Teaching

As a teenaged swimming instructor, I discovered that using my imagination was the best approach to teach children to swim. I’d create little songs and games to convince them to submerge into the water or jump off the diving board into my arms. One day, at the completion of swimming lessons, a small boy gave me a feather along with a note from his mother. The note suggested that I MUST become a Kindergarten teacher if I had not yet chosen a career path. I chuckled at the suggestion, for I was aiming to become an English teacher instructing high school students. A year later, following a middle school practicum, I completed a required practicum teaching Grade One and realized that this mother was indeed correct. I promptly changed my focus to Early Childhood education!

My Family

I live in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan where I farm with my husband, have raised three children and currently teach school. My children are grown now and have followed in my footsteps to become educators. After teaching many grades, I’ve returned to my Early Childhood roots to teach Prekindergarten, where each day I am honoured to support the learning of my little ones and their families.

My Writing

It was in my eleven year span as an at-home mom, devouring stacks of story books with our children, where I began to write children’s stories. My students also give me inspiration and I have written stories, songs, poems and a Christmas musical. My goal is to write polished rhyme and smooth flowing prose and I am fortunate to be a member of the Saskatchewan Children’s Writers’ Round Robin writing group, which has nurtured me to grow as a writer…and a person.

Hockey

I learned about hockey by watching my favourite player – my son. In the winter of 2004, Hockey Day in Canada came to Shaunavon. I was invited to read my poem Hockey Day in Canada-A Celebration of the Game on CBC television. In 2006, I wrote a hockey song and video script for the CBC televised Kraft Hockeyville bid. The fun continued when my son convinced me to play on the women’s hockey team! I have revised my poem into a story which is currently being reviewed at a publishing house.

Christmas Musical

While teaching in rural school, I wrote the script and songs for my Christmas musical, Ho-Ho-Helping Santa. After a summer workshop with some members of the Saskatchewan Children’s Writers’ Round Robin and the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, I published it. It includes a professional CD of my sound track, performed by my own children and two others as the demonstration choir, and has been reviewed by the Saskatchewan Playwright Centre. It has been performed over 30 times in schools.

I have been a Robin since 2006.

Contact Sandra at  rsdavis03@gmail.com .