About

About Me

I love Stratford. I have lived here most of my life. When I graduated from Central I headed west and spent four years at U.B.C. in Vancouver earning a degree in Human Kinetics.

I was hired right out of Western's teacher's college in 2001. I previously taught in Seaforth and St. Marys but have been working in this building since 2004. I am the Assistant Head of English and also teach Phys. Ed.. I love to coach—I stick with volleyball and track and field.

I love sports and pretty much anything sports-related. In 2010 I attended the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and that is where my love of photography blossomed. I am rarely found without my camera and prefer to be behind the lens rather than in front of it. I taught Photography here for a few years and still run the school's Instagram and Twitter accounts. I am always searching for unique ways to tell stories through images.

My partner, Dempsey, and I have been together since 1994 and I tend to speak of him often. We enjoy many outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and cycling. We're both introverts by nature so our home is our refuge. We tend to spend a lot of time cooking, reading, and hanging out on our patio. One benefit of this global pandemic is that we had the time to build raised vegetable gardens I have since been obsessed with learning everything there is to know about growing our own food. And I am currently in negotiations with Dempsey over how many more beds I can build next year.

I am really looking forward to the rest of the school year—especially learning alongside you and getting to know you better! I hope to encourage you in your reading, writing, creating, and thinking so you will have the skills and confidence to take on the world!

Ms. Stears