Teachers have their own extracurricular activities. Some volunteer. Some write books. Others produce podcasts, create art or make music. Here are some endeavours undertaken by your colleagues “out there.”
Music
Head of a Mouse
When not in the classroom, music teacher Audrey Ochoa is busy playing trombone professionally. She has released several albums, including her most recent, Head of a Mouse. This album was released in September 2023 and was nominated for a 2025 Juno Award for Jazz Album of the Year (Solo). Other highlights of her career include playing with the Dave Matthews Band in Vancouver and touring the United States with the first national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown.
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Audrey Ochoa
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Elementary/Junior High School, Edmonton
audreyochoa.ca
Instagram @audreyochotron
Chronograph Records
Books
HANK and Other Mild Neighbours
Substitute teacher Janet Hamilton recently published HANK and Other Mild Neighbours, a local publication of vignettes from a central community in Edmonton. The book, comprised of short chapters about neighbours, aims to bring awareness to Edmonton’s 107 Avenue Revitalization Project. This central area is typically described as where the world meets in Edmonton. As a personal act of reconciliation, all author proceeds are being donated to Aboriginal Head Start Edmonton sites.
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Janet Hamilton
Edmonton Public Schools
Pagemaster Publishing
pagemasterpublishing.ca/shop/hank
Chaff on the Wind
Fine arts teacher Brenda K. Savella recently published her first novel, Chaff On The Wind. The novel tells the story of Annabel who, unhappy, restless and searching for answers, sets out with her dog on a tenting trip to the Canadian Rockies. This story is about making choices, facing challenges and finding hope on a journey of faith. Savella’s novel was named a finalist for the 2023 National Braun Book Award. For Savella, being published is a dream come true, and she hopes to encourage other teachers to reach high for themselves and thereby be an inspiration to their students, colleagues and communities. Chaff On The Wind is now available around the world online and in local Alberta bookstores.
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Brenda Savella
M. E. Lazerte School, Edmonton
Word Alive Press
Weaving Hope Through Our Education System
How is hope fostered in our educational landscape? In an anthology entitled Weaving Hope Through Our Education System, 38 educational leaders from across Alberta, including 22 Alberta teachers, respond to this prompt through poetry, narratives, articles, interviews and plays. It invites emerging, novice and experienced educators to reflect, reminds us to connect and calls us to action. As editor, teacher Derrique DeGagné weaves together threads of courage, connection, compassion, community and creativity.
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Derrique DeGagné
Highlands School, Edmonton
Instagram @derriqued
Peter Lang Publishing
What’s new with you?
If you’d like to make a submission for publication in Who’s Out There?, email a summary (50–75 words) to section editor Lindsay Yakimyshyn at lindsay.yakimyshyn@ata.ab.ca.