It is that time of year where I am filled with conflicted emotions. I desperately want to eke out every possible enjoyment of summer. The lazy days of summer start to pick up the pace. I desperately want to maximize reading of fiction, organizing, writing, socializing, exercise and random opportunities into the last days of freedom from responsibility. The last bit of time before the days spin by and I drop into bed exhausted. Too tired to read. Too tired to pick up after myself. Too tired to want to do anything other than flop down in front of reruns of Modern Family.
And yet, there is also the excitement of a new school year. The smell of new books. The seduction of brand-new highlighters and pens, colourful file folders and novel post-it notes. The promise of a new year with complete organization and balance in life. People to meet. Conversations that make a difference. The excitement of a new year of possibilities.
The good-bye speech from one of my teachers at my previous school, included the story of the teacher calling me to deal with four boys that were wreaking havoc in his class one afternoon. He came to my office to find them drinking tea and talking about their feelings. There is always a story and I do love to unearth them! Facilitating the first steps to calm-down strategies and then moving on to problem solving makes a big difference in student perceptions of conflict and their ability to navigate it. It’s also the essential piece required for empathy and for relationships to be repaired. I look forward to facilitating those lessons that have the potential to make long term differences in lives and a kinder and more peaceful world.
I also love the opportunity to collaborate about learning opportunities with colleagues, students, parents, and community partners. I have been fortunate to work with many strong administrators in my capacity as both a teacher, administrator, and as a parent. These individuals believed in a flattened hierarchy and they believe in empowering others to assume leadership positions. I look forward to helping teachers, parents and community partners to achieve ends that benefit them personally while also supporting the school community.
The Vancouver School district has defined a vision of creating a collaborative learning community through a lens of excellence and equity. As a social justice advocate, equity of opportunity for all students in foundational in my educational philosophy. As a principal in a new school, I am reflecting on what I need to learn from my new school community. I will be investing in trying to learn about a new school culture. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to the activities and conversations that can lead to a common understanding of our culture and define directions to consolidate and celebrate our strengths and the capacity for future growth.
Over the past year, our dynamic superintendent, Suzanne Hoffman, has used the metaphor of the iceberg to facilitate conversations between administrators about the culture in the Vancouver School Board, one of the largest and most complex of the 60 districts in the province. It has provided a meaningful way to facilitate discussion about culture, both the visible parts of the culture that are easily observable, but also the larger mass that exists beneath the surface and is more difficult to discern.
I spent most of my career as a teacher in Coquitlam. When I started to work as an administrator in Vancouver a decade ago, I discovered the challenge of trying to identify and understand the less obvious aspects of culture. I attended VSB schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12. I lived in Vancouver until I got married and moved to the suburbs. I believed I knew Vancouver culture. And I did know the obvious, exposed areas of the iceberg. But I had no insight into the less obvious aspects of the culture.
Visiting David Livingstone Elementary and initial conversations have given me some insight into the culture and vibrancy of opportunity at the school. I look forward to the conversations with the people in the school community to help me develop a deeper understanding to guide my work. And this part is the most enticing part of back of school.
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