Nanny/Childcare Jobs – 2016-2019

My first full-time nanny position was in 2016 when I was first considering the Bachelor of Education program.  I was looking for a job and this one worked out to be a perfect match.  The children were so wonderful and we went outside everyday and played, worked on art projects, and inquired about how the world works.  I was so inspired by these children that I knew I wanted to become a teacher and work with children the rest of my life.  But first I wanted to go bike around Australia…where I ended up looking after several other families and children while living in Melbourne.  A few of these children were Kindergarten-aged so I was working with them on their early numeracy and reading skills, which was a really cool opportunity to see how private schools abroad taught those skills!  After I came back to Canada and had my own little guy, I looked after various children and continued to love the experiences I had working with them.  There is something so satisfying in the soul to witness a child grow and blossom.

Various Travel Experience – 2013-2017

After I graduated from my intial BA degree, I wanted to travel to the world and gain insight and wisdom, learn about other cultures, and live freely.  I am so lucky I had the opportunity to travel for so long and have so many incredible experiences around the world!  My travel experience was more of a learning opportunity for me, since I was constantly learning about myself and the many different cultures and languages.  Traveling in a country where they speak a totally different language, look and act differently to me, really took me out of my comfort zone and made me realize what it must feel like for international students when they come to Canada.  It is so important to understand that we all have different cultures and backgrounds, and this will in turn affect how we view the world.  As an educator, I will take all these learning experiences gained from traveling abroad and apply them to my classroom, to make a welcoming, multi-cultural, inviting and accepting space where everyone is honoured for who they are.

The pictures below are as follows, from left to right: my husband and I with a family in a small town in Nayarit state, Mexico; my friend and I with a an excited group of Malaysians in Penang, Malaysia; myself with the children at the POC orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Pedalheads Bike Camp – 2006-2008 summers

Working at a summer camp with children aged 4-10 was an incredible opportunity I had during/after high school.  I was a bike instructor, so I taught children the basics of bicycle riding, safety, and maintenance.  I would organize and plan lessons for each day of camp, appropriate for their age and skill level.  This job inspired my love of teaching children and that passion has only grown and developed over the decade!