Master of Education (MEd) – Online Cohort
Hello! My name is Joanna Flores, and I am from Winnipeg, Manitoba which is located within Treaty No. 1 Territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinabe (Ojibway), Ininew (Cree), Oji-Cree, Dene, and Dakota, and is the birthplace of the Métis Nation.
I am a Curriculum Consultant with the Government of Manitoba, working within the Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning. My professional journey spans over two decades in early childhood education, beginning in the Philippines where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and worked as a preschool teacher. After immigrating to Canada in 2004, I continued my work in the sector as a frontline educator before transitioning to public service in 2016.
Returning to graduate studies after a 20-year pause has been both humbling and transformative. My experience at UBC has challenged me to critically reflect on long-held beliefs and assumptions shaped by Euro-Western theories and developmentally appropriate practice. Through coursework and dialogue, I have begun to reframe my understanding of children’s learning and development through a more contextual, culturally responsive, and critically reflexive lens.
I chose to pursue further education in ECE to deepen my capacity to support curriculum development and public policy work that is inclusive, equitable, and responsive to diverse communities.
Outside of work and study, I am a proud mother of two adult daughters, a resigned wife to a tennis fanatic, and a loyal member of the Bangtan A.R.M.Y.
In 2024, we returned to my birthplace, the Philippines, after two decades of being away. It was a powerful experience of reconnection, reflection, and rediscovery that continues to shape my personal and professional journey.