Noel

Noel lives on an acreage past Stony Plain in a log home with her daughter, grand daughter and silver Labrador, Carl. Noel recalls she loved to waltz with her husband who was a great dancer. She announces her marriage was almost perfect. Her husband passed away in 2008 at 67 years of age.
Noel honoured her mother’s request she have a profession to support herself before she married. Her mother learned women needed a way to support themselves after she herself divorced when Noel was only 7. Noel and her future husband attended the same high school. He was two grades behind her so she wouldn’t have given him the time of day. She married him when she was 22.
Noel enrolled in the twelve month Junior E program.  After 12 months, she could teach and returned to university for night classes and summer school earning a Bachelor of Education. After marriage, she taught Then began life with her husband an RCMP  special needs students and grades 1-3.
At this time, a teacher couldn’t teach past her sixth month of pregnancy. Women couldn’t show a ‘baby bump’. Noel recalls pregnant teachers were considered a disgrace.  In 1965, Noel gave birth to their first child, a boy. Ian survived two days, a result of his exposure to Chicken Pox.  Ian having died in August, meant Noel could return to teach. Thirteen months later, in September, Cara was born. The following August a son, Scott was born. Two years later with the birth of Heather, the family was complete. Today, her daughter taught up to her child’s birth, June 26th.
Noel’s teaching career included both teaching kindergarten and Special Education, which she ‘fell into’ in Wetaskiwin, where she taught three years. Kindergarten enrollment had fallen to one class; therefore, the principal asked her to teach Special Education Mathematics. Noel embraced the challenge. She determined these students could be high achievers in their group. Later, she studied to teach Special Ed.
While working in administration, Noel developed a teaching resources for math teachers. This led to presenting at Math Conferences and Teachers’ Conventions in Kansas, San Jose, and Vancouver. She thrived presenting to audiences.
Noel shared a life changing event when ‘the Universe’ introduced her to laughter yoga after the passing of her husband in 2009. She got hooked and became a certified Teacher Trainer.