I was born in Toronto, Ontario, raised by a newly immigrated French Sicilian mother and a German father. Our household was multilingual. My mother spoke to me in French while my father spoke to me in German and English.
When I was around 3, we moved to Kassel, Germany for approximately 2 years. We moved back to Canada where I attended a French Catholic school called Saint-Noel Chabanel. My secondary education was completed at Monseigneur de Charbonnel.
After graduation, I decided to take a year off and get a job. I worked various jobs; market research, administration, muralist, service industry, court reporter and the list goes on. I took some college courses in computer graphics but realized that I needed something more.
After a lot of deliberation, I enrolled at York University. I still didn't know what I wanted to study. I took a few courses in psychology but realized yet again, it wasn't for me. I ended up taking French instead and just went with it. It was what I knew best, so why fight it? I really enjoyed learning about all the aspects of the French language, especially the history and culture.
In 2005, I went to Strasbourg, France for a year and immersed myself in the German/French culture. I loved it - I was close to my roots and my relatives. Met some lifelong friends from around the world, made some great and some not so great memories. In the end, I learned the lessons life gave them and grew from them.
In 2009, I graduated from York University with a Bachelor in Arts, Specialist in French and in 2010, I enrolled in Teacher's College. Don't ask me how I knew I wanted to become a teacher I just knew it was the path I had to take. I graduated a year later. I met my partner for life while attending teacher's college and decided that moving to Lanark would be an easier transition than for Aaron to move to Toronto. Besides, I always wanted to live in a country setting. My passions are my family, my dogs, traveling, discovering the great outdoors, the environment.
This is my third year teaching at CPHS in the intermediate division. It's quite challenging at times but I love it and wouldn't change it. As a teacher, I believe in learning through inquiry and problem solving. Children learn by observing, by collaborating, and by doing. I invite students to look back and reflect on what they experienced or observed. I encourage students to improve on their past performances and to always give it their best effort. There is no doubt that students are going to make mistakes and get discouraged but it's what they do next that counts.