Chantale fetch My Life as I know It

I was born on November 15th, 1969 in Ottawa, Ontario to 2 French Canadians. I was the middle child of 3, having an older sister, Michelle, and a little brother, Robert. Here is my parents Lise and Richard.

Despite being the child of parents who divorced when I was young, I was raised to understand the value of hard work and to value family. My biological parents experienced times when they were still married, as well as after they divorced where there was not a lot of money. Times were difficult. I spent the start of my life in low income housing where my mom worked a job to support our family and my dad tried to go to school as well as work.

Growing up As I approached grade 1, my parents both found a significant other that I made part of my life. I, being very close to my father, moved in with him and his new wife. When I was going into grade 3 my parents made a decision that was life altering for me. My dad, now having completed his teaching degree, decided to move out to Saskatchewan with my step-mom and me. I was asked what I wanted to do, but being such a young age, I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. It was decided I would go with my dad separating me from my siblings for the rest of my life essentially.

life Despite the fact I was living with my dad and my step-mom, I was extremely lonely for my mom and my brother and sister. I don’t think my dad ever truly understood this because I did my best to hide it from him. I went to visit my mom and my siblings about once a year or so and always came back distraught. I feel like I belonged with my dad, yet, as all children of divorce, I couldn’t figure out why my parents could not be together. As I grew older, I was supported in my endeavors. It was expected that I would work hard at school and I was given the chance to experience many different sports. I had lots of fun with my friends and was far from the perfect teenager. Because of this I realize what some of my own students are experiencing as teenagers..

Life My dad was my biggest fan and supporter and when my step mom and he decided to move back to Ontario, I stayed here. I was going to university and had found my soulmate. I draw strength from the fact that I have stayed here with my husband and we have had our family here and I have finished my schooling here when all connections of family are east I did not always experience success at university and I had to work hard to get through it. One difficulty was having my oldest son while attending U of S and being pregnant with my second son while interning. Life is the way it is and this is another one of those tests my dad would say. My husband and I persevered through it all and I managed to get through my two degrees with his support,

Death and strength When my dad passed away three and a half years ago I didn’t think I was going to get through it. I drew strength from knowing he was proud of me and , despite the fact that I didn’t get to see him in previous years as often as I wanted to, we still had a strong relationship. He had told me once when I had missed a flight that “this was a test in life and I would get through it”. I used this idea to get through the grief that consumed my whole being after he was gone. He has made me the strong woman that I am today and he has given me. Not just strength, but sensitivity, empathy, and understanding that I think definitely affects my teaching style in the classroom.

My father taught me that education is an ongoing process; we never stop learning. He also was a school teacher who had two degrees like myself, before completing his master’s program when he was about half way through his career. He was my idol in life, the rock of our family and he made me the person I am today.

My Mentor This is Terry Toews. She was my English teacher when I was in grade 9 and grade 11. She instilled in me the love of literature and reading. So much so, that I finished a 4 year English degree in university before even contemplating being a teacher. She taught me that what each student has to offer is valuable and each student needs to have a voice. She made me feel valued and that I was worthy. I wrote to her when I was interning to tell her the impact she had on me. We still keep in touch.

Teaching I have been lucky enough to have a few term contracts and subbing gigs before receiving a full-time contract in the Prince Albert separate School System. I say lucky because I have had the opportunity to teach a variety of age groups and subjects before teaching in my area of expertise. It has made me a more rounded teacher and I realize that, despite the fact that middle years is a handful, I was meant to teach that age group. I have now been at St. Mary High School for the last 11 years and I love it here. I love that I can celebrate and chare in my catholicity with my colleagues and my students. This is just a perk of teaching in this school system.

today My life as an educator had many influences. I had a teacher who made a difference in my education and gave me a passion for learning about literature. I had parents who taught me about strength, perseverance, and understanding. That, in life, we all get tested. Can you pass the test? Tomorrow can be a better day. My father taught me that learning is a life long opportunity and it needs to be embraced. I strive to show my students that learning can be fun and can be on-going. By facing separation from loved ones through divorce and death I can empathize with my students and the situations they face. Many are dealing with dysfunctional families, being separated from their northern communities and dealing with loss. My parents have taught me that giving is important! Not everyone has been given what I have. I give to my students my time with extra-curricular time and I am willing to offer time to help them understand what we are learning.

Team 4 Hope My charity work that helps children with cancer. We fundraise and run half marathons in lots of different locations. Here we are in Long Beach, California.

My sister, my brother and I Family is everything!

My family

And the winner is . . . When you feel like you have won the lottery because you get to do a job that you love, despite it’s ups and downs, you have 3 beautiful kids that you could not be more proud of, and you are married to the love of your life, things are going great! I can’t help but walk into work with a bounce in my step because I am so thankful for the life that God has dealt me! I get tired as does everyone else and I feel the education system is a tough career but being genuinely happy is something that the students I teach get to experience from me. If I can influence my students, as I have been influenced then I know I have done well!

Words of encouragement! I am making a difference!

My Life as I know it