Karen M. Fairley
Karen “Cari” Fairley is an elementary school educator with more than 25 years experience teaching in three boards of education in Ontario, Canada. For 12 years, she taught junior and senior kindergarten with what is now the Toronto Board of Education. Then it was a Grade 2 class at Peel Region Board of Education. In the Greater Essex Country District School Board, she taught Primary vocal music for two years. After again teaching Grade 2, Cari was the art teacher. Currently, she teaches Grade 5.
She is an advocate of teaching through the arts. In 2005, her seminar “Bringing Curriculum to Life” shared her concepts via DVD. Cari’s classrooms always feature large displays to encourage creativity and engagement with her students. “True Treasure,” a picture book that she created with her Grade 2 class was published by her Director of Education. The Director provided each of the students, the school library, the principal, superintendent, trustees, the provincial Minister of Education, and the Premier of Ontario with a copy of the book.
In 2018, Cari received an honor from the Mayor of Windsor’s first, “Community Champion Award.” The award recognized her contributions to her community through her teaching and for a nutrition partnership she fostered with local churches. Her inner-city school has for the past ten years benefited from an additional snack of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Cari enjoys being an associate teacher with student teachers from the faculties of education from the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, York University, the University of Western Ontario, Brock University, and the University of Windsor. She is also a senior teacher mentoring new teachers.
In addition to teaching, Cari is a corporate seminar speaker, enjoys painting on natural elements such as rocks and driftwood, and is a church soloist.
She, and her husband, Grant, live in Ontario, Canada.