About Me

I am a French immersion kindergarten teacher for the Greater Victoria School District in British Columbia, Canada. I live, work, and learn on the traditional territories of the Esquimalt, Songhees, and WSÁNEĆ peoples. Currently, I serve the Oak Bay community at Willows Elementary. I am a visitor on these territories. I was born in northern British Columbia, in the city of Prince Rupert, on the traditional territories of the Tsimshian First Nations.

I spent most of my childhood years growing and learning on the traditional territories of the Stó:lō Nation (unceded, shared territory of the Matsqui First Nation and the Sumas First Nation). Stó:lō (in Halq’eméylem) translates to “river” in English. The Stó:lō people are known as the people of the river; I too feel a deep connection to the mighty Fraser and the tributary creek near to where I grew up.

It was in this place that I first began my French language learning journey. Language learning quickly became a passion of mine. Learning French opened my mind and heart to additional ways of knowing and through this learning I expanded myself. This learning journey led me to deepen my connections with others and with the world in which I live. I feel both grateful and blessed for my continued opportunities to learn.

As I consider my role as a kindergarten French Immersion teacher, and as a bilingual Canadian, I seek to better understand the role of developing language identities. Through this learning, I come to better know myself, my languages, my ancestors, and my role as a teacher of language. My own questions surrounding my personal language identity have led me to this work.

Here I share stories about my journey from language learner to language teacher learner. I offer reflections from my professional practice as I document my own learning. By sharing my stories here, I hope others may be encouraged and inspired.

My personal and professional learning journey has been enriched by many others. I am grateful to all my teachers and the ancestral histories from whence these teachings have come.

This website came to be as I pursued my Master’s of Education in Curriculum Leadership at the University of Victoria; the beginnings of this site comprise the project portion of my research into Nurturing Language Identities in the Early French Immersion Classroom. To read the literature review portion of my submission, and to learn more about the personal and ancestral histories which inspired my work, follow this link.