Teacher Shannon

Teacher Shannon is an award-winning writer and experienced educator with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of British Columbia.

Writing under a pen name, Shannon has worked across a wide range of genres and forms, including poetry, short stories, personal essays, creative nonfiction, memoir, humour, magazine articles, screenplays, television, short films, and video. Her work has been recognized in national writing competitions and adapted for the screen. She has also received writing and short-film directing awards at film festivals in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Shannon was accepted into two highly regarded television-writing programs in Toronto and Los Angeles and was invited to participate in a Disney creative team. She has twice been selected for national television-writing programs and received a scholarship for the Literary Journalism Residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She has also participated in the Sage Hill nonfiction program. Her writing has been recognized by national literary competitions, including Prairie Fire, where her personal essay received second prize.

As an educator, Shannon has taught creative writing, public speaking, and debate through the University of British Columbia, the Vancouver Writers Festival, Story Studio, the Vancouver School Board, and other literary and educational organizations. She has also served as a judge for national writing competitions and literary magazines.

Known for her warmth, professionalism, clarity, and creativity, Shannon creates a supportive, student-centred learning environment where young writers feel encouraged to experiment, develop their own voices, and grow in confidence. She introduces students to effective contemporary writing techniques while helping them build strong foundations in storytelling, language, structure, and personal expression.

Shannon has taught hundreds of learners, from Grade 3 students to high school students and adults. Her students have earned top recognition in major writing competitions. In 2025, they received the highest honours in The New York Times student writing contests. Students in her classes have won first and third prizes in the highly competitive Polar Expressions National Writing Contest for three consecutive years, and many have received national awards from Story Studio. In one year, 80% of her students advanced to the second round of the Polar Expressions competition and had their poems or stories selected for publication.

Most importantly, Shannon helps students discover the joy of writing, develop distinctive personal voices, and become confident, expressive, and memorable writers.