The Authors of The Third Path
David, Lori and Tom all live in Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario but come from very separate walks of life. Once they met, they quickly discovered that they share a deep commitment to education and the well-being of children. After working together in classrooms and schools--and spending countless hours talking about education--they decided to combine their collective experience and knowledge to take on the daunting and possibly ridiculous task of researching and writing a book on the subject that is nearest and dearest to their heart. The Third Path represents both a philosophical and highly practical approach to supporting well-being AND achievement for ALL children and youth.
David Tranter has been teaching and working in the field of mental health, well-being, and education for over 30 years. As the son of two teachers, the topic of education has surrounded him since his earliest memories. In high school, when he started teaching swimming to children and youth with special needs, he discovered his passion for helping others—especially those with unique struggles—to reach their fullest potential. Promoting well-being has permeated all of the work that David has ever done—whether at a personal, organizational, or community level. He is a professor at Lakehead University and has consulted widely to organizations, community groups, and schools. He has recently published a Ontario Ministry of Education Monograph on Self-Regulation. David and his wife Gail have been together for over 30 years and have three children, an exuberant goldendoodle and a drowsy pug.
Lori Carson was born and raised in Kenora, Ontario. She began her career as a social worker but soon realized that, in order to make the greatest difference in the lives of children, she needed to be a teacher. Lori is an school board administrator in Thunder Bay where she has held a number of roles since 1998 including educational assistant, classroom teacher, resource teacher, and special education officer. Lori has led a wide range of initiatives focusing on promoting student well-being and improving educational outcomes for students at risk. Lori is deeply committed to her belief that school is both a protective and transformative environment for children and youth. She knows that educators can dramatically improve the life trajectory of even the most marginalized students. Of all the roles that Lori plays, being a mom is the most important to her. She and her husband Wade have two children. When she’s not working, Lori loves to spend time with family and friends, or paddling her canoe on a calm northern Ontario lake.
Tom Boland is an elementary school teacher who has taught grades K through 8 and spent several years as a Special Education Facilitator. Tom acted as teacher-lead in a Ministry funded professional learning initiative that focused on developing trauma-sensitive classrooms and promoting relationship-based education in schools and school communities. Also passionate about supporting effective mathematics instruction, Tom has published math texts and intervention resources. That said, it is his passion for caring about kids that has always been the foundation of his teaching practice; hence his interest in the Third Path. Tom is a novice runner, who in 2014 ran his first of three marathons. More than anything though, Tom enjoys spending leisure time with family and friends, his husband Todd, their five children and two grandchildren, especially times at their summer home at the historic and charming Silver Islet.
Click here to email Tom or follow him on Twitter at @tbayboland.