I’ve had a whirlwind of experiences since my grad, but am proud to call the city of Kelowna my home. After numerous stints in short term contracts, not to mention the joy of TOCing (which I believe every new teacher should be forced to try) I’ve earned my ticket in this city! While I am a grade six humanities/english/HACE/PE/etc. teacher, I must admit that was not always my goal. I spent three amazing years working for the Central Programs and Services school in Kelowna, the resident alt-ed school in the city. I loved every minute of it, even when I was being sworn at or having smoke blown in my face. Now that I think of it, the classroom always had a bit of an herbal smell, but the kids were at least peaceful…. In this setting I learned to see kids for who they are, potential filled people who need someone to think creatively to help them show that they can! The motto was “Kids do well if they can” from the works of Ross Greene. I would have stayed, but felt that often the chips on the shoulders were a little too permanent to fix in the short window I had with them. I have chosen to drop down and stay in the middle school realm teaching grade 6 students in order to reach those in need before the aforementioned chips become too stable. I’ve stepped away from the desire to focus on physical education, instead using a lens to focus on the issues of social justice and community involvement. My time at U VIC was amazing and learning from leaders will be something I am forever grateful for.
