MY WORK EXPERIENCE
Since I was 15 years old, I have been working with children of all ages through local my Community Centers. I spent a lot of time developing young children's motor skills and coordination by teaching the basics of a variety of sports. I worked mostly with children age 2-7 and focused mainly on basketball, floor hockey, soccer, t-ball, and gymnastics. I also worked with older school-aged children age 7-13, leading and assisting summer camps and teaching a variety of sports such as volleyball, soccer, and basketball.
During my time in Victoria, BC, I was offered the Summer Preschool Teaching position for four consecutive years through the District of Saanich. These are week long themed camps that run through July and August. I would have one camp in the morning from 9-1130 and one in the afternoon from 1-330. I had as many as 20 children aged 3-5 that I was to instruct and care for. Some of my responsibilities included:
- Set-up/Take-down of all crafts, activities etc.
- Maintenance and clean up of my designated areas of instruction
- The development of all lesson plans for each week of camp, specific to each weekly theme. (16 weeks of camps to plan for, incorporating the variety of fun themes, including one French camp).
These amazing employment opportunities allowed me to gain experience working with children of all ages, communicating with parents, creating personalized lesson and practice plans, as well as instructing in very dynamic settings. My experiences working in the Community Centers allowed me to not only recognize my strong passion for working with children but my desire to empower, guide and support them during their learning process as well; This passion is what inspired me to pursue a career as a Teacher.
MY LIFE EXPERIENCES & PASSIONS
Leading an active and health life is and has always been one of my greatest passions. As soon as my hands grew big enough, I had a baseball in one and a glove on the other. I can’t thank my parents enough for influencing my life long love of playing sports and keeping active. Throughout my childhood until I graduated High School, I played a wide variety of sports including softball, soccer, volleyball, track and field, tennis and golf. In my 5 years of High School, I was the captain of both my Volleyball and Softball team. This privilege enabled me to develop and enhance qualities that will transfer into my career as a teacher; qualities such as leadership, communication, humility, discipline and teamwork. I was also given the opportunity to be a Teacher’s Assistant for various PE classes for my last two years of High School. After graduation, I continued to participate in Softball and Volleyball in Recreational leagues and Intramurals at University. I am always on the go and love to keep active by playing golf and tennis, hiking and other outdoor activities, as well as practicing daily yoga.
Growing up in the Metro Vancouver area, in the lovely little town of Walnut Grove, made it especially easy for me to fall in love with the outdoors. My whole life I have stayed active outdoors in my spare time by running, walking, biking, hiking, and snowboarding. This love stems back to my experiences in the Outdoor Programs at Walnut Grove Secondary School. Enrolling in these programs that focused on immersing yourself in nature, learning to appreciate everything it has to offer and learning in a more experiential way sparked my craving to be outdoors. I believe this love that I have for the outdoors and for leading an active and healthy life is what inspired me to specialize in Physical Education and Geography.
My life experiences has led me to discover that I truly value a holistic approach to education. I look forward to continuing my journey of growth and development as an individual and as a teacher; and I am excited to inspire and empower my future students so they cannot only grow in the classroom, but as individuals as well.