My name is Erin Slizak. I was born and raised in Kamloops, B.C. and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I feel very lucky to have been raised in Secwépemc’ulucw, specifically the traditional lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. I appreciate the Secwépemc people who saw and honoured the beauty of this land and who still see and protect it now. I want to give back to this land and help protect it the way they have since time immemorial. Though I have travelled a lot and loved many of the places I’ve visited, British Columbia is my home. I love all the nature and how wild it still feels, and I can never last too long without my mountains. Because I have such a love for my home province I want to give back to it and the people and I think that teaching will be my most effective way to do this.
I think a part of me has always known that I would be a teacher. I love helping others and the problem solving that comes with figuring out how to teach a new concept to someone. In fact, I can remember all the way back to when I was in grade 2 helping others and loving the challenge of finding exactly how I could explain things to help them understand. I went to school for a bachelor of arts with a focus in French and enrolled in enough courses to have math as a teachable subject as well. I am very passionate about French, specifically bringing it to British Columbia. I think it’s sad how far removed B.C. is from our country’s second language, and I know that learning a second language can help people in so many ways. I am also looking forward to using my math skills in my teaching career because I know that we currently lack math teachers. While I struggled in my math classes and found them very challenging I was happy for it because this way I will have the experience to relate to my students more. Many math teachers were students to whom mathematics came easy, after all who wants to torture themselves in university in a class that they find difficult. However, this makes it so they have a hard time connecting with the students who are struggling with math. I hope that I will be able to understand my students’ views that math is hard but it’s doable.
In pursuit of improving my French skills I studied abroad in France for a year. During that year I attended university classes with native French students and studied the language. As well, I was lucky enough to travel to over ten different countries. This time abroad changed my life, as cheesy as it sounds. Being privileged enough to see and experience a multitude of different cultures opened my eyes to both how big, and yet how small the world is. Seeing simultaneously how unique and special other cultures are, and yet how similar people can all be across the world inspired me. I want to bring this multicultural and global outlook to my classrooms. Besides travelling I took university courses in French with other French students. I took a course where I participated in a practicum where I spent time in a classroom that had a majority of children whose first language was something other than French. The teachers in that class were so dedicated to their students, giving their lunch and after school hours to work on pronunciation and reading with the students who were struggling. Canada has always been a multicultural country but we grow more diverse yearly. Thinking back on this experience inspires me to be ready and dedicated to the students who will need the extra support in this way.
Teaching to me means that I will be able to change people’s lives. I know that it may not be in a big or monumental way but any little way that I can make a difference will be my way of making the world a better place. I had so many teachers that changed my life without even knowing it. By one word or phrase, or simply by showing compassion and making a connection I know that I can make a difference in my students’ lives, no matter how small. I look forward to the challenges and rewards that will come with this job and I hope to do all of my future students proud.