Meet, Miss T!
Hello! I am Cassandra Troughton, the face behind Miss T.
Although, Miss T. was not always just an alter ego for my writing… but she did flourish into one!
Miss T. started off as an Educational Assistant working in a special needs classroom in a small school in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Miss T – because ‘Troughton’ was too tricky to pronounce, and I ran out of patience to continually correct. (Sounds like: ‘trout-in’, if you really must know).
7 Years As An Educational Assistant
I’ve worked as an Educational Assistant for 7 years. Mostly supporting our special needs adaptability classrooms in K-6. At the beginning of the 2021/2022 school year, I switched schools and into to the realm of grades 4-9 – working primarily with our grade 9’s, supporting their mental well-being.
I’ve always been quite passionate about health and wellness, but it was here, working as an EA, where I really harnessed my passion and directed it towards my influence with kids. I love the interconnectedness of all dimensions of health, specifically the impact these aspects have on mental health. AND I love promoting and teaching positive health and mental wellness practices to my students- like Mindfulness!
Health, Wellness & Mindfulness Club
I was the Health & Wellness lead at my previous 2 schools. I also started a ‘Mindfulness Recess Club’ that ran for 5 years at my Elementary School that evolved and flourished with each passing year.
Guest Speaker & Writer
It was in 2020, after the first big shut down from COVID-19, when I began promoting mental wellness well beyond the scope of our students. I began writing and speaking publicly on Mindfulness, Resilience, the Heart/Brain Connection, Psychoneuroimmunology, and the Positive Effects Nature has on our Biology. I’ve spoken mostly at Edmonton Public Schools and Alberta Teachers Association events, and have also been chosen as an online presenter at Shaping the Future Conferences 2021 & 2022.
More recently, I have been featured as a guest writer for a few blog posts at kidsyogastories.com. I’ve written on topics around Mindfulness, Gratitude, Resiliency, The Nervous System & Human Biology, Socio-Emotional Learning and Making Positive Connections with our Students.
Picture Book Passion Project
A side project of mine that I have been working on for the last few years has been writing and working on publishing a picture book! During my years as an EA, I developed a passion for reading picture books and so, I decided to give it a go as an author. Check out ‘The Tree Spot’ section to hear more about it and to learn more on how you can make a donation. Thank you, in advance, for helping my dream become a reality! It has been quite the adventure!
What I’ve Learned…
I loved my time as an Educational Assistant because it taught me many things. I may have learned more from my students and school community, than they did from me (in a good way, of course)! It opened my eyes to some of the flaws of our typical school system. And allowed me to see first hand what works, and what doesn’t. And, through the experience I learned (oops, there I go learning again) that I wanted to do more to be a part of the change our society desperately needs.
To not only influence our kids, but influence our parents, educators, and guidance councillors. Those who have a direct impact on our kids lives, who are with them day in and day out. To open eyes to the possibility that we have more power than we may think.
My Intention
My mission is to remind others of their power. The power we have to heal and change lives. We all have the power to make a difference. One little human at a time.
My hope is that my shared experiences and knowledge will allow you to do just that!
“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Mindful Miss T. 