I have over 10 years of experience, predominately my the middle years level. My first year as a teacher was at an alternative school for mentally ill and behaviourly problematic children, where I taught grade 5 and 6 students at varying degrees of academic ability. Then I was a substitute teacher where I taught everyone and everything. Lastly, I taught grade 6, 7 and 8 at a First Nations school for more than two years. During this time, I started training in Division III Balanced Literacy.