about the mentor

This whole website is dedicated to one especially dear mentor in my life, who wanted to be a mentor, even to me, even though I thought she would think I was too old.

Her support and inspiration has never ceased, even now that she has passed on. She provided the bridges I needed, although perhaps not always in ways that she realized, or ever will.

She is reflected in so many of my writings, too, for example, in the exceedingly long-lived fictional character and doyenne, Aurora Livingston; and written about in at least one of the mini nonfiction essays on my other page: The Good Enough Wild Mother and Other Mentors.

In the past, I have been available as a private coach, consultant, mentor, resource, and tutor, to a diversity of clients (including adults and university-level students) living in or around the Greater Victoria and Southern Vancouver Island area, and perhaps indirectly beyond, who sought feedback, guidance, help, or instruction, especially with academics, dictionary usage, English grammar, reading, using a thesaurus, university entrance preparations, vocabulary building, and writing (including punctuation, press releases, and all genres); the British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma Program; Canadian citizenship, civic responsibilities and understanding current events, curriculum (B.C. Curriculum), democracy, environmentalism, history, leadership (you need to be a discerning follower, before you can be a good leader; and lying is always misleading), persuasive writing, political and social awareness (versus "correctness"), social studies, and yellow journalism that plagues mainstream media; as well as with other practical life skills such as accessing support systems, advanced home economics, aging in place, assertiveness, being organized, budgeting, computer use (including keyboarding) and maintenance techniques (including websites), critical thinking (and media literacy), cursive writing, decision making, emergency preparedness, etiquette, executive skills, food safety, goal-setting, inventorying ("fearless and moral" and "cultural humility" self-examination, goods and materials), lateral thinking, literacy (see Statistics Canada's Description of Literacy Proficiency Levels), making transitions, menu guide planning (especially local, organic, vegan and vegetarian, and Zero Mile), mind mapping, music appreciation, orderliness, organizing and inventorying methods, remote learning / teaching, research and study skills, self-actualization, self-determination, self-directed learning, self-reliance, storytelling, synthesizing ideas, time management (it is not more time that we need), and volunteering.

"It doesn't matter how hard you work. If it isn't effective, it doesn't count!" (June Cable).

From my perspective, it will always be the thought, ideas, and good motives that are effective and that really count.

She [June] also used to say, "Oh, dear," quite a lot; and that it was okay to grumble— adding "but don't let grumbling play you" [Aurora].

Anyway, in 2004, in order to become a literary fiction writer, professional storyteller, and a contemporary educator, I did complete the equivalent of eight and half years of formal education in the Humanities, Fine Arts, and Education at the University of Victoria where I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2000, with a major in English and a minor in the Arts of Canada; a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2002, with a major in writing literary fiction; achieved a Concentration in social studies/history (with an emphasis on Canada and the Indigenous peoples, including First Nations and the creation of Nunavut, for a second teaching area) in 2003; and then went through the Bachelor of Education Post-Degree Professional Program, with two teaching areas: English and Social Studies/History at the senior secondary school level, in 2004.

Additionally, my background experience and knowledge as a teacher and storyteller enabled me to assist ESL (English as a second language) students.

I also have over twenty years of experience and furthermore training as a specialized care home foster parent, and prior to that, six years stepparenting two children (1976 to 1982), which helped me to work more effectively with students with a wide range of special needs, diverse abilities, developmental disabilities, and backgrounds. Please see my curriculum vitae for more details about the qualifications, experiences, and my own background that I offered as a mentor.

Those who track and otherwise limit or exploit students, especially in the 21st century, or who would ever deliberately set up anyone to fail or be degraded or deceived, are throwbacks who should not be teachers, let alone elected leaders or journalists. Nonetheless, one can learn from them, to be aware of them and empowered to not be like them; and continue moving beyond. "Ajuinata" (an Inuktitut word).

I recommended intensive working sessions, for example, three to six hours a day on weekends, as these were usually more suitable and effective for those seeking a writing mentor, or for English as an additional language students who wanted to use storytelling and oral presentations to master the language semantics, intonations, and nuances of a native Vancouver Island dialect, but I also tutored for shorter periods and on weekdays.

I preferred to work from my own home, which is in the City of Langford, British Columbia, so that I could be more flexible with my hours and have all of my teaching tools and resources at hand.

As a professional educator, I carried insurance to teach at home; maintained a current Criminal Record Check (last time updated, June 14, 2018) for students who required this; and I provided references.