My name is Bryn Willis, my pronouns are they/them, I’m 19 years old and I am currently studying at the University of Victoria. I am originally from Richmond, but for the past several years I have been living in Delta, and next year I will be returning to live in Victoria to continue into my 3rd year of the 4-year B.Ed. Elementary education program. Read below to find out about my interests and academic experience!
Category: About Me
Over the past 2 years at the University of Victoria, I have had the opportunity to take the following courses:
Teaching:
- EDCI 302: Literacy and Language in Elementary or Middle School
- EDCI 250: Elementary Field Experience Seminar I
- ED-D 301: Learners and Learning Environments
English:
- ENGL 135: Academic Reading and Writing
- ENGL 200C: English Literature, 1800-1914
Science:
- ASTR 101: Exploring the Night Sky
- EOS 120: The Dynamic Earth
Social Studies:
- SOCI 103: Canadian Society
- POLI 101: Canadian Politics
- EDCI 303: Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Canadian Education
Math:
- MATH 161: Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers I
- MATH 162: Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers II
- EDCI 300: Mathematical Processes
PHE:
- EPHE 310: Physical Education for General Classroom Teachers I
- EPHE 311: Physical Education for General Classroom Teachers II
Theatre:
- THEA 132A: Exploring Theatre Through Dramatic Process I
- EDCI 305A: Drama Education as a Medium for Learning I
Other:
- ASL 100A: American Sign Language I
- EDCI 306A: Music in the Elementary Classroom I
- EDCI 336: Technology Innovation in Education
- EDCI 307A: Art in the Elementary or Middle Classroom I
I would consider myself to be a very enthusiastic person. When I find something that piques my interest, I tend to get very interested in that topic and I try to become an expert. With this being said, I have found that I have quite a few interests in varying areas so here are a few of them!
- Working with children
When I was 5 years old and began elementary school, I remember wanting to be an elementary school teacher because I could help people and create fun activities for others. In high school, I went on to peer tutor 3 classes over the span of my grade 11 and 12 years: 2 grade 8 drama classes and a junior choir class. That was my first proper experience with being a mentor to younger students and it only solidified my plans to become a teacher. I now work at the Boys and Girls Club as an activity leader and I am really enjoying it. Being able to spend time with and create relationships with kids has been an amazing experience and I am looking forward to being able to do so in my future classroom.
- Languages
I am fluent in English and French and I am also currently learning Danish and American Sign Language. I was in French immersion from kindergarten through to grade 12 and this is where my interest in languages began. I also tried to learn Welsh a few years ago because, though I do not have any Welsh heritage, my name is Welsh and translates to hill or small mountain. When I found this out, I thought it would be really fun to become proficient in Welsh so, using the app Duolingo, I started to learn. Sadly I got busy with school work and extracurriculars so I gradually started to forget to practice more and more until I ended up stopping. Once I am done with learning Danish perhaps I will pick Welsh back up again. One activity that I have been planning on incorporating into my future classroom for the past while is a word of the day! I would begin every class with a new word written on the board that is in a language other than English. I think that this will be a small and fun way to begin some students’ interest in language.
- Musical theatre
Since before I could remember, I have had an interest in musical theatre. During my childhood, my family had a tradition where every boxing day we would go to the Metro Theatre in Vancouver to see their traditional Christmas pantomime. When I was about 7 years old, I decided that I wanted to audition for the show as soon as I was old enough. I auditioned when I was 9 years old but didn’t get in, but then I auditioned when I was 11 years old and I got in! This sparked my love of performing and I went on to continue performing in musicals all the way until I graduated high school. I have met many of my close friends through musical theatre, including my two best friends of 7 years. Along with musical theatre, I also took dance lessons from the age of 3 until I was 17. I took lessons in ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop and I eventually went on to compete in tap dance for 2 years.