ABOUT ME

Since 1996, I’ve been working with youth and their families as an educator and, over the course of my 25 year career, I observed gaps in how the system supported students of varying abilities. The system is working hard to meet the needs of so many that it's possible for one to get lost and to feel disconnected and uncertain about themselves. Ten year olds would show up in my class already believing they were C- people in this world. How does that happen? Year after year, I witnessed students who believed so little of themselves and a community that continuously validated those beliefs. I dedicated myself to helping those students change their perceptions of themselves and to find their super powers or at least begin to be open to the idea that they had something to contribute. It delighted me to see students change their negative self concepts and to finally see them empowered and shining and their families coming along with them - the greatest reward.

 

The unseen side of having a class with 50% needing specialized support is that I still had 30 kids in my class. The rigorous demands of such a designed class caused me to stay late at work and to lay awake at night pondering ways to meaningfully reach each student - Not a recipe for work-life balance or good health.

 

By the end of my time in teaching, I had gone through so many of my own cycles of debilitating dis-ease (panic attacks, major gut issues, back problems, headaches, sleeplessness, and so on)  caused by the stress of over functioning to meet the needs of my students that I succumbed to burnout. 

 

The impetus that pushed me to acknowledge the state of my health and to leave was actually a compliment! I was offered a job that honoured my efforts and recognized my skills, but the offer turned out to be more demanding than the 3-hat role I was already in. In the exact moment I was offered the job, every fibre of my being screamed, "That's enough! STOP! You need to step away and to take time to find a new way for yourself" NEVER before had I experienced such a visceral reaction to something that should have been a huge positive. The "smart" thing would have been to take on this new, interesting job. Instead, I listened to that very clear, loud inner knowing. 

 

I took a two year leave to heal and to learn a new way for myself. I took courses, stayed active, saw health specialists, and started to heal, yet at the end of those two years, I knew I was never going back. I submitted my resignation against the advice of so many, but my inner voice was still so clear and I had learned that listening to my inner voice was for my highest good. 

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During my rebuilding time, I discovered a more holistic way to heal myself and engaged in a new-to-me way of looking at the world through the F.I.T. Life Method Coaching and Mentorship Certification Program. I had found my new path. No longer would I be afraid to put myself out there and no longer would I choose the "safe" route. I chose self empowerment, personal growth, energy, and soul-fulfilling practices. I now have a beautifully supportive community of colleagues and a steady client base that enables work-life balance,