I have had the great pleasure or living the past 5 months in a Pre Kindergarten to Grade 4 school. Being the daily home to little people curious about everything and (mostly) excited each day they come to school. In fact, quite literally running to get inside the school.

My time in this school has helped me to reflect on the over-arching idea of achievement and the word rigour.

I am fortunate to work with teachers who are incredibly skilled at their craft. Like most schools, there is a wide dichotomy in the way in which these teachers lead their students. On the surface some might appear to do nothing but play, while other classrooms appear to be very traditional.

Does the “all play” classroom mean that students are not learning anything? Conversely, does the “quiet, orderly” classroom mean that students are not having any fun? In every school I have worked in, I have observed various types of environments and I have learned that the answer to those questions can only be discovered when you spend intentional time in classes.

I have achieved this through planned observations and other times by scheduled learning walks. Either way, by spending time in classes, I have discovered that it is not an either/or situation. The classroom that is loud and may appear wild, can have intentional rigourous learning embedded in those activities. Similarly, I have observed the “traditional” environment instil joy in students through celebrations of learning and achievement.

As school and system leaders, I’d like us to do a better job of separating the idea that a classroom needs to be on or the other. Modelling, who we are in setting the tone for our schools and districts. As Elizabeth Befus highlights in her post, A playbook for new leaders, by coach Ted Lasso, “Be true to yourself.” Don’t try to be something you are not, be comfortable in your strengths as well as areas we can grow. Creating this environment will help to diminish the noise that can fill teachers’ time considering whether they are perceived as not focussing enough on achievement, or being too strict or the “no fun” teacher. This in turn will allow teachers to be comfortable in the setting they want to create for their students and playing to their strengths.

It doesn’t need to be on or the other, as I have learned through the work of teachers that fun and rigour can exist in unison.

This is the first post in a long time and it is not intended to impart any wisdom nor is it written with any prudence. It is not often I speak or write with my heart on my sleeve, but for the past 24 hours I have been trying to come to terms with the horrific tragedy in Saskatchewan that has take the lives of so many from the Humboldt Broncos hockey team and forever devastated so many others.

There is no quantifying the magnitude of this tragedy. Without a doubt, there have been others on a global scale recently that have made me reflect on life, but none that have hit this close home for me.

I first learned to skate at 2.5, maybe 3. My first team pic took place when I was 4. My first memory of a road trip – I couldn’t have been more than 6. I remember being devastated at 9 when a road trip was cancelled due to weather. All I wanted to do was get to that rink to play. It was just a little snow. I couldn’t understand what could be more important than getting us to that game. Several years later and this most recent tragedy later, I now know that at Monday Night Hockey, I am going to embrace the brotherhood I continue to have the great fortune to skate with and spend time with each week.

Since those early days, I have been fortunate to travel our country, and a few others, with teams of sons and daughters, brothers and sisters; friends that those trips forged for the rest of my life. We’ve travelled in cars, vans, busses and planes. I have competed with and continue to skate with friends who have given everything just to have a seat in that room and on those busses.

Now, almost every week, I authorize trips of students to pursue their passions. They travel in cars, vans, busses and planes. I can’t imagine having to tell them they can’t chase that dream. My eldest daughter just finished 3+ years travelling with teammates and friends to games and tournaments on the back roads and secondary highways of BC. My youngest is about to begin her first season in team sports. I know she will experience the indescribable bond that comes from the bus trips that are in her future.

There are no words to describe the heavy heart I have as I try to make sense of this. I send my thoughts and my prayers to the families and the entire community of Humboldt. Before putting our 5-year old daughter to bed last night, we had a long family hug. I end this the only way I can think of. I encourage you to hug your loved ones and forgive your grudges. Life is full of the unexpected so capture the happiness even when it isn’t right in front of us.

Peace to those impacted by this event that I still can’t make sense of, and never will.

Nearly 25% of the teachers in our school are actively exploring an inquiry approach to learning. This is something I feel we should be proud of and has prompted me to think about how to use inquiry in our professional growth. Why would we want to model this type of approach to learning? My initial thought is that in order for teachers to employ an inquiry approach in their classes, it will be helpful to understand the full potential of inquiry based learning generally speaking; how it can impact our end results. From my perspective, there’s no better way than to experience it first hand.

If we are going to change our emphasis from schooling to learning we need to not only look at ideas we are passionate about, but also to encourage the active research of new solutions that will make it easier for staff to be more active in larger systemic change.When using an inquiry approach in professional growth our questions need to challenge the basic assumptions we have about learning. By focussing on learning as the underlying basis of professional inquiry, we limit the distractions that come from the systemic processes that are perceived to impede effective teaching and productive learning. What is imperative in this process is to encourage staff to be meaningful with their inquiry.

Any time educators are asked to change practice and approach, it is important to recognize the feeling of risk this evokes. To model taking this risk, taking time out of existing structures is important. At our school we are fortunate to have collaboration time embedded into our yearly schedule. This is one avenue where we encourage an inquiry approach to professional growth. Another example could include regular inquiry learning time during staff meetings. If we want to create an environment where educators take risks in their learning, as leaders we need to model this process.

Meet the Teacher Night. My own memories as a (very) young student are of excitement, especially if I believed my teachers had something great to tell my parents, to trepidation  for reasons that belong in another blog!  In my professional experience, meet the teacher night is meant to be an open showcase where parents can put a face to the name that they’ve (hopefully) heard in response to the daily question, “what did you do at school today?” What most kids don’t realize is that this is a night that can also be filled with a great deal of anxiety for both parents and teachers.

Having a daughter who has transitioned to High School this year, I attended the open house at her school. I have been to many previous open houses throughout her Elementary days and although I would occasionally walk away with questions about things that the teacher said, I always told myself that Elementary was different and that I should wait and see how things unfold.

This year I walked away from her open house and found myself questioning things that don’t align with what is considered best practice and I am struggling with the best way to approach her teachers about these concerns. As a Vice-Principal, these types of conversations  about moving learning forward happen on a regular basis. Sometimes teachers approach me and other times I initiate, so I know how to talk about this topic – from a parental perspective, I’m now struggling with the ‘how to approach’ the conversation that seems to be problematic. Having talked to others, I don’t appear to be alone in this.

If parents who are educators have a difficult time raising concerns with their childrens’ teachers, then how can we make it easier for the parents who may be less familiar with the system? Are we doing enough at our Open Houses to welcome questions and does our community leave with the understanding that we are always open to questions in the future? If the answer to that last question is no, then why do we continue the practice of the Meet the Teacher Night? Is it because we have always had it? As a parent myself, I feel there is value in the ‘face to a name’ exercise. So then, what changes do we need to make moving forward?

It’s  been just over a week since I returned from the Apple Distinguished Educator Institute in Austin, Texas. Many family and friends have asked me how the experience was and what I learned while I was there.  The challenge has been that I haven’t felt like I’ve been able to articulate everything that I experienced.

Jenny Grabiec (@techgirljenny) curated a collection of reflections written by other ADE’s and Alumni, who have described the events of our week together.  This was a good summary for some of what I’m trying to process, as this collection of blogs describe exactly what the week looked like.

While the Institute certainly shared characteristics of conferences I’ve attended previously, it was far more than even my best experiences to date; The facilities were a hybrid of hotel conference and post-secondary seminar rooms. The break-out sessions were collaborative with time to learn from presenters as well as share with other attendees. And every day there was flexible time to work with others on shared interests.

There was a great deal of training on how to better and best integrate technology, specifically Apple technology, to create better learning for students, but it was not about training any attendees. It was about making connections and finding others with shared interests based on people’s personal expertise and experiences.

I guess the best way to describe my week is an experience. A professional learning experience unlike any other I can remember, because the entire week focussed on our individual creations; Each member was challenged to produce content to be shared with others. This content is not just anything – it is narrowed to what we believe is our “One Best Thing” in education. We spent the week fine-tuning what we would produce and this led to conversations with others, including experts, ranging from photography to design. I experienced the feeling of being treated like a Rockstar for the week with personalized service and a team of support that ensured I had everything I needed. And perhaps the most important experience was that of the creation of new friendships – the kind that unite people with a unique connection instantly because of what they share in common.

It’s difficult to put into words all of the things we did during the week. The best example of how powerful this experience has been can be summarized by the fact that a full week later I find myself awake in the middle of the night, head swimming, still trying to process all of the learning and further narrowing my “One Best Thing”.