Born and raised in Timmins, Ontario, I later graduated with an Honours Degree in English Literature, which led me on an unforgettable adventure teaching internationally in South Korea. Taking a strong interest in leadership and union activism, career highlights include: serving as the Director of Operations for Archer College Vancouver and taking the microphone at the BCTF AGM. Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering as the Langley School District’s Professional Development Chair, which has prepared me for my current roles on the Chilliwack District Mentoring Committee and as the TTOC/Early Career Teachers’ Chair on the CTA Executive. Passionate about facilitating, I received training from the BCTF to facilitate two workshops: Having Conversations; and Exploring the Connection Between Classroom Practice and Self-Regulation. Loving to think-pair-share it up, I created Miss. Casella’s Classroom on UTUBE, which currently has more than 14 thousand views. A video targeted for parent helpers is one I often share. The goal is to become a Faculty Adviser with a cohort focus in social-emotional learning and self-regulation. My cohort focus at UBC was in social-emotional learning and it was the first of its kind in North America. More than 10 years qualified, my passion continues to be teaching kindergarten because it provides a strong model of what a holistic day is like for any grade. Learning is made deeper and not longer. Less is always more when producing high quality work and experiences. There is power in quiet. Half of my career I managed my own primary classrooms and the other half I taught on call K-8. Throughout both my educational career and professional career, I have dedicated myself to both learning and excellence in teaching. As a promoter of early learning, I understand the significant importance of purposeful mature play and of experiential learning. The positive impact from having something like the Shape of the Day posted to help those who struggle with anxiety and to serve as an ongoing reflective piece of the self and the class as a whole throughout the day, is invaluable. Three recent professional development opportunities I highly benefited from are: Bad Rock Tours; the Blanket Exercise; and SOGI 123. I also highly benefited from Langley's ongoing Kinder-Connections and Adrian Gear's reading workshop both hosted in 2010. I must also mention a book study from 2015 called: Moving From Good to Great Teaching. Personally, these opportunities solidified my confidence to move away from the traditional memorization methods and to embrace those unplanned teachable moments, making space for healthy risks to try new things. Most of all, I learned to honour myself and my professional autonomy, by comfortably adding my own authentic elements to lessons, including the general classroom décor. Recycling, camping, and gardening are just a few to mention. This enrichment of my life is directly reflected in my teaching practice. It has supersized my exposure to the diversity and needs of the people in our global community; the importance of geo-literacy; the First People’s Principles of Learning; and my experience with differentiated learning. Locally in the Metro-Fraser area, about 30% of students are entering our schools already vulnerable and that percentage increases in rural areas: I know the value of a full day quality program which offers high structure and the gift of time required to incorporate transitions, in addition to, the patience to reach out to hard to reach families. *Thank you for taking an interest in my portfolio. I truly believe in good old fashion eat and sleep, while making social-emotional learning a priority in public education. The academics are secondary and our brains default to better learning after social-emotional elements have been satisfied. There is brain research supporting my belief, including Mind Up and the BFTC workshops I facilitate. I am grateful for the BCTF and thank its members for providing me with this opportunity.