Jo Phenix

A native of Sheffield, England, Jo received her education at Goldsmith College, University of London, McMaster University, and the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She has twenty five years of experience teachingall grade levels both in England and in Canada.

Jo says that she "fell" into teaching by accident, "but I found that it was just the right thing." Her areas of specialty are reading, writing, and spelling in the elementary grades, and she says she loves to watch children learn and grow in those grades.

Her approach to professional development is practical and down to earth. She draws extensively from her experiences as a teacher and aims to reach the teachers in the "trenches" rather than through academics.

When writing a book, Jo spends many months thinking about issues and then starts a list of points to make. "I flesh out the points with practical examples from my own experiences, then add practical ways to implement them in the classroom."

In her free time, Jo is the president of the Erin Arts Foundation, and runs two theater companies. She is also a theater producer and set designer and enjoys golf and gardening.