2006

I was a classroom teacher for almost 20 years with the YCDSB in Ontario. My passion quickly became early childhood and I began to explore creative ways of delivering my program in the classroom. As I observed children thriving in outdoor play and in nature I enrolled on an enriching journey of Forest and Nature School (FNS) training through CNAC. This training gave me the privilege to implement the Ontario curriculum in an outdoor setting.

2010

After teaching for a few years, we had our boys (now 10, 12 and 14) and I was blessed with the opportunity to work part-time and spend more time at home raising them. Parenting has been an incredible gift and is my life’s work, however it has not been without its struggles.

2015

Our family life took an unexpected turn when our middle son at age 3 was diagnosed with a rare life threatening disease. Over the course of two intense years of treatment my focus became appreciating the small moments of ordinary which brought light to the darkest of days. Coming out from this difficult time was like navigating through a fog, but I found inspiration and strength through our children.

2017

Every obstacle has been a stepping stone, shaping our family story with courage and growth, not to mention my own personal growth and educational path.

When our middle son was about to start kindergarten, my priority for him was to find a therapeutic educational environment that could support his continued healing journey. That’s when I discovered Waldorf Education.

So much of what I learned about Waldorf foundations and the work of Rudolph Steiner resonated deeply with our family values. I went on to study Foundation Studies at the Rudolf Steiner College Center (RSCC). This healing journey not only nourished my soul, but gave me insight as to the parent I wanted to be for our children and educator for my students. I continued taking courses and grade intensives at RSCC and eventually became a substitute teacher at the Toronto Waldorf School.

2018

As I continued teaching part-time for the York Catholic District School Board, I infused my program with elements of Forest and Nature School along with Waldorf principles and witnessed the magic of a holistic educational approach.

Just as I thought I had found my groove and was pretty confident with teaching this integrative program, my career took another turn.  

After noticing our son’s significant struggle with reading, I recognized my lack of training did not equip me with the proper tools to support his needs. When I taught in the classroom, my struggling readers were always taken out and offered more individualized programs from special education teachers. At home, I was frustrated and lost. After contacting colleagues and a psychologist we had worked with, the recommendation was to hire an Orton-Gillingham (OG) tutor. Five years ago, I had never heard of the OG method. After researching and talking to parents who found great success in the approach, I found an OG tutor for our son. I was blown away by his progress and confidence. I wanted to learn more and decided to begin the training myself. It was fascinating- the once confusing English language made sense. I decided to continue and complete the associate level training.

2022

Over the last few years, I have felt disheartened by the limitations of our education system. The widening learning gaps are clear, leaving many students without the personalized support they need. Despite the efforts of teachers, resources remain scarce. After months of reflection, I made the difficult decision to transition from teaching in the classroom to pursue a vision of sharing my gifts in a different way. My combined love of teaching, fierce advocacy for children and sheer determination ignited the spark for something new. This planted the seed for Living Literacy to become part of my story. 

I am passionate about supporting you and your child who may be struggling to navigate learning obstacles. As a parent, I’ve experienced those overwhelming moments and longed for the right support and environment to ensure my child’s needs were understood and met.