Ryan Shelly - Applied Design Skills & Technology and Physical Health & education Teacher

Physical Education and Applied Skills have been essential parts of my life.  At the age of 16 I was offered an opportunity to play ice hockey in the United States. I spent 8 years on an academic and athletic scholarship in the US until moving home to Canada in late 2004. While in the US, I earned an undergraduate degree with a major in French and I also worked consistently throughout that time as a cook in a variety of different disciplines in the city of Chicago. I was able to secure several different cooking positions (Froggy’s French Café, Gourmet Frog and MLG Chicago) in the pastry, sous chef and event cooking disciplines. As a university student, I earned a major in French, Politics and a Minor in International Relations. I also travelled abroad to Paris France where I had worked as an intern with an organization that would stand and present before the United Nations. Based in Paris, France (Association pour la Collaboration Globale), provided me with the basis from which I have grown as a global citizen, school teacher and self-professed “foodie.”  I also developed and carried out Exploratory courses in Alberta and British Columbia that included Outdoor Education, Art and Community Stewardship and have worked as a carpenter for several years and had started my 1st year carpenter’s apprenticeship before returning back to the classroom as an educator.  Recently I completed a contract for a newly designated UNESCO Geopark where I created a number of experiential based learning opportunities highlighting First People’s experiences and approaches to living and learning. At Sexsmith Secondary School, I designed a senior high school level “Aboriginal Studies” course that offered students credits in return for learning about First Nations approaches to living in the 21st century in an experiential based approach. I believe these skills and opportunities have better prepared me as an educator.  

My life work and teaching experiences have provided me with the foundation to appropriately design curriculum and foster a classroom environment that pushes students to learn and challenge themselves.