Potpourri

As a candidate for President, it is important to show the reasons and rationale that demonstrate that I am dedicated to this work, that I am experienced in a variety of leadership roles, and that I endeavor to do my work in a way that is caring – of our members, our staff, and our students. I believe that I’ve demonstrably shown that I am a leader with vision who has a proven track record of facilitating positive change.

While I have four other pages on this site that seek to highlight those traits, here are some other tidbits of information about me.

  • As a K-8 teacher, I’ve taught at least 40 different curricula, including ELA (4-6, 8), Math (4-6), Science (5-8), Social Studies (5), French (5-8), Band (5-8), Music (K-8), Health (4-8), Phys. Ed (K, 2, 8), and Art (4-6, 8).
  • Podcasts on rotation when I drive are uLead (ATA COSL), HighlightEd (NBTA), Elementary (ETFO), Source (CTF/FCE; their Absent series on violence was excellent!), Amplified (OSSTF), and of course, MBTeacher Unplugged (MTS) (plus a couple about Disney). I do my best with Au cœur de l’éducation (MTS), but it goes a little (to a lot!) over my head many times.
  • I’ve been a member of Manitoba Music Educators’ Association (MMEA) and Manitoba Early Literacy Intervention Teachers (MELIT) SAGEs, and a liaison to Manitoba Association of Teachers of French (MATF), Technology Educators’ Association of Manitoba (TEAM), Manitoba Teachers for Students with Learning Disabilities (MTSLD), and Vocational Teachers’ Association of Manitoba (VTAM). I’ve attended every MTS SAGE Council meeting since the autumn of 2020.
  • I’ve lived in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut (when it was still part of NWT). Of the remaining provinces and territories, Yukon is the only one I’ve never visited.
  • I’ve sung on stage with Céline Dion. I was a part of the backup choir that performed “Call the Man” as the second encore number when she performed in Saskatoon in 1996.
  • When I was working for Bluewater Summer Playhouse in my mom’s hometown of Kincardine, Ontario in 2003, I had the opportunity to work on a world-premiere Norm Foster play with Norm Foster himself: Storm Warning. My name will forever appear in the script, albeit misspelled as ‘Swann’.
  • When I was the Front Desk Manager of the Country Inn and Suites in Saskatoon, we won best Overall Front Desk for the entire international franchise in 1999.
  • As the Equity Stage Manager for Saskatoon Opera, I was responsible for coordinating the company’s rehearsals and performances around the work of three different union groups: the CAEA actors/singers, the Saskatoon Musicians’ Association orchestra members, and the IATSE tech crew.
  • For a year, I was the overnight shift manager at the busiest McDonald’s in Saskatoon, covering the Friday and Saturday 11pm-7am shift. It’s where I had my only personal experience with bear mace.
  • My first non-paper route/non-babysitting job was at a Bonanza restaurant. I started as a busboy, then went to fry cook, finishing my time as a hostess (they had two gendered job tracks: bus boy to dishwasher to fry cook to grill or salad bar to hostess to orders to cash).
  • My favourite movies about teachers and teaching are Les Choristes, School of Rock, Dead Poets Society, and Sister Act 2: Back In the Habit.
  • On stage, I’ve portrayed Charlie Brown, Linus Van Pelt, The Cat in the Hat, the Mad Hatter, Jesus, and others in almost three dozen plays, musicals, and operas.
  • I’ve made the 20km-each-way hike to Archibald “Grey Owl” Belaney’s cabin in Prince Albert National Park twice: once over two days, and again over three.
  • High school extra-curriculars at Bedford Road Collegiate in Saskatoon included head photographer of the yearbook, co-editor of the school newspaper, jazz band (valve trombone, which is cheating a little bit), drama, choir, and track and field (1600m).
  • A comfort food is deluxe won ton soup.
  • Star Trek and Star Wars both have their merits. The Next Generation and Rogue One are respective highlights. (And Bea Arthur’s appearance in the Star Wars Holiday Special!)
  • The first three shows I binged-watched when Disney+ launched were The Muppet Show, Dinosaurs, and The Golden Girls. I’m currently bingeing The West Wing on DVD, which requires the use of my PS3.
  • I miss ‘Goodies” black licorice candies.
  • The Academy Awards are my Superbowl. In 2024, I saw 49 of the 53 nominated films. This year, I saw 110 of the 120 nominations.
  • I don’t ever know how well they’re doing, or who is on the team, but I’ll always cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Flames when given the chance. (This might be my most disqualifying feature in Manitoba!)
  • I’m in the Manitoba Registered Teachers and School Clinicians Registry!

Thank you for taking the time to read through all the pages on this site; your investment in finding the right candidate for MTS’s next President is commendable. I applaud your commitment to the process, and I hope my work here has served you well as you gather information. I invite you to use the Contact Form on the campaign page to share how I can better seek your support. I look forward to seeing all the delegates at Council, and for the opportunity to advocate for myself and the Society in person.

Thank you, merci, miigwetch.

Listening with Purpose, Dedicated to Progress

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