SWATCA 2025 - South Western Alberta Teachers' Convention

Heather Willms, B.A., B.Ed., M.A.Ed., is the District Reading Support Teacher for Comox Valley Schools and an instructor at Vancouver Island University. Her work includes mentoring, modeling, and supporting both teachers and students in grades K‑7. Heather has twenty-three years of experience in classrooms and in presenting workshops on key literacy issues to teachers, students and English language learners. A respected literacy leader, she works as a reading consultant and coach for districts, schools, and teachers interested in shifting instruction to align with the Science of Reading. Her new book, This is How We Teach Reading...And It's Working: The what, why, and how of teaching phonics in K‑3 classrooms, is now available on Amazon.