Reg Drummond

During my 29 years of teaching for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, I worked exclusively on secondment with the M.F. McHugh Education Centre. Twelve of these years were devoted to teaching children with complex mental health needs, learning disabilities and survivors of trauma. During those early years I taught many students to read, who were often 10 to 12 years old and not been able to learn to read in the regular system. The last 17 years were spent working one on one with kids from kindergarten age to grade 9, who for serious medical reasons were unable to attend their community schools for extended periods. Again in that role I have taught children with complex learning disabilities to read.

In fact, I love teaching, but I have always felt that there is no deeper reward and fulfillment than teaching someone to read and write.

During my years at the Youth Services Bureau, I worked in a wide range of counselling positions with children, youth and their families. The population of kids I worked with were again often survivors of trauma, those with complex learning disabilities, which resulted in a wide range of at risk behaviours.