Department of Education Assistant Faculty
Jennifer Erickson
Office: B148j
Email: jerickson [at] langara.ca (jerickson[at]langara[dot]ca)
Bio
Jen Erickson
Department Chair - Education Assistant Program
Jen began teaching in 1993 and since then has had a varied career which took her from Victoria to London (where she started a school), to Vancouver (where she was one of the first inclusion consultants), to B.C. Children’s Hospital (where she worked as an educator in the psychiatry unit), to working with UBC and the Goldie Hawn Foundation in creating the MindUP Program. She is currently the department chair in the Education Assistant Program at Langara College, where she teaches education assistants, passing on her passion for supporting exceptional children with diverse abilities.
Jen has a Masters of Education in Human Development, Learning and Culture with a concentration in Social and Emotional Learning from UBC.
Leslie Burgess
Phone: 604.323.5774
Office: B148k
Email: lburgess [at] langara.ca (lburgess[at]langara[dot]ca)
Kari MacDougall
Email: kmacdougall [at] langara.ca (kmacdougall[at]langara[dot]ca)
Miranda Winn
Email: mwinn [at] langara.ca (mwinn[at]langara[dot]ca)
Erin Yorke
Department Chair
Phone: 604.323.5511 ext. 2653
Email: eyorke [at] langara.ca (eyorke[at]langara[dot]ca)
Bio
Erin Yorke is an instructor and practicum supervisor in the Education Assistant Program at Langara College, and believes in deeply in inclusion, generosity, collaboration, kindness, and creativity.
Erin’s passion for working with children started when she was a children’s Day Camp Supervisor at Lighthouse Park during her high school and early university years. She satisfied her scientific curiosity by earning a Bachelor degree in Cell Biology and Genetics. Inspired by many of the children she had met in the recreational setting, Erin went on to earn a Bachelor of Education degree. Erin then worked as a teacher in a number of educational settings: teacher-on-call, classroom teacher, Science and Math teacher for Youth at Risk, Resource, and Behavior Support Teacher. In these settings, Erin met a number of exceptional children she wanted to learn more about, and earned a Masters of Special Education focussing on Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Supporting other educators around the province, Erin worked as an Educational Consultant at the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders (POPARD) for about seven years. Highlights of her experience at POPARD included one-to-one student consultations, delivering workshops and courses, supporting districts with projects, conducting Functional Behavior Assessments and supporting the development of Positive Behavior Support Plans, and creating eLearning modules for the website, such as the series about Picture Exchange Communication. During this time, Erin completed the coursework required for the BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) certification, and may continue to complete the BCBA work experience.
Erin has also been an instructor at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Education for courses in Classroom Management and Teaching Students with Exceptionalities. Erin is a Mandt-certified trainer, and takes a keen interest in supporting the positive behaviour of students. Erin loves the dynamic team she works with at Langara, and supporting the growth of Educational Assistant students during their classwork and practicum experience.
When Erin is not working, she can be found with her two children baking creative cakes, cooking, camping, running, gardening, skiing, volunteering at her children’s school, attending a Bookclub, or challenging herself at Bootcamp classes.
