Hi, I’m Kristine Ewald. I am honoured to be the mom of two beautiful children, ages 11 and 9. My world revolves around them, whether driving them to various activities, picking up after them or spending quality time with them. They allow me to see the world through their eyes and teach me every day, and I hope I do the same. 

 I am a mature student at the University of Northern British Columbia, enrolled in the Bachelor of Education. My goals as an educator are to embrace diversity, inclusivity and to pursue continual knowledge and growth. After I finish and teach for a few years, I plan to pursue a Masters’s in Educational Psychology at UNBC. My passion is to guide others to achieve healing in their own lives. I am very interested in the practice of somatics, EMDR and other effective therapies to counteract traumatic events and experiences. 

I am passionate about health and fitness. Before moving to Terrace, I worked at a small boutique gym in Abbotsford, BC. Terrace, being small, did not and still does not have a lot of places to gather as a community. Therefore I met a woman with the same interests as me, and we opened Transcend Fitness. We won business awards, started a community-minded center, and clients became family.

I enjoy hiking the beautiful trails in Northern BC, listening to educational or psychology books, skiing on Shames mountain, and hanging out with my best friends in my spare time. 

The health of the mind, body and soul is essential to my healing journey has been intense. I am grateful for the endless support from professionals, family and friends. The deep knowing of feeling enough, true happiness and the courage to say I can change my story is something I want people to experience during their lives. 

Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do. Brené Brown 

My Teaching Philosophy

‘Niit, (Greetings)  

My role as an educator is to love each unique student who walks through my classroom doors.  It is essential that each student feel valued, important, and enough.  I am committed to building relationships and creating safety and connection with each individual.   My teaching philosophy is influenced by Abraham Maslow’s humanistic approach, specifically his hierarchy of needs.   The students’ basic needs must be met to create an optimal learning environment. I believe that seeing each student’s success, relationships and communication with the parents will create a community and be a great resource in ensuring the needs of the students are met. 

I am firmly committed to focusing on academic development, but my goal will ultimately focus on the whole child, physical development, social and emotional learning, and cognitive development.   My goal is to challenge my students holistically with purposeful and meaningful learning. I will praise the students for their achievements and collaborate when they need more time with a lesson. I also believe that “Experience is central to explaining the world; moreover, the experience is what is needed to be explained” (Lumen,2021). Children need practical experiences, hands-on learning, and experimental learning.  I will strategize by identifying learning styles using the Universal Design of Learning (UDL) to target each student’s learning needs (Neer, 2016).  Different tools to create success with UDL will be iPad, audible books, and visuals.   We will also engage in collaborative learning, whether group learning or group projects.  All knowledge will be heavily rooted in the BC Curriculum, focusing on learning from our land, including taking care of our world, discovering plants in our local area, or adventure in our beautiful local trails.  We will also incorporate physical movement in physical education, body breaks in class, and outside exercise.  

I will always create an equitable experience that celebrates and always incorporates inclusion.  Terrace is a culturally diverse area, and this will be celebrated and embedded into every aspect of our classroom. I am focusing on the First Nations Principles of Learning and the 9 Rs with a critical focus on circle experiences and storytelling.  Storytelling can make curriculum and experiences come alive, and I was my classroom to be engaging and culturally focused.