The CanadianEd Leadership Show: Episode 117 with Meredith Rhinas

Saskatchewan Teachers Federation In this episode,I reconnect with Meredith Rhinas, a senior administrator at the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, to discuss her journey from classroom teaching to union advocacy and leadership. Meredith shares how she built a large social media following as a content creator after her third child, how her platform evolved during COVID into advocacy—especially for women’s heart health after her 2018 open-heart surgery—and how viral videos explaining Saskatchewan bargaining helped put her on STF’s radar. She explains her current role supporting teachers with employment and labour issues, serving on committees and the bargaining team, and describes the emotional weight of absorbing others’ difficult experiences. Meredith reflects on teaching overseas, navigating leadership as a young woman, the importance of difficult conversations, professionalism amid deprofessionalization, and credits her father, Milton Block, as a key influence. 00:00 Embracing Hard Conversations 01:01 Meet Meredith Rhinas 03:02 From Baby to Colleague 04:09 Content Creator Origins 07:05 COVID Shift and Advocacy 10:13 Teachers and Social Media Risks 15:28 Professionalism and Values Online 17:53 Inside the Teachers Federation Role 21:37 The Emotional Weight of Advocacy 24:30 Career Journey Begins Overseas 28:11 Finding the Right Path 29:32 Funding Shifts and Classroom Complexity 33:43 Supporting Teachers Through Process 35:40 Overseas Leadership Trial 40:34 Leading Through Listening 42:30 Advice for Emerging Leaders 46:01 Gratitude for a Mentor 47:02 Studying Deprofessionalization 50:10 Reality TV Reset 51:02 Local Hidden Gem 52:06 Closing Reflections