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Faculty of Education and You: Sunshine Willms
SUNSHINE WILLMS, A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER.
Year Graduated: 2023
Program: Professional Linking Program (PLP)
Prior to joining the Faculty of Education, Sunshine Willms cultivated a background in business with an undergraduate and master鈥檚 degree and was planning to teach at a university. However, after taking a 10-year hiatus from work to start a family, Sunshine decided to pivot from the business world and explore teaching middle school. That is when she decided to acquire a teaching certificate.
鈥淚 had the opportunity to teach with a letter of permission at an independent school prior to obtaining my teaching certificate. After obtaining my teaching certificate, I began as a teacher on call and recently got hired into a continuing contract teaching middle school.鈥�
鈥淭he PLP program made the most sense for me considering my academic background and the 16-month length of the program. It provided me with the ability to maintain my lifestyle and have a balance between school, work and family.鈥�
鈥淥ne of the learnings that I wanted to receive from the program was how to teach a classroom that is diverse in both their learning needs and who they are as people. I felt that the Faculty of Education did a good job of preparing me to step into a diverse classroom with various needs.鈥�
鈥淭alking about inclusion, diversity and First People鈥檚 Principles of Learning in the program emphasized and reoriented my thinking around the importance of education for future generations. It made me realize that change really does happen through education.鈥�
鈥淭hrough the program and my practicum especially, I realized how important it is to engage with students at their individual academic level and also to recognize many students come from difficult home situations and are bringing external variables into the classroom with them. As teachers, we must teach in an environment where the students鈥� upbringing, socioeconomic status and home life is taken into consideration when teaching and engaging with students.鈥�
"My experience in the program provided me with the skills to excel in lesson planning, unit development, and a profound appreciation for the significance of formative assessment. I鈥檝e gained a deeper understanding of how to effectively integrate formative assessment into my teaching practices and utilize it as a foundation for shaping future lessons.
鈥淚 received lots of validation from colleagues and my faculty associates, Daniel Vecchio and Amanda Ballard, in the program. It was a supportive and encouraging program to be a part of.鈥�
鈥淚 advise future Faculty of Education students to be open-minded and to let go of any preconceived ideas about education and the world around them, that they may have. This will help guide you when thinking about who you want to be as an educator.鈥�
Share your Individuality. Flaunt your Achievements. Unleash your Inner Educator! We invite you to share your experiences and journey with us. Click to share your story.