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Written by: Kasey Ottewill
Photo by: Ms. Turnbull
Ms. Woodhead holding one of her favourite books, Braiding Sweetgrass
Many readers of the TABloid are often interested in sports and engaging in other activities in both the fitness center, small gym, large gym, as well as the outdoor track. Most students who visit these locations daily will have already met Mrs. Woodhead, one of Blakelock’s permanent Phys. Ed. teachers. Tune in to find out more about one of Blakelock’s best.
Growing up in Dundas, Ms. Woodhead was very interested in sports. She spent her whole life playing Rep. Soccer and later, she began playing Rugby. She participated in a variety of sports at her high school, such as: basketball, volleyball, badminton, cross country, and track and field.
While going to McMaster with a major in Kinesiology and a minor in Biology, Ms. Woodhead took a coaching course and fell in love with the profession. In her fourth year, she took a co-op placement at her old high school coaching, and she knew that teaching was her calling.
After earning her Bachelor of Education at Brock, she immediately felt “at home” during her interview at Blakelock after students were holding the doors open for her and speaking with her, and she began teaching Phys Ed at TAB. After 15 years of teaching at Blakelock, she says it's a great school with “amazing vibes.”
As a teacher of Outdoor Education, Ms. Woodhead feels it's important to recognize indigenous stories in her teaching and what she recommends to others. One novel that she loves is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, which is an informational novel about Indigenous methods and knowledge as an alternative to Western ideologies. Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga is another one of her recommendations, she says both are great books and are must-reads.
Ms. Woodhead’s two young children are regular visitors to the school, and teachers love to see their faces. She speaks about how she loves to show her kids holiday movies at this time of year, especially The Grinch. As somebody who celebrates Christmas, she likes seeing her children get very excited, especially her 3 year old daughter, who wants everything to be “Grinch” themed.
We give thanks to Ms. Woodhead for participating in a TABloid tradition, and we’re so glad to see her in the halls again!
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