It’s funny how sometimes you hear things your whole life but brush them off or ignore them… but then they creep back into your reality and eventually you realize that everyone was right all along. I’ve been told “You should be a teacher!” for as long as I can remember, but I shrugged it off and ended up on a very different path. I loved science and helping people in high school. I pursued a nursing career after high school but found my passion working alongside some amazing adults and kids with diverse needs. I was a support worker, a nanny, a caregiver, an Education Assistant and eventually a mom to two amazing kids, with exceptional needs. My son had a significant speech delay and my daughter was an over achiever (not sure where she got that from, haha) and so the two of them together kept me on my toes. We decided to home educate the kids so they could both learn at their own pace. One needed a lot of attention and differentiation (especially with reading) and the other needed to be challenged beyond her grade level. I’m happy to say that they both graduated in 2022 and are pursuing their passions in life.
After they graduated high school I prayed, “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?” I was hired with School District #5, began working casually. Then, I met a family who had a little 4 year old girl who happened to Down syndrome. I spent some time with her family leading up to them beginning their own home learning journey in 2024 and her mom asked me if I’d consider being her EA. It was an easy answer. It was THE answer. I was going back to Kindergarten. I completed my EA certification during the first year supporting her and in the process realized — If I’m going to make a difference in the world of Inclusive Education I would need to be a teacher. BUT… I was 46 years old. Who goes back to get a degree in their mid-forties? I guess I do. So far it’s been a wild ride. I’m super excited to share my learning along the way. Enjoy.
My sweet kiddos, in their first year of home learning… many moons ago!
Graduation 2022! So proud of them for persevering and graduating in the middle of COVID.
Me, in front of a beautiful waterfall in the Bella Coola Valley of BC. We took our graduation trip to Bella Coola in 2022.