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The day I was born
The day I was born. Six pounds seven ounces. My Mom still to this day swears that I smiled from the moment I was born. The doctors tried everything to get me to cry and all I wanted to do was look around and smile. I guess it is a direct reflection as to the person I am today - a happy person! -
Childhood Books?
I have been told that from birth until I was eight or nine years old my Mother would read to me before bed as a nightly ritual. She would also take me to the library weekly starting when I was around three years old to participate in the story time as well as to pick books to take home. Reading is a passion of my Mothers and to this day she will read two or three books a month. Unfortunately, my Mother has no memory of the titles of the books she read to me and has no recollection of me reading -
Started St Angela's Catholic School
I was not happy to be starting school as I was leaving my Mother who had been a stay at home Mom since I was born. My memories of the first few years of school are dominated with tears and running after my Mom when the teacher was not looking, only to be dragged back in by the teacher with me kicking and screaming. Although school should be a happy time I unfortunately did not have that kind of experience. It was not until years later, probably grade five or six that I started to enjoy school. -
Reading, reading, reading ...
Reading was like “pulling teeth” according to my Mother and every time I came home with reading homework she would dread the battle that it would always become. The only thing I would read as a child was Archie comics. I would sit for hours and just reading the comics. Every trip to the grocery store would provide me with another issue that I would usually finish before we even got home. Not my Moms first choice for reading materials for me but she believed in picking her battles. -
Started Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts
I attending Cardinal Carter from grade 7 to OAC, and it was here that my love for the performing arts began. It was here also that my love of English started with plays as well as novels such as The Chrysalids and White Fang. -
Read White Fang
The other book that has stuck with me all these years is Whit Fang by Jack London. I grudgingly started this book for school and swore that I would hate it but as I got into it I found myself loving the way it was written, differently than any other book I have ever read. Most books are from a persons point of view, but to read a book that was from the main characters point of view, who happened to be a dog/wolf, impressed me. Seeing the world through the eyes of a canine instead of a fellow hum -
Read The Chrysalids
Although I do not remember exact details about The Chrysalids I do remember the joy it gave me when I read it. Thinking back I believe it was the content of the story that gave me such joy. This book was like nothing I had ever read before, a futuristic post-apocalypse story following the lives of a civilisation that has survived against great odds. A part that still sticks out to me is the character with a sixth toe on each of her feet – what an exciting and strange idea for an author to write -
Started Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
My dream came true and I started my studies in performing arts. Reading and performing in plays and musicals was always a life long dream for me and starting at Randolph Academy was my step towards becoming a performer. My favourite plays are Macbeth, Waiting for Godot, Little Women, The Cherry Orchard and Noises Off. -
Started Wilfrid Laurier University
Realizing that a performing artist is always struggling for work and knowing that I wanted to start a family one day I decided to return to University to finish my degree. At this point I had no idea what I wanted to do after I finished my degree but I knew that if I wanted a good job I needed a University degree. I enjoyed studying at University and loved taking Philosophy and English classes. It wasn't just the reading I loved but the discussion that came after the reading was done. -
My wedding day
The day I married the love of my life, Frank Costantini! -
Reading Before She Was Even Born
I found myself purchasing board books, pictures books, and educational books, far too many to actually read before Emily was even born and reading them to her at night before I went to bed. Her library is extensive including books far beyond her reading level! -
The Birth of Emily
We welcomed our daughter Emily Rose into the world today. Her birth was not only a physically changing event but also an emotional and psychological one. The world I live in is different now because of her. I have a little girl who I need to protect, nurture, love and also teach right from wrong, good from bad. As a parent I need to show her love and as a teacher I need to provide her with knowledge. I take both roles very seriously. Emily has changed our whole world and I can not imagine life w -
Baby Loves to Read
I am proud to say that Emily loves to be read to as well as read by herself. I will often times hear her in the living room going through her book basket looking for just the right book to read and being distracted along the way with other books she has not seen in awhile. I love that she loves books. Since she was a few months old we will read a few books to her at night with Emily eager to turn each page. At a year and a half she determined that she no long wanted to sit on our laps to read bu -
Started Brock University
Making the choice to becoming a teacher has been a tough but at the same time easy one to make. Tough because jobs are slim right now but easy because teaching is a very honourable profession and one I am glad to choose as by lifelong job. -
Reading Now and in the Years to Come
The best gift a parent can give their child is the love of language and literature. A strong foundation at a young age will establish a child to grow up appreciating and craving the written word. I believe my mother tried her best to encourage me to love reading however I think at the same time her efforts fell flat as I started to rebel reading. For Emily I hope that she continues to love reading and appreciating books of all types. -
My Future Teaching ...
As I look into the future I believe that a solid foundation in Language Arts and Math are essential to a child’s development. From my experience in placement I have seen the first hand effects of a child being left behind in their literacy development. I know that with the assistants of parents I hope to establish a successful language and math program in my future classrooms!
