About Me

Welcome to my website!

My name is Shazma Khimji, and I am about to complete my B.Ed program at the University of Ottawa. I am in the Intermediate/Senior division, with my teachables being Mathematics and Chemistry. I am also part of the Developing Global Perspectives cohort.

Before this program, I attended the University of Waterloo, where I completed a Bachelor of Honours Mathematical Studies, with Pure Math and Chemistry Minors, and a Korean Language Certificate.

Through this program I have participated in 2 practicums:

• The 1st was at Henry Munro Middle School, where I taught in a Grade 7 class, teaching Math, Science, Health, Language Arts and History. I was also given the opportunity to attend Tim Hortons camp with the Grade 7 students in Quyon, Quebec.
• The 2nd was at Lisgar Collegiate Institute, where I taught Grade 12 Advanced Functions and AP-Calculus. In this practicum, I got to experience a ‘flipped classroom’, that focused on inquiry-based and student centered learning.

Throughout these experiences and the B.Ed program, I have learned a few things about myself and how I want my future classroom to be.

I would like my future classroom to be:

• Welcoming – I want students to want to come to my class!
• Inclusive and accepting – of all genders, ethnicities, faiths, orientations, backgrounds, and interests.
• Safe – if there is something that students are dealing with, they should be able to come to class and know that I will do my best to put their overall mental, emotional, and physical health first, before the curriculum.
• Community-oriented – students should feel safe and accepted in the classroom, and be able to collaborate with their peers in a welcoming environment. If disagreements arise, students should feel safe to share their opinion and discuss.
• Built on a growth-mindset – I want students to feel that my classroom is a space for learning and growing. Students shouldn’t feel embarrassed to try, even if they make mistakes. In fact, risk-taking should be encouraged! Students should learn how to build resiliency and be able to conquer their mistakes in order to improve.
• Individualized – every student’s academic journey is different, and understanding and questioning should be valued more than memorizing. Continuous growth and learning is valued more than a one-time performance.
• Mindful – mental health is very important, and the classroom environment should have space for caring for one’s mental health, whether it is through guided mediation, moments of silence, deep-breathing exercises, or any individual method that works for a student.

As an educator, I want to help foster lifelong learners. Students have an important place in our community, and are agents of change. If the focus of schooling becomes grades, students may feel that their worth is associated to a letter grade. Rather, I want to encourage each student and their passion, and help them grow as an individual. A common comment among youth is that “they love learning, but they hate school”. Let’s change this, one classroom at a time!