Tell us about yourself!

I have been a teacher for 14 years and currently teach grade 6 in Edmonton, Alberta . I became a teacher because I wanted to get kids excited about Math and Science. I have a passion for those subjects and wanted to find interesting and engaging ways to motivate my students to love learning about them. I like to use projects / inquiry based learning to show my students how math is part of every day life. One of my favorite things about teaching would have to be when you are able to successfully teach a difficult concept to an entire class of diverse learners! Another passion of mine is coaching. I have coached several sports teams at the junior high level and continue to coach track and field at the elementary level. I also run a variety of lunch hour extracurricular activities to keep our students active! I lead programs that teach kids the basics of coding (computer programming) and find fun ways to integrate coding into what we learn every day. I’m a huge hockey fan and definitely a die hard Oilers fan. It’s an honour to be nominated. Thank you.

Who is your favorite NHL® player and why?

Without a doubt Connor McDavid is my favourite player. His speed and puck handling abilities are above and beyond anyone else in the league. He is exciting to watch, but he’s also a very humble person who plays an important leadership role on the team. What’s also great about McDavid is that he is active in the community, has a strong work ethic and is a great role model for the kids.

What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?

I love how the Future Goals program has allowed me to integrate technology into my math lessons. The Future Goals program increases the engagement of my grade 6 students, even those who are new to the game. From the angles that the puck makes off the boards, to the perimeter and area of the ice surface, my students really have benefited from using the program and can see how STEM is embedded throughout the game of hockey. The program has found clever ways to show my students how math really is all around us.

If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?

I currently play hockey in a rec league in Edmonton and I play right wing. I enjoy being able to set up plays, so playing the wing is my ideal position. I love playing hockey and it’s a great way for me to network with other teachers who play as well.