I grew up on a dairy farm in rural Ontario. As a teen, I played volleyball, basketball, and baseball while attending South Grenville District High School. I was also a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. I participated in leadership and survival courses in Bagotville, Quebec and Cold Lake, Alberta. In fact, my first paid teaching position was in Cold Lake as a staff instructor for the Senior Leadership Course.
I graduated from McMaster University in Hamilton in 2006 with two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts (Dean's List) in Classics and Geography and a Combined Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and History. I also studied Linguistics, Psychology, Latin, German, and Philosophy. While studying in Hamilton, I worked as a tutor for several inner city families who had recently immigrated to Canada. This experience taught me the value of strong language skills. After leaving Hamilton, I attended Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, graduating in 2007 with my Bachelor of Education (First Class Standing).
My first teaching position was at Cheonghak Technical High School in Incheon, South Korea. I served as the Native English Language Teacher on a team of Korean English teachers. I taught English to over 3000 students in grades 10, 11, and 12 and modified assessment to include personal interviews. I taught Summer and Winter English camps as well as a Community English Course for my students' parents. One of my Summer Camps was located on Yeonpyeong Island - one of a series of islands contested by North Korea. I also published a Technical School English Textbook while I was employed in Korea.
After returning home to Canada, I moved to Alberta to teach at Mistassiniy School in Wabasca. I taught English 8, 9, 10-1, 10-2, 20-1, 30-1, and 30-2 to a predominantly aboriginal student population over my four year career at this school. I was nominated for the Edwin Parr Teaching Award for Northland School Division during my first year at Mistassiniy School. I coached basketball and volleyball and was the Staff Advisor for the Mistassiniy Mercury - the student newspaper. I was also a member of the Advanced Adolescent Reading Initiative, which was a pilot program sponsored by the Alberta government to promote teenage reading skills.
In the summer of 2012, I moved to Lacombe to teach at École Lacombe Junior High School. For my past three years, I taught English 8, English 9, and Social Studies 9 while coaching junior boys volleyball. In 2013, I became our school's Inclusion Coach, which involved supporting teachers in establishing inclusive learning environments and individual program plans. In 2015, I joined the school leadership team as an Assistant Principal and completed my Master of Education degree at the University of Alberta. My graduate research focused on the use of technology for student learning and collaboration. In 2016, I became the school Principal and have led our amazing team of students and teachers ever since.
I maintain a classroom website at www.matthie.ca. In my spare time, I enjoy playing with my three sons, listening to vinyl records, and sitting down with a good book.