My first practicum took place at SJ Burnside, an alternative high school. I taught English 9-12. During my practicum at SJ Burnside, I developed skills in working one-on-one with at-risk students, each on their own educational path. I built relationships with students through humour and stories, and these connections were the base of my classroom management strategy. By fostering a positive classroom environment and creating engaging, challenging lessons, my classroom transformed: students began to attend more regularly, and they participated to a degree that felt impossible when I began my time there. I also incorporated Indigenous content into each unit, including the Digital Trickster as part of the Digital Citizenship unit.

My second practicum was at Victoria High School, teaching Spoken Language 11 and Literary Studies 11, as well as acting as a teacher-librarian. My Spoken Language 11 class was a mix of ELL students, international students, and students with IEPs. Through building community and planning activities and assessments that work with my students’ strengths, I saw them grow to exceed the academic expectations that were placed on them. I used Universal Design for Learning principles to craft classroom activities around diverse learners’ needs, ensuring that all students could meaningfully participate. I also collaborated with other teachers to prepare and teach lessons in the role of the teacher-librarian, including literacy-based activities with ELL students and research skills lessons with English 12 classes.

I am currently working as a Teacher Teaching on Call in Victoria, Saanich, and Sooke school districts. My specialty is secondary English. I am an aspiring teacher-librarian and currently TOC for many teacher-librarians, including in elementary, middle, and high schools. There I do cataloguing, shelving, story time, lesson plan development, and teaching about research skills for all ages. I also volunteer at the Bruce Parisian Library in the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, cataloguing, shelving, valuing, and recommending books, as well as volunteering at events.