After a career as a schoolteacher (elementary/secondary) English and Drama consultant and Arts Coordinator, Bob worked in teacher education (Ontario Teacher Education College and Faculty of Education, University of Toronto) and as an education officer with the Ontario Ministry of Education. During that time, he pursued a keen interest in children’s literature, early literacy and drama in education. He was an instructor in Dramatic Arts for OISE / UT with the Initial Teacher Education Program and the (Additional Qualifications/Dramatic Arts Intermediate Basic). Bob also conducted teacher workshops at The Stratford Festival of Canada for several years.

Bob hosted several C.B.C. Radio Schools’ series for children and was a feature presenter at International Reading Association Conferences in Chicago, Anaheim, New Orleans, San Antonio, Toronto and Orlando as well as a presenter at many children’s literature conferences and courses including: Lindenwood College, Missouri; Northern Montana College; Ohio State University; Nipissing University, North Bay; University of Southern Maine; Eastern Michigan University; Syracuse University and the University of British Columbia. In 1994 he gave the Ronald M. Hubbs and Margaret S. Hubbs Lecture at St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minnesota (A Peaceable Kingdom: Conflict Resolution and the role of stories); and was a feature author at the Mazza Collection Summer Institute (Children’s Picture Books: Windows On The World); The University of Findley, Ohio.

He has been a feature presenter at The Council of Europe, Donaueschingen, Germany; The Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.; The Centre for Language In Primary Education, London, England; Young People’s Theatre, Toronto; the First International Reading Conference in Melbourne, Australia, Kaleidoscope ’92, Calgary, Alberta; the Canadian Images, Winnipeg ’98 and Canadian Reading Recovery Conference, Toronto 2000. Bob was Artist Leader (theatre 96-97) with the Ontario Arts Education Institute. He has also participated as a teaching artist with The Canadian Opera Company’s Create An Opera Program in Ontario Schools and with Learning Through the Arts, The Royal Conservatory of Music.

During the mid nineteen sixties, Bob helped pioneer drama courses in the secondary schools. Those early courses launched in Hamilton, Toronto and Kingston, Ontario eventually led to the development of the first guideline for Dramatic Arts in Ontario Secondary Schools.

After this, Bob worked as a consultant in Language Arts and Drama for the Hamilton and North York Boards of Education and eventually as an Education Officer for the Ontario Ministry of Education. During his years at the Ministry, he chaired committees that developed the documents, Drama in the Formative Years; Growing With Books; The Arts Discussion and Arts Action Papers. He chaired the Ministry Arts Group and the Dance in Education Committee.

Bob left the Ministry of Education in 1989 to freelance as an Education Consultant Drama Instructor, Oral Storyteller and Writer.