Please consider me in your search for a Services for Educational Achievement Worker.

I have an Education degree from the University of Alberta and over 10 years of experience teaching students in middle school, high school and adult learning settings in Canada and abroad. In addition to my classroom teaching, in which I always worked to establish meaningful relationships with my pupils; I also tutored a number of students in English, mathematics and art while overseas. Teaching in six different countries on five different continents has introduced me to many different cultures and nationalities. Please visit the references section of my website, jamesmillercreative.com, for reference letters from schools I served at.

Since my return to Canada in 2012, I have worked in several positions including time spent as a care worker in group homes for the Prince George Association for Community Living (AiMHi) and Thompson Community Services in Prince George. This has helped make me more aware of the issues surrounding mental illness and substance abuse. In these positions I again sought to establish relationships with my clients and often provided them with the opportunity for discussion and reflection. While with AiMHi, I completed courses in first-aid, food safety and non-violent intervention.

I believe I demonstrate the Core Behavioral Competencies you seek. I lead through example; strive to develop networks with others, acknowledging that someone’s approach may differ from mine; focus on results based on the evidence at hand and always want to learn. Just recently, for example, I’ve been exposed the theory of “Attachment Styles in Relationships” and biologist Jeremy Griffiths efforts to provide a biological basis for his World Transformation Movement.

I have communications experience with The University of Calgary and have written for publications as a weekly and daily reporter. I am comfortable with public speaking and script writing, as my video application for the position of Traveling Ambassador with Air Transat illustrates.

As an artist, I turn to whatever media I believe will be effective in visualizing my message. My essential message, regardless of media, is that life is a wondrous experience to be celebrated and explored, regardless the circumstance. My Happy Face Series and Teach Only Love, are two visualizations of that belief.

On a more personal level, I have lived the teen parent experience. Two weeks after I turned 20, we welcomed a second child into our family. Being a parent so early in my life was, at times, daunting. I’m not one to dwell on experiences some might call negative, preferring instead, as I’ve noted, to view all life’s experience as an opportunity to learn, engage and grow. Nevertheless, perhaps the support of the resources of an organization like Terra Centre might have helped make this experience more positive and successful.

My return to Canada in 2012, introduced me to Canada’s drug use challenge, which was especially visible during my time spent in Prince George and I produced this video set to my recording, Brand New Song, which features my art and references my belief we need to look at more encompassing solutions to what I regard as a health issue.

Since my arrival in Edmonton in April 2021, I have sought to establish myself in the city I was born and raised in. That presented me with a number of challenges and I turned to the Bissell Employment Centre, which provided me with casual labor opportunities and eventually helped me to join The Mustard Seed as a janitor and eventually to a winter working in homeless shelters.

This spring, I joined Horizon North as a janitor working in camps serving firefighters and others. And, while I always strive to excel in whatever I do, I believe I have talents and abilities that could more effectively be put to use in the SEA position you have advertised. Accordingly, let me suggest we meet to discuss the contribution I could make to Terra Centre in filling this important role.

James Miller