My love of play goes back to my earliest childhood memories. I grew up in a family who valued play as a way to enjoy life and enjoy each other. This way of life, allowed me to learn by experiencing, engaging, and exploring through play. A passion for play continued throughout my early life, as I pursued a variety of play-based activities. My love of play eventually took me to high levels of competitive sport, as I traveled the world doing what I loved, playing basketball.

From first hand experience, I know that play can be a motivating and inspiring way to take risks, make mistakes, learn valuable life lessons, and grow individually and collectively. Through pursuits of play and involvement in sports, I was able to develop work ethic, growth mindset, dedication, persistence, and resilience; in addition to cooperation and collaboration skills. I am grateful that I had, and continue to have, these rich play experiences in my life. My love of play is still strong, as I continue to enjoy play in my personal life, including hobbies like motorcycle riding, hiking, mountain biking, archery, snow shoeing, cross-county skiing, playing with my dogs, and agility sport training with my dogs. In my school life, I have the joy of exploring play with my students, including play-based experiences in the classroom and beyond.

I pursued a career in teaching to follow my passion of supporting children’s love and excitement for play and learning. What I did not anticipate was how much I would gain in the investment of my own love of play and learning. Rich, inclusive, and dynamic educational communities provide great possibilities for challenge and change. Each new school year can feel like a fresh start with the promise of opportunities for learning, development, and growth. Therefore, it is hard to believe that I have been teaching for over 20 years. I feel grateful to be involved in such a rewarding profession that allows me to experience the joy of play each day while embarking on a truly remarkable journey of life long learning.

I have been an Elementary school classroom teacher for about 20 years, teaching a range of grades from Kindergarten to grade 7. I have also been actively involved as a coach, supporting children and youth in sports. Coaching and teaching continue to show me the importance of dedication and hard work. There have been several pivotal moments of challenge in my career that have helped shift my perspectives and expand my practices, including: teaching abroad in inner-city London, England; teaching in Vancouver and Richmond; supporting as a sponsor teacher for UBC student teachers; mentoring other teachers; volunteering as a coach for a variety of sports teams; choosing to teach a range of different grades through out my career (Kindergarten to Grade 7); working in a Children’s Center with children aged 1-4; moving to live and teach in a different community in B.C., and working to complete a Master of Education degree at U.B.C.

In all of these occasions, there was a reoccurring theme of growth mindset: valuing challenge and change; taking risks and trying new things; learning from mistakes; showing dedication, persistence, and flexibility when things get difficult; and developing new skills and strategies to overcome obstacles. The satisfaction I receive from finding and working through challenges, continues to help me grow, thrive, and stretch. Each time I push myself out of an existing comfort zone, I am able to learn a bit more about myself, about others, and about the world around me. These opportunities for growth are what fuel my passion for playing and learning; teaching and coaching. Each experience inspires me to work to develop skills as an student, as an educator, and as a leader. My personal and professional philosophies and pedagogies are rooted in this context, which continues to shape the person I am today.