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About Us

Layers of Literacy was founded by Michelle and Miriam, who have combined over 30 years of experience as teachers, coaches, administrators, and directors. With PhDs in literacy and learning and having published several research-based articles and learning tools, they’ve brought their expertise to over 50 schools in Canada.

Michelle Bence, PhD

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Michelle Bence is a dedicated educator with over 20 years of experience in K-12 classrooms and literacy education. She works extensively with several school boards across Western Canada as a literacy consultant, leading initiatives in literacy development, professional teacher learning, and the system-wide implementation of evidence-based literacy practices. Michelle recently completed her PhD at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on dialogic pedagogy and its role in fostering students’ complex thinking, literacy identities, and language development in relation to literacy acquisition and engagement with texts.

When Michelle isn’t working, you’ll most likely find her with her husband, two kids, and their dog adventuring in the mountains of southwestern Alberta. Biking, hiking, skiing, or paddleboarding; her happy place is anywhere surrounded by fragrant pines and the jagged peaks of the Rockies. Back in Calgary, she happily trades mountain trails for thrift store aisles, always on the hunt for that perfect vintage blazer.

Miriam Ramzy, PhD

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Miriam Ramzy is a teacher and researcher based in Alberta. She has worked as a classroom teacher in both English and French Immersion settings, a literacy coach and facilitator, a school administrator, and Director of Student Learning. Currently, she works with school boards across Western Canada, supporting teachers, leaders, educational assistants, parents, and students from Jr. K - 12. Her work focuses on literacy research and practice, with a deep commitment to supporting partners in education in creating effective, responsive, and inclusive spaces where all students thrive. Miriam holds a PhD from the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on writing instruction, with a particular emphasis on the transcription process. She continues to contribute to professional learning and educational research with a passion for bridging theory and classroom practice. 

Miriam enjoys hiking, skiing, and adventuring with her husband Mike and their dog Ellie. On any given evening, you might also find them engaged in a competitive ping pong or foosball game.

Our Stance on Literacy

Literacies are complex, contextually bound, and exist in an integrative system. We draw on multiple fields and perspectives to inform a comprehensive view, recognizing that learners are unique and require flexible, multi-faceted approaches. By weaving the art and sciences of literacy together, through an equity-centered lens, teachers and students are empowered to apply and transfer their understandings with purpose and confidence. Through this view, we see literacy as a human right. 

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Land Acknowledgment

We humbly acknowledge that we live, learn, teach, and play on Treaty 7. This is the land of the Blackfoot Nations, including the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai peoples, the Stoney Nakoda Nations, including the  Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney peoples, the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Métis Nation of Alberta within the Battle River Territory. As we engage in the work of literacy learning and leadership, we commit to walking alongside Indigenous communities with respect, reciprocity, and a shared responsibility for truth and reconciliation.

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Connect with Michelle and Miriam to discuss learning and literacy.