Education & Teaching
I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. I attended a creative arts school for junior high, and then was part of the International Baccalaureate program in high school. In high school I also completed a Fine Arts certificate program in dance and music (band and choral). I had two amazing Biology teachers in high school, who inspired me to become a teacher so that I could inspire more students to love science as I do. I attended the University of Lethbridge because of its extremely well-respected Education program. I completed a combined degree in Biological Sciences and Education (Science Education - Biology), with a minor in English Language Arts Education. This program included a teaching internship similar to the internship that is part of the U of R program. During my program I also carried out some independent scientific research projects on hummingbird behaviour and chickadee genetics (see more here). After graduating, my husband and I moved to Guelph, Ontario for two years (he had a job at the University of Guelph). I tried to get into teaching there, but the teaching job market in Ontario is over-saturated with teachers. So I started working at the Guelph Lake Nature Centre, leading K-12 field trips on nature and science. This was an extremely rewarding and fun job, but I missed having my own classes and being able to work with and get to know students over a whole semester or longer. We moved to Regina in November 2012. I started working at Winston Knoll Collegiate in January 2013, teaching English 10A and Math 9 and 10. I started teaching at Sheldon in September 2013 and since then I have taught English 10B, Bio 20, Math 9, English 20, Science 9, Drama 20/30, Science 10, Math 10 F & PC, English 9, and Computer Science 20/30. I am very excited to be returning to Sheldon for the 2015-2016 school year. This year I will be teaching half-time, so I will mostly only be around in the mornings, and I will be teaching Environmental Science and Computer Science. See the Contact page for the best ways to get in touch with me. Extracurricular Interests I’ve always had a strong creative side, and that shows in my various interests. Dance: I began ballet when I was only 3 years old and continued with that for 9 years before moving on to try jazz, Afro-Cuban, funk, hip-hop, tap, belly-dance, and west African, before finding and falling in love with modern dance (also known as contemporary dance). During University I was even briefly in a youth modern dance company, which was an amazing experience. Music: I took flute lessons briefly as a child, and then re-discovered the flute and was part of my school bands in junior high and high school. I still play the flute when I have an opportunity, such as at my friends’ wedding a couple of years ago. I have also been involved in various choirs, both at school and in the community. Arts and Crafts: I have always been interested in crafts, and currently I crochet, sew, and make wire jewellery. Recently I started a craft blog and an Etsy store. This interest in crafts is why I have started the Sheldon Craft Club. I am always getting involved with some social or environmental cause. I feel passionately that it is my responsibility to do everything I can to make this world a better place - which is part of the reason I became a teacher. I have sat on several committees and boards since high school. In high school my friends and I created a 500 foot long rainbow banner (The Pride Rainbow Project) in support of Equal Marriage rights in Canada, and we even took it to Parliament Hill! I have sat on several committees and boards since high school. During high school and University I also founded various organizations to work on a variety of issues, as well as planning and running numerous events, rallies, conferences, workshops, and talks, and spearheading fundraising efforts. In terms of extracurricular involvement at the school, I am the assistant coach for the Curling Team, and I help out with the outdoor club on some of their trips. I also run the Sheldon Craft Club, which is open to any types of crafts but will focus on fibre crafts such as crochet and knitting (at least until student interests take it in another direction!) Most recently I started the Coding & Robotics Club, where students can start exploring the basics of computer programming and even make and program their own robot. Personal It is now my third year at Sheldon, and my 4th year of teaching in Regina. I enjoy walking to school almost every day - even in the middle of winter! I love living so close to the school. I also enjoy rollerblading, hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities. I love to spend time with my husband Sandeep, who is a member of the University of Regina’s Faculty of Business. We enjoy travelling, most recently to Japan, Europe (France, England, and Germany) and Mexico. We also enjoy playing European-style strategy board games, and playing with our friendly black cat named Nikko. Click here for more Nikko pics. |