Hi, there! My name is Teacher Renée. It's been wonderful teaching with SOAR KIDZ this past year, from home, after a long career teaching literature and theatre arts with a special interest in Shakespeare for all ages. In New York City, I taught nine years at a private school (grade five), and twenty-five years of special literacy/theatre programs for public, private, and home-school students (middle and high school); I've taught Shakespeare curriculum at St. Francis College (Brooklyn) and the University of Rochester (NY). In Vancouver, British Columbia area I've continued teaching Shakespeare studies at all levels, as well as two years of high school. I'm a graduate of Wesleyan University (English/Theatre) and Simon Fraser University (Education). I believe learning should be encouraging, challenging, and fun. I care deeply about my students, and work hard to support the development of their critical thinking skills, as well as their ability to organize and communicate thoughts clearly. SOAR KIDZ helps kids connect personally with the best ideas in literature, while engaging deeply with their peers and teachers. An adventure book I loved when I was young was a tale about resilience and ingenuity: My Side of the Mountain.