When Zahra Basiri, MEd ’25, arrived in Kelowna in 2023, right in the middle of a wildfire, her first days in Canada were filled with detours, hotel stays, and uncertainty. But what began as a challenging start has since become a meaningful chapter in her academic and professional journey.

A Lifelong Commitment to Teaching

Teaching has been part of her life since she was 18. After moving from England to Iran, she began teaching English while completing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. What started as a practical choice soon revealed itself as her true passion.

“I was interested in architecture, but I didn’t get into that program. At the same time, I was teaching, and I realized that was what really inspired me,” she recalls. “When I completed my first master’s in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, everything became meaningful. I thought ‘yes, this is it. This is what I want to do’.”

Since then, Zahra has continued to teach and grow, describing education as a career that never becomes repetitive. For her, teaching remains more than a career: it is a lifelong calling.

“Each student teaches me something new,” she reflects. “It’s not just about their growth—it’s about my growth too. That’s what makes teaching so colourful, so meaningful, and why I want to continue learning and growing for the rest of my life.”

Finding Community at UBCO

One of the highlights of her time in the Master of Education program has been the chance to connect with students and faculty who share her passion for education. She has especially valued her involvement in the English Foundation Program and BARK (Building Academic Retention through K9s).

“Being a member of BARK and the English Foundation Program has been particularly fulfilling,” she says. “It’s allowed me to connect with students on a deeper level and contribute to the supportive and inclusive environment that both programs foster within the university.”

As an international student, she has drawn on her own experience of culture shock to support her students.

“When I came here, it was my first time living without my parents. Balancing studying, working, and family responsibilities was very difficult,” she recalls. “I understand the pressure students feel — the loneliness, missing family. I tell them, it’s okay. You’re not alone. Everyone goes through this.”

In her classes, conversations about everyday experiences, like how quiet Kelowna feels at night or how early the shops close, often become unexpected moments of connection — and that sense of belonging extends beyond the classroom.

“I feel like I have a family here,” she says. “The professors, the staff and my peers. Everyone has been so supportive. That’s what makes this place feel like home.”

Capstone: Learning How to Learn

Her capstone project reflects her lifelong interest in improving the learning experience for students.

“My capstone project focuses on learning strategies, specifically, how to help students develop the skills to learn independently and take charge of their education,” she explains. “We often ask students to study, but we don’t really teach them how to do it. By equipping them with the right tools and strategies, I believe they can achieve their academic goals more effectively and enjoy the process.”

As part of her research, she designed a practical booklet for both teachers and students, drawing from strategies like cognitive load theory, self-testing, and the importance of multi-modal learning.

Advice for Future Graduate Students

For those considering moving to Kelowna, Zahra encourages students to take care of themselves, make connections with peers, and embrace the Okanagan.

“At first I only studied and worked when I moved here, but when I started going to the gym and spending time in nature, everything became much better. Even ten minutes outside can make such a difference.”

Vicki Green Award Recipient

In recognition of her research, Zahra received the 2025 Vicki Green Graduate Award. The award was endowed by Dr. Vicki Green, a member of the Okanagan School of Education. The award is offered to a graduate student in the Okanagan School of Education, studying issues in social, economic, ecological, environmental and/or political sustainability. Candidates for the award are selected based on how their research will implement contemplative, transformational, imaginative, or creative interdisciplinary understandings in sustainability for children, youth, or teachers.

Zahra was previously recognized for her graduate work as one of our 2024 Stephen Daniel Pope Graduate Award recipients.

Join us for an information session to learn more about UBCO’s Master of Education with Dr. John-Tyler Binfet, Director of Graduate Programs & B.A.R.K., and Lindsay Cox, Graduate Programs Assistant.

This session is designed to provide you with insights into the admissions requirements, application process, program highlights, capstone vs coursework only pathway, career opportunities and more! The session will be comprised of a brief presentation and an opportunity to ask questions.

Monday, November 10 2025
3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Online via Zoom

Register

Can’t make the session? Reach out to us at education.ubco@ubc.ca if you have any program questions! We will also email the highlights of the presentation and the questions asked following the session to all registered attendees.

Applying to Graduate School at UBC Okanagan Webinar

Unsure what degree you’d like to pursue? The College of Graduate Studies is hosting an Applying to Graduate School at UBC Okanagan webinar on October 29 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This session will cover:

• Why UBCO?
• The application process
• Identifying potential supervisors
• Understanding admission requirements
• Developing your application components
• Funding your education
• Using the online application
• The process after submitting an application

The session will end with breakout rooms with faculty and staff who can answer your program-specific questions.

Learn more at https://events.ok.ubc.ca/event/applying-to-graduate-school-at-ubc-okanagan-4/

Students can also review last year’s webinar at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjXWK2nmTKg

Demonstration garden bed filled with native plants

In a hands-on seminar course offered during the 2025 summer institute, students dug into the intersection of science, sustainability, and community learning—literally. As part of the course, students designed and planted raised bed gardens using plants that support the local ecosystem while serving as powerful tools for classroom education. 

Working in teams, students created themed garden beds with a specific ecological purpose, such as supporting native pollinators like endangered bats and butterflies, conserving water, or highlighting native edible plants. Each bed will feature a sign explaining the garden’s purpose, a labeled plant map so anyone can replicate these gardens in their own home or school site, and a QR code linking to a website. These websites offer in-depth information about the native plants, their ecological roles, and lesson ideas and recipes for teachers to use in their own classrooms. 

By engaging in planning, planting, and teaching from the garden, students gained practical skills and deepened their understanding of how environmental education can be used to foster inquiry, stewardship, and social responsibility. Ultimately, this work was about living a land acknowledgement through the act of restoring and bringing back the diversity of native plants to our campus; increasing the biodiversity.  

The raised beds with signage will remain on display as demonstration gardens until the winter. 

If you’re not able to visit the Learning Garden on campus, you can still view each garden’s website to learn more:  

• Experiential Garden  
• Butterfly Garden 
• Medicinal Garden 
• Bat Garden 
• Edible Plants and Berries Garden 
• Aesthetic Garden 
• Native Learning Garden 

You can bring any of these BC Native Garden designs to life at home. Each plan was created with different purposes and interests in mind. By planting natives, you’ll be supporting local pollinators and strengthening our ecosystem. 

Did you know? 

Fall is the best time to plant natives as it gives them time to establish roots through the cooler months so they can thrive in spring. 

You can learn more about native plants at okanaganxeriscape.org.  

The Okanagan School of Education’s English as an Additional Language (EAL) Learning Lab invites you to an online professional development webinar highlighting connections between research, theory, and practice in the field of EAL teaching and learning.

Dr. Michael Landry will be drawing on his own research and the broader literature on teaching and learning English for academic purposes (EAP). His presentation will explore the challenges and affordances of incorporating linguistic, thematic content, and intercultural communication learning outcomes in EAP lessons. Participants have the opportunity to interactively workshop flexible lesson design frameworks for EAP. Overall, participants are encouraged to reflect on their practice and consider ways to experiment with the presented frameworks in their local teaching contexts.

Date: Saturday November 22, 2025
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm (PST)
Location: Online Webinar

This webinar is open to everyone, and there is no cost to attend; however, we ask that you please register for the event.

Register

Host

Dr. Scott Roy Douglas is a professor and the director of EAL programs in the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan School of Education, where his focus is on EAL teaching and learning in adult and post-secondary contexts. He is also the editor of the BC TEAL Journal.

Speaker

Dr. Michael Landry is an assistant professor at Akita International University in Akita, Japan. His research explores the contributing factors to the process of additional language socialization in post-secondary English language programs in Canada and Japan, with a focus on the development of learners’ intercultural communicative competence in these settings.

UBC’s Okanagan School of Education is a BC TEAL Supporting Institution

For Kristi Cooper, a love of teaching started long before she entered a classroom as an educator. With both parents as teachers, she grew up surrounded by the rhythms of lesson plans and marking. But while teaching was always on her horizon, literacy was not.

“I was a late reader,” she says. “In elementary school, I was in learning assistance, scored in the sixth percentile on reading and writing tests, and fully reversed my letters. But I think that’s my superpower now. I really understand reluctant readers and writers.”

Her career began like many others, teaching across grades and subjects, until her principal recognized her passion for literacy invited her to try being a literacy support teacher.

“I had no business doing that job at the time,” she says with a laugh. “But I said yes, and the job was a really cool experience and gave me the opportunity to try new things.”

One of those opportunities was reimaging how the school supported students who were struggling with reading and writing.

“At the time, the way we supported struggling readers was by pulling them out of class, doing some intensive work, and then sending them back,” she explains. “I’d been that kid — the one pulled from PE so I could get extra help in literacy. It felt like the walk of shame to the learning assistance room, like you weren’t smart enough to be with the rest of the kids. And I knew it wasn’t working.”

With too many students in need, Kristi and her colleagues began envisioning a new form of literacy instruction. Inspired by emerging approaches like the Daily 5 and her own love of station-based learning, they asked: What if we could support everyone together?

The result was the “Lit Pit,” a dedicated space where entire classes rotated through literacy stations.

“It completely transformed our school,” she says. “We focused on skills like phonological awareness, comprehension, and writing, but we also had stations called ‘Love to Read’ and ‘Love to Write.’ We knew joy had to be at the centre.”

Even with her growing expertise, Kristi hesitated to see herself as a graduate student.

“I was told I should be doing my master’s so many times. People would say, ‘I can’t believe you haven’t done it yet,’” she recalls. “But I never thought of myself as an academic person. I felt like master’s degrees were for really smart people.”

For years she put aside the idea, but then came 2020.

“I finally thought, well, I’m not doing anything else, let’s just see,” she says.

She enrolled in the Master of Education program where her capstone project focused on teacher well-being, and reimagining professional development to better support educators. The experience, and with the encouragement she received from her professors, gave her the confidence to write Making Time for It All, a practical guide to help teachers integrate literacy practices into their classrooms.

“I wanted to give teachers permission to be reflective and gracious with themselves,” she says. “Small tweaks can make a big difference.”

Through both her book and her work with schools, Kristi hopes to support teachers in bringing not only the science of reading, but also the joy of reading into their classrooms.

“I believe every child is capable,” she says. “Sometimes it just takes the right book, the right approach, or the right encouragement. My hope is to help more kids discover that moment when reading feels like it opens the world to them. Literacy allows us to take in information, and share our own ideas. It creates empathy and opportunity. It allows us to be better humans because we can understand things through a different perspective.”

When asked what advice she has for new teachers who may feel overwhelmed by teaching literacy, she emphasized the importance of beginning with purpose.

“First, be kind to yourself,” she says. “You can’t do everything well right away. Start small—this is going to be a learning process. There are so many activities and ideas out there, it can feel overwhelming. So always know your why. What’s your purpose in doing this lesson or using this strategy? That’s huge in literacy instruction.”

But for Kristi, the real turning point for new teachers comes before lesson planning even begins.

“The most crucial work you will do all year is getting to know your students in the fall,” she explains. “When I know your heritage, your culture, your family, your interests, when I know what works for you and what doesn’t, then I can start to weave those into my literacy instruction. That’s enormous. It means every child in the class is seen.”

She often reframes reluctance by helping students connect with content that matter to them.

“If a student says, ‘I don’t like reading,’ my response is always, ‘You just haven’t met the right book yet.’ If I know you love motorcycles, then I can put the right book in your hands and suddenly you’re motivated to read.”

Kristi also encourages teachers to design literacy tasks that are both accessible and open-ended. Borrowing from math education, she uses a “low floor, high ceiling” approach.

“Instead of asking every student to define the same five vocabulary words, I’ll have them find five words from their own text that they don’t know,” she says. “It’s still teaching vocabulary, but it meets each learner where they are.”

Reflecting on her own education journey, Kristi says she feels grateful for the mentors and colleagues who encouraged her along the way.

“I’ve had incredible women in education who just kept telling me to try new things,” she says. “That’s what I want to be for other people now.”

For those who want to explore more of Kristi’s literacy strategies and resources, she shares additional tools and insights on her website, www.lovetolearnto.com.

Congratulations to Karen Honey, one of our two Madeline Korfman Memorial Scholarship recipients!

As noted by her nominator, Karen’s passion for education shines through in every setting. She brings a strong foundation of experience and a deep commitment to supporting children’s learning. Highly engaged in all of her courses, Karen is often the first to contribute to discussions by asking thoughtful questions that extend both her own and her peers’ understanding.

“Receiving the award was personally affirming because I always knew that I loved learning,” she says. “It was confirmation that my learning, my efforts, everything I’ve put into this, has not gone unnoticed. It made me feel proud of myself.”

***

Growing up in the Yukon in a resource-focused community, education was not seen as a priority.

“I left school early in Grade 11,” recalls Karen. “I didn’t have a good formative school experience. There was often a real divide between the Catholic education system and recently graduated teachers who had come from far away. Competing ideologies would spill over into how we were taught.”

She went straight to work and found success in business, but without a high school diploma, the limitations eventually became clear.

“It wasn’t until I was at the midpoint of my career that it really became apparent how important that diploma was,” she says.

When Karen returned to complete her studies, her perspective on education shifted.

“I was upgrading at the university level, and I saw what school could be. Even in formal academic settings, there was so much room for agency — choosing your own courses and professors who genuinely wanted to hear your thoughts and hypotheses. It made me realize that school is actually pretty cool,” she says with a smile.

That renewed appreciation for learning planted the seed for change. After a successful career in business, Karen realized that she wanted something different for the next chapter in her life.

“I had a strong sense that I wanted to contribute in a more meaningful way, to be in service,” she reflects.

Karen decided to start her new career journey by completing a Bachelor of Arts. However, it wasn’t until the pandemic, after time to reflect, and encouragement from her husband, a long-time teacher, that she decided to pursue a career as an educator.

Now immersed in the Bachelor of Education program, Karen is finding that the experience has exceeded her expectations.

“The professors we’ve had are all one-of-a-kind educators,” she says. “They’re not just professors because they took a bunch of university courses — they’ve been teachers for 20, 25, 30 years. They know what they’re talking about, and they’re a wealth of information. I’ve really appreciated getting to know them and being taught by them.”

Karen has also valued the collaborative spirit of her cohort and the opportunity to learn alongside people from a wide range of backgrounds and life stages.

“There are students who are just out of university, and others who, like me, are making a big life change. We bring different perspectives and we learn from each other.”

Looking ahead, Karen is excited to step into a new role as an educator and contribute to the growth of young minds.

“I’m really excited to be entering the field and teaching elementary,” she says. “Being involved in educating young minds, inspiring wonderment and promoting the spirit of inquiry in the classroom.”

For prospective students considering the Bachelor of Education program, Karen suggests finding volunteer opportunities in the classroom.

“Do your research. Talk to a principal and see if you can volunteer. Try both elementary and high-school. See what you enjoy. I think teaching is a very rewarding career and I think that skills like the development of critical thinking and people’s ability to contribute to society is because of good teachers.”

About the Madeline Betty Korfman Scholarship

This scholarship has been endowed through a bequest by Madeline Betty Korfman to honour her love for teaching. Madeline Korfman taught school in southwestern Saskatchewan before relocating to the Okanagan in the mid-1900s. This scholarship is awarded to two teacher candidates who significantly demonstrate a “love for teaching” based on the recommendation of Okanagan School of Education faculty.

You have been carefully matched with a mentor teacher who has volunteered their time to guide, support, give feedback, and facilitate evidence-informed learning conversations with you during your field experience. Now what? Considering that this mentor-mentee relationship is an important element in your journey to becoming the teacher you hope and dream to be, you shouldn’t leave developing a relationship with your mentor teacher to chance.

While there isn’t a map guaranteeing the route to an inspired relationship, there are a number of waypoints that will help you build trust, establish goals and share learnings, and take action. These waypoints involve connection, communication, initiative, collaboration, feedback and celebration as detailed below:

Connection

Take time to get to know your mentor and share about yourself

• Discuss your pedagogy, passions, goals, and areas of strength/stretches professionally and ask your mentor about theirs.
• Find out what you might have in common personally.

Communication

Ensure you are conversing openly and honestly

• Review the Field Guide together. Ensure you and your mentor are clear on what is expected and when. Discuss roles and responsibilities for all involved.
• Seek to understand before being understood and ask for help when you need it.

Initiative

Look, listen, be proactive

• Ask for your mentor’s opinion.
• Inquire about your mentor’s favorite resources and if possible, borrow and read to spark further dialogue.
• Write your questions out ahead of time and add to your list during the school day so whenever there is opportunity to talk, you are ready.

Collaboration

This can take various forms

• Learn with your students and co-plan, co-teach, co-assess with your mentor teacher.
• Collaboration could include parallel teaching, team teaching, station teaching, and/or small group teaching.

Feedback

Link feedback with empathy and assume positive intent

• Provide lesson plans/unit plans to your mentor in advance and adjust your planning based on mentor feedback prior to teaching students.
• Discuss how you’d like to receive feedback on your lesson enactment (mentor gives verbal feedback – you take notes, mentor gives written feedback – OSE forms, running record etc.) and ask how your mentor would prefer to give it (formally and/or informally).
• Consider frequency and timeliness of the feedback in your discussions.
• Accept feedback graciously remembering it’s not about your identity. It’s about your development as an educator.

Celebration

Be sure to acknowledge and celebrate successes together as you go

• Revisit your goals with your mentor and reflect on the process remembering that mistakes are an essential element in learning.

As you engage in your field experience, may you be inspired to build a strong relationship with your mentor teacher based on trust, respect, and mutual understanding. Remember to extend your thanks and show your appreciation for your mentor’s support and guidance!

Written by Darlene Loland, Field Advisor

Join us for an information session to learn more about UBCO’s 16-month Bachelor of Education (BEd) program. This session is designed to provide you with insights into the admissions requirements, application process, program highlights and more! The session will be comprised of a brief presentation and an opportunity to ask questions.

Thursday, October 9, 2025
3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Online via Zoom

REGISTER

Can’t make the session? Reach out to us at education.ubco@ubc.ca if you have any program questions! We will also email the highlights of the presentation and the questions asked following the session if you join our Interested BEd Applicant Email list.

Taylor Schepella (top left) and Maria Guadin (bottom right), co-leads of the DTES Neighbourhood House Advisory Council (NHAC) Report project, pictured with fellow Urban Ethnographic Field School students and Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House volunteers.

This spring, 16 inspiring university–community initiatives received funding through the UBC Partnership Recognition and Exploration (PRE) Fund!

These awards, up to $1,500 per project, help bridge small resource gaps, enabling UBC students, faculty, and staff to build and deepen reciprocal relationships with community partners through diverse teaching and research initiatives. From developing pediatric nutrition guidelines, to exploring Okanagan waterway restoration, remembering Nelson’s historic Chinatown, and supporting a Kwiakah-led regenerative forestry initiative, this year’s projects reflect the many ways collaboration is advancing equity, sustainability, Indigenous engagement, and community wellbeing across British Columbia.

Learn more about all 16 projects at communityengagement.ubc.ca

Congratulations to Okanagan School of Education staff Jennifer Laminger and Dr. Danielle Lamb who received funding from the UBC Partnership Recognition and Exploration (PRE) Fund for their projects that are empowering community–university collaboration and relationship building.

BC Teacher Education Program (BCTEP) Professional Conversations

Jennifer Laminger and community partner Kerry Robertson, University of Victoria

This project brings together field/faculty advisors and mentor teachers across BC for a third season of online learning. Through panel conversations on mentoring, Indigenous education, and GenAI, this initiative supports educators in preparing teacher candidates for increasingly complex classroom contexts.

The Return of the Salmon

Dr. Danielle Lamb and community partner Rose Alexis, Peter Greer Elementary

This project brings students together with Elders, storytellers, and artists to explore captikʷł and the importance of Okanagan waterways. Students will create art, prepare traditional salmon dishes, and co-create a school-wide banner to welcome the salmon home.

Congratulations to our Maxwell Cameron Award recipient and 2023/2024 Bachelor of Education graduate, Corie Harsch!

Corie brought a thoughtful, student-centered approach that left a lasting impact on her students. With a background in marine biology and a deep appreciation for science, sustainability, and land-based learning, she designed inquiry-rich lessons that empowered students to explore their environment, think critically about global issues, and make meaningful local connections. Whether guiding students through a biodiversity field study or leading discussions on media literacy and responsible citizenship, Corie consistently created inclusive, engaging spaces where every learner felt seen and valued. Her practicum not only reflected her natural ability as a teacher, but also her commitment to integrating Indigenous knowledge, environmental stewardship, and inquiry-based learning into everyday classroom experiences.

About Corie Harsch

I’m a mom to two kids, and I recently returned to school to pursue my education degree after spending several years at home with them. I completed my undergrad in Marine Biology at UBC Vancouver. I love science, learning, and spending time outdoors. I’m fairly new to Kelowna, having previously lived in Edmonton and Vancouver, and I’m really enjoying discovering all the amazing things the Okanagan has to offer.

Question and Answer Session

What inspired you, or motivated you, to pursue the field of education as career?

Teaching has always been a part of my life in some form. I’ve worked with youth for years — at camps and as a swimming instructor. When I was in school, on Take Your Kid to Work Day, I would ask my friends’ parents who were teachers if I could go with them.

However, it wasn’t until during COVID that I considered teaching as my next career. I homeschooled both of my kids because we were a high-risk family and it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Witnessing their learning milestones and inspiring so much excitement about the world was a really rewarding experience. I realized that it would be a wonderful thing to do every day, is to engage with students, find their interests, see sparks flying in their heads and making all those connections to the world around them and themselves. That’s what inspired me.

What does receiving the award mean to you?

It feels like encouragement. I tend to be an overthinker, constantly reflecting on what could be improved, how to better support students, or how to differentiate more effectively. During my practicum, that reflection was a big part of my process. Receiving this award makes me feel like I’m on the right path. Maybe I’m not at the destination yet, but I’m headed in the right direction.

Looking back, is there a moment at the Okanagan School of Education that stands out as meaningful, funny, or transformative?

One meaningful experience was during my final practicum. I worked with a teacher who was very focused on land-based learning. Being able to learn from and alongside someone who shares that passion was inspiring. You see so much amazing learning happening that’s not just academic learning when you take kids outside. We did field trips around biodiversity, journaling, social-emotional learning, and careers and values education all outside. It made learning feel natural and authentic.

What guided your thinking as you designed the biodiversity project at Millbridge Park?

The idea was for students to observe biodiversity in a place close to where they live. They could choose different areas to focus on like the trees, shrubs, birds, or insects. Once they choose the place they wanted to focus on, they did observational research, and then we had so much fun doing identification research and figuring out what was in our area. The kids that you may not have expected to be necessarily interested were using binoculars and identifying birds. That was a really wonderful thing. We discussed what was happening in our local area with biodiversity and started to use some of the learning about climate change to make inferences about what might be happening in a park that’s close to the city, or how it might impact the animals or plants that live there.

I wanted the learning to feel real and relevant. Rainforests are important, but they’re far away. I wanted students to connect with something they could visit and observe regularly — to touch, feel and see it. We ran the project from the end of October through to December, but it could easily extend through the year as students watch seasonal changes. The idea was that would have some deep, meaningful thinking about the world and the impact that we have on the world.

What advice do you have for incoming teacher candidates?

Say yes to everything you can. That was my motto during my practicum. I didn’t always feel ready, but I learned so much by stretching myself. The more you say yes, the more experience you gain and that makes you more prepared for the realities of teaching. Even when it feels overwhelming, lean in. The learning is worth it.

About the Maxwell Cameron Award

The Maxwell A. Cameron Award is given annually by the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) to students completing the final year of the Bachelor of Education degree in elementary and secondary school teaching. The recipients of the award are those students who are considered to be outstanding students in the graduating class who have initiated, worked, or participated in a project that created positive change globally or in their local community, and or, been actively involved in issues related to poverty, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, antiracism, peace, global or environmental issues.

The award is named after Maxwell Cameron who headed the Department of Education at UBC in the mid-1940s. Prior to that, he was on staff as an associate professor and director of UBC’s summer school.