Who am I?

Hi there! My name is Taylor Shyngera and I am currently in the Elementary Education Program at the University of Regina. I grew up in Melville, Sk and moved to Regina for university in the fall of 2019.  I discovered my admiration for teaching through my high school experiences, volunteer work, and family.

A photo of my first day at my ECS 100 field placement!

Up until the age of 16, I had no idea what my future had in store for me. Becoming an educator was always in the back of my mind, but solely because my friends and family told me I would make a good teacher. Lots of people go into education for many reasons and I always felt like education was a good fit for me, however, I did not know why. Further down the road, I started to have new experiences and new people came into my life that influenced my decision to go into education. I attended the same elementary school in Melville until grade six then started at Melville Comprehensive School in grade seven. I have volunteered at multiple clubs and programs at my previous elementary school for the past three and a half years, and still, continue to when I am back home. All throughout high school, my favourite subject was English; therefore, becoming a high school English teacher was always an option for me. However, I chose to go into elementary education because there are certain appealing aspects of an elementary setting that are different from the high school setting. I am an outgoing person that receives energy from being around others. Whenever I step foot in an elementary setting, I get an immediate smile on my face and my energy level doubles. Children give me the motivation to help them learn and make new goals. They also give me the motivation to set new goals for myself and they teach me things without intending to. I love how at a young age, children have a desire to learn new things and feel so accomplished when they do. They make me feel satisfied when I help them grow as a learner.

Family

It was always just my younger sister and I living with my mom one week and my dad the next. I was very close with my sister and loved being the oldest so I could get away with telling her what to do! In June 2019, everything changed as my mom got remarried and my family expanded. This was very significant for me because family means a lot to me and my one stepsister is the main reason I chose to become an educator. My stepsister, Emma-Dee, came into my life just over two years ago, when she was five years old. I love helping her with her school work and spending time with her. This allowed me to think of new and creative ways to keep children active and learning in new ways.