Nadine Dunseith has been a teacher for close to 20 years. I’ve worked at two charter schools: Westmount and FFCA. I met Pamela Hunnisett whilst marking diploma exams in Edmonton, and we bonded over our gluten-free dietary restriction, and now we work together at FFCA. I’m originally from a small town in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and I have strong Acadian roots. My dad was a teacher, and my two brothers are teachers. It runs in the family. 

The Beginning:

1. My interest in reading and writing certainly has a great deal to do with my passion as an English teacher. 
2. When I grew up, I first imagined I would be a nurse, but then after my exposure to National Geographic, I aspired to be a foreign correspondent. 
3. Early in my life, I was interested in writing and reading. I loved keeping a diary and reading Victorian literature. One of my first full-length reads was Wuthering Heights, my all-time favorite novel. My dad was a teacher and education was a huge part of my childhood. We had Encyclopedia Britannica and I loved dipping into those books. 
4. I pretty much enjoyed reading. I would devour books whenever I could. I grew up in a small town of 1000 people (maybe less), and we didn’t have a public library. However, we did have a Bookmobile and I used to love when that bus of books came into our neighbourhood. 

Education and Exploration:

1. My academic journey was not linear at all. I attended Saint Mary’s University for general studies in 1990, then transferred to University of King’s College for journalism in 1991. I stayed there for several years, taking arts electives at Dalhousie University. I also attended a college journalism program for one year in 1995. In the year 2003, I finished my Arts degree at the University of Ottawa. I completed my Education degree in 2006 at the University of Calgary and ended my educational journey with a Masters degree in Education at U of C.
2. If someone is interested in following a journalism path, I highly recommend the University of King’s College. If English is your passion, I really enjoyed the University of Ottawa. 
3. My path was not clear at times and evolved over a period of 10 years. In 1996, I moved to Banff, Alberta. I was intent on pursuing a career in journalism, so after the summer of that year, I moved to Calgary. I departed from my journalistic aspirations for several years and never returned. Instead, I worked as a bicycle messenger in downtown Calgary. I also travelled to Mexico, Jamaica, Baja California. I biked across BC and hitchhiked across Canada. I worked as a tree planter for a summer. Eventually, I settled into a job as a Photo Lab Manager at Shoppers Drug Mart. It wasn’t really all that fulfilling, although I met some great people there. I eventually went back to school in 2003 and the rest is still in progress.
4. One of the pivotal courses I studied at the University of Ottawa was called Jacobean Shakespeare. Until that point, I enjoyed Shakespeare, but had never done a deep dive into his plays. We studied Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, and Richard III. It was a life-changing course and solidified my love for the Bard.

Turning Points

1. I would say the biggest detour in my career journey occurred in 1992 when I was a student at the University of King’s College studying journalism. I was taking electives at Dalhousie. One of these courses was called Classical Literature where we studied ancient philosophers and writers. I was tasked with writing an essay for this class. I was already placing more emphasis on my social life than academics, something I had never done in my high school days. After I turned in my essay, I was called into the professor’s office. He had me sit down and then showed me the copy of Coles Notes and the copy of my essay – where I had lifted text directly from Coles Notes. This was a turning point for me. I had been caught plagiarizing. In university, plagiarism usually comes with expulsion/zero tolerance. That day, I was lucky because my professor didn’t expel me. There was a far greater consequence, though. He failed me on the essay, and this led to a D in the course. My GPA took a severe hit, and I was placed on academic probation for journalism (I had to maintain a certain average). I couldn’t recover this the following year, and I was removed from the program. It was devastating, but a wake-up call for me. 
2. The situation I described was not planned, but when it happened, I had to pivot. I left Dalhousie University and signed up for a journalism program at a private college. I eventually graduated from that program.

Current Chapter: 

1. Right now, I work as an English teacher at FFCA South High School. I love discussing literature with students, and of course, I’m absolutely obsessed with Shakespeare. This obsession sometimes translates well in the classroom, mostly because I don’t give up on ways of teaching it to students. I also love word etymology and discussing this with students.
2. My current work is likely safer than war-torn countries (as a foreign correspondent).

Lessons and Reflections

1. I have learned a great deal about life from my less-than-linear journey to teaching. I have become more aware of my strengths and weaknesses. I was a perfectionist most of my life, but I have learned to let go of that as a teacher. Certainly, my work as a photo lab manager taught me a great deal about patience and understanding. I have carried that attitude into my personal life with my own children and my professional life as a teacher.
2. I am a strong advocate for mental health awareness and currently have a weekly social media page where I read my poetry. 

Advice for Others

1. I would probably tell my younger self to travel and enjoy life, explore my passions, and appreciate the beauty that nature and the universe has to offer.
2. I tend to live by the quote from Polonius in Hamlet: “This above all: to thine own self be true.” I have followed a path of truth in my life. It has given me purpose and grounded me in my moral stance.
3. My hope has always been to retire in Stratford, Ontario; however, I’ll likely end up in Tahiti or Scotland.