Bio:

“Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?”

The social conquest of the earth may be ending its course as we transition into the algorithmic conquest of the earth. The future is not written in stone. We all must make our own chips on the stone, or else be left to crystallize opaquely. May we live in interesting times.

We can never be certain what the future holds, but it is certainly an exciting time to be alive; to be a part of the transition and not apart from it. Viewing Gauguin grounds me in a place to think firmly about who I am, where I came from, and where I am going. All manifestations of myself will be reflected here. I admit openly that this bio will be an indulgence that contains elements of the non-linearity.

As for me, I am an educator. I come from humble beginnings born in Canada, which is a lottery-win in itself. I like to work with numbers, symbols, words, information. My school life taught me there is equal power in logic as there is in creativity. Life taught me to relish all encounters, however fleeting or flourishing they turn out to be. Encountering and facing the unknown was a driving force in my path as an educator. It was a driver in my life as an ex-pat in Japan. The Japanese 四字熟語 best articulates my life philosophy:

一期一会

Treating each moment and encounter like an eternity.

My ex-pat life became entwined with my teaching journey. I embarked into the realm of teaching after finishing studies in mathematics and philosophy. The journey first took me to the Lower Mainland where I discovered the joy of unlocking the potential of others. Education is matching the right key to the right door. I sailed on, figuratively of course, to the Island of Japan where I fully embraced the art of the Sensei. I stayed in Japan for nearly a decade and a half.

Classrooms experiences are a blessing. I hold dear every moment in them. I had a incredible and successful career as an English language and communication skills educator in Japan, mainly in and around Nagoya, once one of the top 10 largest cities in the world. My classroom immersed students in the English language to grow their English communication abilities; building their 21st Century skills through content-based and communicative learning, they cultivated curiosity, became adaptable, and fostered resilience. Students engaged in discussions and analytical thought activities in a curriculum that was communicative, content and inquiry-based, in addition to practical language exercises. They raised their own bars to find their own potential and to make big life shifts. Their impact also left long-lasting impressions on me.

I left my position and life in Japan to return home to be closer to my family and start my own tribe. Upon my return to Canada, life swayed in a new direction. I took up coding in my transition from ex-pat to being home at last. Life-long learning, up-skilling, seeking new creative pathways are essential in my life. My educator DNA is coded to always learn more. My coding journey continues today with this website and many other projects that are on display in here. My language learning also continues as I march slowly forward learning the other official language of the true north strong and free. My Japanese is and forever will be a work in progress. Language learning never ends.

My most recent steps back into the classroom were at Conestoga College. I taught Business Research and Data Analysis and Business Mathematics to international students for the School of Business. Students were engaged in learning fundamentals through discussions, projects and in-class problem solving of business scenarios. Students were challenged to think for themselves using reason and logic to solve a problem, and not find a solution through their intuition or to rely on ‘first thoughts’. These short classroom moments were extremely rewarding as I witnessed students giving their all in a new country, at a new school, bettering their lives. Alas, this journey was cut short by the reduction in the number of international students imposed by the government.

As fate would have it, I am once again embracing self-improvement and am open to new ideas. Contact me here if you want to talk.

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