontario Scholar.
I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa and graduated with my B.Sc (honours in Biology) in 2004.
I went back to complete my B.Ed in the Primary/Junior divisions at the University of Ottawa in 2007. Since then, I have taken additional qualification courses from both the University of Ottawa and University of Western Ontario to obtain my intermediate qualification (general science) and senior qualification (Biology) as well as Special Education (part 1).
Teaching
I began teaching in 2007 for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board as an occasional teacher. During the past several years I have had the opportunity to teach a wide variety of grade levels and subject areas in schools across the city. My occasional teaching assignments have fortunately included several long-term positions ranging in length from 4 weeks to 4 months. They include grade levels from 5 to 8 and many subject areas in both English and French. I hope to secure a permanent position with the OCDSB in the future.
My personal philosophy of teaching:
I believe that first and foremost, students need to learn how to learn. The most important skills that I can teach my students are: how to ask questions, how to understand, and how to apply that understanding to other areas of study. Children need to be excited and engaged in what they're learning. They need to play more and memorize less. Teaching and learning should be centred around investigation, experimentation, critical thinking, and inquiry.
Personal Interests
I love to dance! I am a group exercise instructor with Goodlife Fitness and currently teach a dance/aerobics class called "BodyJam".
I also enjoy skiing and have been skiing since I was a child.
I am married and have two pets, Maddie and Gracie. Maddie is a 3 year old schnoodle (cross between a schnauzer and poodle) and Gracie is a 1 year old cat. They are best friends :)
My husband and I love to travel. We have visited many locations within Canada, the United States, Europe, and Central America. Currently we are planning a trip to South America for Summer 2011 to visit the Galapagos Islands.