Educational background
After high school, I went to the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, B.C. for one year. After that, life circumstances prevented me from continuing to pursue my teaching degree. Ten years later, I started taking night courses to complete another year of college (university transfer credits). After that, I took distance education courses through Simon Fraser University until I finally completed my Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Curriculum Studies. I thought that would be the end of my education, but since my local school district was extremely short of certified teachers, I was successful in applying to be a teacher-on-call. Shortly after that, the University of Calgary started a distance education teachers' program (with two weeks/summer on campus), so I was able to work while taking my Bachelor of Education degree! Finally, my dream of being a certified teacher was realized, and I was offered a continuing contract to teach grade 6/7 at an elementary school. I thought I was finished with education, but several colleagues encouraged me to pursue my Masters Degree, and Queen's was highly recommended. I took the plunge, and am now 3 courses away from completing my Masters Degree in Education (Classroom Specialist)!
Current occupation
Grade 6/7 Classroom Teacher
Advice for new students
It is never too late to pursue your dream of teaching! If it is your passion, you will find a way to do it.
How do you fit this program into your life?
I am a big calendar nerd. I work full-time, so it is vital for me to plan out my school schedule and stick to it. I mark due dates for discussion posts and assignments on my calendar. There are some weekends that I spend the whole time on major assignments so I can free up the next weekend for special occasions, like day trips or family/friend activities. When I plan it all out, I can relax and know that it will all get done, with my "eye on the prize" of completion. I use the weeks between courses to work on planning and assessment for my teaching job.
