Archive for Community Building

greystone | May 19, 2013
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Getting the Right People on the Bus

My Greystone office team colleagues (Assistant Principal – Tracy Lachman; School Support Coordinator - Jesse McLean) and I held a marathon session of teacher interviews this past week. Our school community is growing in size and we needed to add an additional five teaching positions and two temporary assignments for the 2013/14 school year.

I consider hiring new staff to be one of my most important responsibilities as a school leader. Creating a positive, strengths-focused school culture where our staff are committed to improving their teaching practice, in the company of peers, and where they see themselves as designers of learning in a collaborative, interdependent school community means that each and every time I bring someone new onto the team, I better get it right. Jim Collins, author of the book Good to Great, calls it “getting the right people on the bus”. Todd Whitaker, author of the book What Great Principals Do Differently, claims that the biggest impact a leader can have on school improvement is to hire “super stars”. I have come to understand, through my experiences in staffing over the past several years, from mistakes made, lessons learned and successes achieved, that Jim Collins and Todd Whitaker are absolutely correct – hiring the right people is key to ensuring that a school community continues to improve.

As I began our Greystone “Star Search” and sifted through the hundreds and hundreds of on-line applications, resumes, and letters of reference that were submitted, I kept coming back to one key question…what are you looking for? In my opinion, the “super stars” we hire at Greystone need to meet the following criteria:

1. Be a good person – do the right thing, be a positive influence and role model for others, support and serve others, build strong relationships and demonstrate a hopeful optimism for today’s youth. If we can connect with each other and our students, we will be successful in creating a place where all of us feel we belong, where we can discover our unique gifts and talents and where we can make a difference in the lives of our young adolescent learners.

2. Be a hard worker – never give up, persevere, take student learning seriously and do everything possible, inside and outside of the classroom, to support the success of our kids. Think critically about all of the initiatives and programs out there to determine what is the best fit for the vision we have as a school community and keep working hard to bring our vision to life. We expect our students to work hard – we must also expect this from ourselves.

3. Be a learner – take risks to try new things, be open-minded, reflective and willing to grow, recognize the importance of continuous learning from a variety of sources – books, articles, students, colleagues, twitter, workshops, courses and apply the learning to the work we do with our students. Understand that learning requires that we make mistakes, fall down, get back up and learn from the experience.

The other qualifications a teaching candidate brings to the table are important, but if these three things are not in place to begin with, quite honestly, all the understanding and experience related to curriculum, literacy and numeracy programs, new technology, assessment and inquiry based learning won’t get us where we need to go. What I am looking for is good people – the rest can be learned.

The challenging thing about using the above criteria to determine a candidate’s potential for being hired at my school is that these qualities don’t necessarily pop out while reading an on-line application. This is why it is extremely important to pay attention to the recommendations of trusted colleagues, to follow my intuition and the intuition of my office team during the interview and then to thoroughly check the references provided. When I discover that the candidates I interview are people that their current colleagues and employers are sadly disappointed to see leave, I know I am on the right track and that these “super stars” will contribute their talents to make Greystone Centennial Middle School an even stronger community of learners. They will help us on our journey as we continue to move from good to great.

We have hired an amazing group of “super stars” this week – genuine good people. I believe we have the right people on the bus and I am so excited to see what will be possible next year and beyond.

I am curious about what criteria other school leaders use to get the right people on the bus…what are you looking for?

 

Category: Community Building, Professional Learning, Reflections, Shared Leadership |
greystone | April 13, 2013
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Professional Learning is a Priority in Parkland School Division

 

I just came back from two days spent with my colleagues – members of our School Division’s “Lead Team”. Our Lead Team includes Principals, Assistant Principals, Learning Services Facilitators, Directors from our Finance, Transportation, Learning Services, Transportation, Human Resources and Communication Departments along with members of our Senior Executive. Gathering such a large, diverse group of School Division leaders together is no small feat. It meant that every individual who attended needed to leave the busy schedules of their day to day work behind and for those of us in schools, it meant trusting that our schools’ teacher leaders would “hold down the fort” during our absence. On behalf of our Senior Executive of Superintendents, it demonstrated that in spite of challenging financial times in the world of education, the importance they place on the value of our team’s professional growth and collaboration so that we can lead our schools effectively for our students will not be sacrificed. A few of us said we felt almost guilty for taking time away from our schools to head west to the beautiful mountain community of Canmore where we gathered for our learning.

Now that I am back home and have time to reflect on the experience – I can honestly say that I am grateful that our Senior Executive made the decision to provide all of us with this uninterrupted time together – away from the demands of our professional and personal lives back home. The Lead Team Retreat gave us an opportunity to learn from and with each other both formally during our scheduled meetings and presentations, but also informally as we shared best practices with each other, discussed some of our challenges, offered suggestions to each other and had long conversations on the road as we were encouraged to car pool with our colleagues. I have found that some of the best learning can come from the conversations that just happen when we spend time together talking about our students and our schools.

A few of the highlights for me were:

Mental Health Presentation

We were reminded of how significant an issue mental health is in the workplace. Research tells us that 1 in 5 Canadians between the ages of 18 – 65 will experience mental illness and that this will have an impact on their work. It was shared that of the people who face mental illness challenges, very few will be diagnosed and even fewer will receive successful treatment. We learned about the symptoms of mental illness and what to look for among our employees. We learned about what we can do to support those who are experiencing mental illness so that they can be successful in getting the help they need to improve their health. What stood out for me was how important it is to remove the negative stigma associated with mental illness so that our staff members know they have our non-judgemental support in order to seek treatment.

“Speed Dating”

This is simply an organized, yet highly effective, way to ensure that we got the opportunity to listen to each other share some of the amazing things we all have going on in our schools. In small groups, we moved from table to table and heard all kinds of new ideas for things we may want to bring back to our own schools. What I will be bringing back to Greystone are some great suggestions around technology from a couple of schools. Muir Lake School shared experiences and insights around their one to one technology pilot project. Meridian Heights School shared how they “trained the troops” on the use of google docs by scheduling chunks of time for the students to be taught the process by the tech “expert” on staff.

The most important “take away” from this valuable time spent together with my colleagues was that I continue to feel non-stop support and the power of collaboration from our Lead Team. Knowing that we are in this together allows me to return to the challenges and opportunities that await back at the school with a huge boost of renewed energy. For me, this was time well spent and reminds me that our School Division really does put its people first!

 

Category: Collaboration, Community Building, Professional Learning, Reflections, Shared Leadership |
greystone | March 17, 2013
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Student Voice Makes a Difference in our Community

Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.

 - Margaret Mead
Our small group of committed people from Greystone Centennial Middle School showed they had the power to make change in the world. They did this by getting involved in a local issue around pedestrian safety right here in our own community. Students from Learning Community 6 learned about democracy and how important it is to research an issue in order to go about finding ways to be heard and make a difference.The following is a letter that students sent to our mayor.
 Dear Mayor Stuart Houston,
As part of the grade 6 social studies curriculum our students have been learning about ways to take part in the democratic process. In order to make it an authentic and meaningful learning experience, the students are actively involved in an inquiry project centred around the safety of the community and the possible installation of traffic lights at the corner of Greystone Drive and Grove Drive. The students are understanding a variety of ways that individuals, groups and associations can participate in the decision making process.
 
Our students have:
 
- attended a city council meeting to gather information and understand issues in our community
- undergone a letter writing campaign to address the traffic light issue
- designed a formal petition to be signed by community members
- designed flyers to be distributed amongst our school and surrounding community
- created a Facebook page in an attempt to raise awareness of the issue
- created letters to be sent to the editor of the Spruce Grove Examiner
- conducted surveys to get feedback on public opinion
 
Thank you for your support in helping the students of Greystone in understanding their roles in the decision making process and implementing our social studies curriculum in a meaningful way.
Sincerely,
Learning Community 6 Students & Staff at Greystone Centennial Middle School
The mayor just called last week to share the good news – our students’ voices were heard loud and clear. The City will be proceeding with the installation of new traffic signals at Grove Drive and Greystone Drive. Furthermore, the mayor sent our students letters thanking them for their participation in the democratic process and for making their views known to Council. Thank you Mayor Houston for listening to our community’s young citizens.
Category: Community Building, Learning Through Inquiry Projects, Student Learning |
greystone | February 23, 2013
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Don’t You Love Surprises?

Reading this tweet from one of our creative Greystone teachers while I was away this month really got me curious…what clever prank was she up to this time?

Our Greystone staff are becoming very good at surprising each other, our students and me. Examples of the kinds of surprises we have had in the past include a whole school appreciation assembly, a piece of artwork students created for the school, a couple of flash mobs – the most recent one performing “Thriller” on Halloween, an entire classroom being relocated to the learning pod one day, and of course, the amazing success of our Innovation Week just before Christmas holidays.

When I walked into the school this past Tuesday morning, rushing to get to my supervision post, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I ended up being late for supervision because I couldn’t pull myself away from staring, in awe, at the latest Greystone surprise…

This is one of the five words that was represented by each of our five grade six classes – words that are the core of what our school is about. Each class had the task of looking around the school for images of the letters needed to make up the following words:

Synergy~Creativity~Citizenship~Exploration~Imagination

The best of the best photos were chosen, sent off to be transformed into banners and then the five banners were hung in the front foyer of our school – all done without me knowing a thing about it. I was overwhelmed with the work that went into this and so impressed that it had been a project involving an entire learning community of students and teachers.

The week ended with another great surprise – our Inferno School Assembly. This wasn’t a surprise assembly, nobody made a surprise appearance or shared a surprise performance. What surprised me was how moved I was with all of the sharing that was part of this one hour of time together and the positive energy that could be felt among our school community. Here are some highlights:

→Video of our Hair Massacure Project – created by one of our students and his parent (this year we had a record number of students participating – 140!) and students sharing their personal stories about why they got involved and how it felt to have their heads shaved (brought several of us to tears)

→Our Student Advisors sharing examples of how Synergy~Creativity~Citizenship~Exploration~Imagination come to life in their classrooms at each grade level through special projects and activities

Check out what the kids were talking about:

Learning Community 5

Learning Community 6

Learning Community 7

Learning Community 8

→Guests from Youth in Action inviting our students to join their organization and make a difference in our community (and comments like this from our guests made to me following the assembly…“your school is incredible!”)

→Pictures and videos from our SEVEC Student Exchange to Quebec got the whole school singing and swaying as the music played on in the background

→Standing ovation for our Drama Club who were amazing this week at our school’s first ever evening performance at Horizon Stage

 

 

Who doesn’t LOVE these kinds of surprises? Thank you Greystone!

 

Category: Community Building, Reflections, School Vision and Planning, Student Learning |
greystone | February 10, 2013
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Ten Years Later – Different Teachers, Different Students, Same Amazing Experience!

I just met up with a former student here in Quebec City – she was not one of my students from Spruce Grove, she was a student from Quebec City who I met during my first SEVEC Student Exchange – when she was in grade 7. Since that time, she lived with my family during a summer holiday and then again when she had completed her school, before beginning her training as an x-ray technician. She is twenty-one years old now and we have stayed in contact since that first exchange experience, exactly ten years ago.

Coincidentally,the exchange that I am participating in this year with my Greystone students ended up having us paired with the same school I was connected with 10 years ago.The teachers and students we are matched up with are all new to me; however, they have made us feel so welcome that already, it feels like we know each other well. Once again, I am reminded of what an incredible opportunity this is for our kids (and adults) to build relationships with others who are interested in taking their learning about the country and its people outside of the walls of our schools.

We are being treated to some new experiences here in Quebec and it is really helping all of us appreciate the unique, proud culture of our French Canadian neighbours. The people here have been so kind, fun and welcoming. Our students have been taken into the homes of the students from Quebec and this weekend, we are getting text messages from the kids telling us about all the places they are going – the Winter Carnival, Sugar Shack, Ice Hotel, to name just a few of the highlights. The host teachers here in Quebec are treating our teachers to some excellent experiences, too – Rempart Junior Hockey Game, dinner out to a favourite restaurant while also giving us time to do some exploring on our own. During the weekdays – there are daily fieldtrips planned to a range of places – everything from a Circus School (Quebec is home of the world famous Cirque du Soleil) to an outdoor snow park – Valcartier. What an amazing opportunity for all of us.

What I am most proud of – our students have stepped up to live in the homes of complete strangers, who don’t speak a whole lot of English, and they are growing in so many ways. They are operating outside of their familiar comfort zone and are demonstrating an openness to build relationships and gain a deeper understanding of the French Canadian culture. What an excellent example of authentic learning.

The experiences on this trip might just give our kids the confidence they need to continue taking risks to try new things and learn and grow from the process. Who knows, maybe they will still be in contact with the people they meet from this trip – in ten years time!

Category: Community Building, Reflections, Student Learning |
greystone | September 28, 2012
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Design Team: Building Our Dream Together

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

- Anatole France 

One of the cornerstones of our school community is our dedicated group of teachers – Design Team – who commit time, regularly, to keep building on the Greystone dream. Over the years, it has been these teacher leaders who have pushed our school’s vision of exemplary teaching and learning forward.  Teachers, representing all grade levels from our school, have come to the table to share successes, hopes, frustrations and challenges in our work of leading a school community with vision, passion and creativity. When this group comes to the table, the expectations are made clear:

  • we construct and de-construct our knowledge and understanding together
  • everyone’s voice is heard and respected
  • decisions are made collaboratively based on what’s best for our kids
  • the work is often messy, the conversations tough, but there is trust in the process and in each other
  • no idea is too crazy and this is a safe place to make mistakes and figure things out together

Our Design Team has been instrumental in pushing our school community to take on projects, pilot new initiatives and share our learning with others. Here are some examples of what we have accomplished:

- highly collaborative learning teams at every grade level that have adopted an inquiry approach to teaching and learning via the Galileo Educational Network

- assisted all staff develop a balanced assessment program that focuses on Assessment AS, FOR and OF Learning. This means our school practices align with best practices in assessment – no awards assemblies recognizing the accomplishments of a few; growth is the goal for each and every learner and is recognized and celebrated by all teachers, students and parents.

- continued development of excellent home/school communication and partnerships through classroom blogs, student-led conferences, development of student portfolios and sharing other evidence of student learning

- submitted a proposal and were awarded with a Community Project Grant to purchase additional technology for use in supporting a school-wide inquiry into our Spruce Grove Community

- job embedded Professional Development opportunities where we meet in subject discipline groups to generate authentic learning tasks that see students focus on the process skills of thinking like a Scientist, Mathemetician, Writer or Historian.

- planned yearly Staff Retreats to focus on collaboration and professional learning with colleagues

- piloted new outcomes based report card focused on performance assessments and process skills

- shared examples of exemplary teaching practice with school board and senior executive guests on several occasions

- developed open practice of feedback/feedforward loops, professional dialogue and looking at student work; shared this practice at an international conference in New Zealand

- regularly evaluated, designed, adjusted our school’s focus related to our School Education Plan – and continue to look for meaningful ways to  measure success

This past week we had our first meeting of our new school year and welcomed a number of new teachers to the table. It is inspiring to see so many individuals wanting to contribute to the growth of our school community as we continue to work towards bringing the best learning to our students. We have a number of school initiatives starting up this year along with lots of support and ideas coming from our School Division. Our first task was to make some sense of it all for our school community and continue our conversation (and ACTION) around engaging all learners at Greystone. We’re livin’ the dream, building on the dream and pushing forward…always!

 

Category: Collaboration, Community Building, Professional Learning, School Vision and Planning, Shared Leadership |
greystone | September 22, 2012
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Unleashing the Magic at Greystone

I have been among the middle school magic at Greystone and have been reflecting on my role, as the leader of this amazing school community, over the past few weeks.

First of all, what’s the magic?

For me, magic happens when I see student and adult learners engaged, curious, self-directed, reflective, thinking critically, collaborative, compassionate, confident (yet humble and open to opinions and ideas of others) throughout the school.

Who is responsible for making this magic happen?

I believe that it is the staff who model dedication to continuous learning and growth in meeting the needs of our students who are most responsible for making magic.

So…what’s my role in all of this?

I must not only believe in the magic, support the magic, look for the magic and share the magic – most importantly, I need to get out of the way so that the magic can happen!

Over the past seven years as an administrator at Greystone, I have learned, and continue to learn, so much about leadership – from mistakes made, lessons learned, conversations had and courses taken from and with respected colleagues and mentors. One of the best lessons on leadership that I was provided with came from a workshop I attended where Todd Whitaker shared this simple but powerful bit of wisdom –  the best way to create an excellent school community is to hire superstars!

I have come a long way in my teacher hiring, supervision and evaluation practice as a school leader. I now only hire staff who knock my socks off in an interview; who have been highly recommended by trusted colleagues; who have been in our school as student teachers or temporary contract teachers and have demonstrated the ability to make magic happen. Once these people are in our school, I observe, listen, coach, support and get to know each individual. I make sure I am 100% convinced about the superstar qualities and potential of a teacher before I give him or her a permanent seat on the Greystone bus. As a result of my learning in this area, our school is filled with many superstars and the culture that has been established at Greystone is one where excellence is not the exception, it is the expectation.

Leading a school full of superstars is not a simple task. It requires high levels of trust and the ability to let go of control in order to empower others. Stephen Covey refers to this skill in his book The 8th Habit:

Empowering – focusing the organization’s talent on the results needed rather than the methods used and then getting out of people’s way. Empowering is all about execution. In an empowered organization, leaders give help and direction only when requested. Empowerment unleashes human potential without externally motivating it.

This means that I need to provide the resources, support, time and space to unleash the energy and passion of my high-flying staff. Eliminating the roadblocks and clearing the path for others does not mean that I don’t care about what they are doing or that I don’t want to find out about their plans. In fact, the opposite is true. I care deeply and I am always interested in their ideas. I just don’t micromanage the details and I try my best to reduce the red tape and hoops they need to go through in order to get on with their plans. The most important work I need to do is to ensure that everyone is aligning their plans and ideas with the vision, mission, beliefs and goals of our school – then it is up to them to make the magic. In addition, I need to create an adult learning community that mirrors their classroom learning communities – places where learners are safe to explore new ideas, take risks, make mistakes, learn and grow in the company of caring, trusted peers. When the staff is pointed in the right direction for our school, and are given the time and space needed, they can think big, dream big and make magic together.

Here is some of the new magic happening at Greystone this year:

  • Softer Approach to Learning with New Furniture Arrangements being Piloted in Two Classrooms
  • Health and Wellness Team
  • SEVEC Sports/P.E. Student Exchange with a School in Ottawa
  • iPad Project with Support from the Galileo Educational Network to Develop Critical Thinking Inquiries
  • Learning Coaches Supporting Teachers in Developing Inclusive Classroom Communities
  • Innovation Week
  • Making Learning Public Through Social Media and Exploration of New Technology
  • WE DAY Care Team Developing Community and Global Social Action Initiatives
  • Technology to Support Collaboration via GoogleDocs
  • Technology to Support Self-Assessment via ePortfolios
  • Morning Mentoring
  • Teacher Invited to Attend National Social Studies Parliament Workshop in Ottawa
  • Teachers Sharing Work at Local, Provincial and National Conferences

I am humbled to be leading such a talented staff at Greystone. They are an incredible team who are dedicated to bring the very best learning to our students. I look forward to sharing our journey this year as the magic unfolds!

~ Carolyn Cameron

 

 

 

 

Category: Collaboration, Community Building, Professional Learning, Reflections, Shared Leadership |
greystone | September 2, 2012
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Jumping Feet First into a New School Year – Wisdom From a First Year Teacher

 

As I was busy getting lost in the details of back to school planning and organization, I came across this reflection from one of Greystone’s bright, young teachers. This was shared with me at the end of this early career teacher’s challenging and rewarding first year of teaching last June. For me, the timing was perfect because it serves as an excellent reminder about not getting overwhelmed with all of the items on the “to do” list. With her permission, I am including it in my first blog post of the new school year. I could not have created a better back to school message myself – thanks Melissa!

~ Carolyn Cameron

Melissa Kerby 2012 Reflection

As my first year of teaching comes to an end, I am filled with so many emotions. It feels like just yesterday I walked into my very first classroom, and I was filled with pride and naive excitement. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I had a lot to learn. I was faced with a steep learning curve and felt prepared to embark on what it had to offer.  After a year of many highs and a few low lows, I feel I learned 7 rules that I will take with me through my teaching career.

#1. Don’t Blink

Be in the moment; be present with your students. You never know when that moment will happen, that moment when you know the information has been absorbed. It might not appear on the assignment that you are marking at 10 o’clock at night in the silence of your own home, but in the chaos of the classroom, in the excitement of it all, in a silly conversation between two students. Don’t blink, because that’s when they will show you their humanity, the deepest part of them, the person they really want to be. In that tender moment shared between peers, when things are not easy; this is when they rise to the occasion to lift each other up. These are the moments I will never forget, and they leave a permanent mark.

#2 Keep Your Life Jacket Close

It is important to keep the people that support and believe in you close. When you feel like you are going down, or losing perspective, these are the people that keep us real. Take the time to reflect with them. These people help you find your footing in an unsure moment and set you on your way with a new plan. In turn; always be a life jacket to others, someone will appreciate the kind words.

#3 Breathe Deep

We tend to get lost in the rush of life, the chaos of the classroom, we start to believe we are the only ones who can fix the problem, and it must be fixed now.  This is the time when we need to stop and breathe, it is not as urgent as you imagine, rushing into a solution does not teach anybody else anything, and it is usually less  effective for everyone. These rushed solutions tend to have 8 more to follow, just to make up for it’s short comings.  Take a step back, take a deep breath, and then get a group evaluation.

#4 Don’t Look Down

Don’t look down, just jump. What’s the worst that can happen? Often times when we are faced with a challenge, we start to over analyze things. We start to talk ourselves out of taking positive risks, but this is when you find your faith, and trust in yourself and you take the leap. There is no such thing as a mistake, just an unexpected outcome.

#5 Laugh Often With Your Students.

Someone once told me that children learn through play. What sound better reflects play than the sound of laughter?  Laughter builds community, comfort, camaraderie, and reduces stress. Don’t we want to share all of these things with our students? After sharing a story with my students, I found that they wanted to work, and felt they had something to share with me, too. Laughter is nothing less than positive.

#6 Never Sacrifice Your Balance

While you are taking a breath and trying to convince yourself; “this is not as urgent as I imagine”, this is a good time to remember what keeps you grounded, what renews your spirit, what makes me, me? I have found it is essential to continue the activities that keep me balanced. Continuing to be involved in these activities makes it easier to follow all the other rules listed above. Maintaining your balance is not selfish, and it makes us better people. HOLD ON TO YOUR BALANCE.

#7 Keep Cleaner Close

You never know when there will be messes to clean up, no really; rule #7 is literal…

It’s hard to reflect on all the highs and lows of my first year of teaching without writing a novel.  I have grown in ways I never thought possible, some of it was painful, and unwelcome, but most left me awe struck at the beauty of the human spirit. My first year of teaching reassured me that I am in the right place, and throughout my career I plan to keep my 7 rules close to my heart, and revisit and revise these rules as my journey evolves and develops.  To that end, I cannot thank my Greystone family enough, for all the love, laughter and support that they continue to show me, I am forever grateful.

 

 

Category: Community Building, Professional Learning, Reflections |
greystone | June 24, 2012
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Success Through Support ~ It Feels Good!

Year End Reflection 2012

As another school year ends and I begin to wrap my mind around all of this year’s successes, challenges and changes that made up the past ten months, I, more than any other previous school year, feel a real sense of pride and accomplishment in terms of understanding my students as learners, the effectiveness of my team and that I am working in a very special place that has helped me as an individual, classroom teacher and member of the school community.

Going into the 2011/2012 school year, our team dedicated ourselves to doing all we can to make sure that we were always ahead of the game in terms of planning projects, planning assessments, and handling the day to day operations of an LC. Sound difficult? Well we all know that it can definitely be met with its share of difficulties, but being blessed with a team like mine, makes accomplishing these goals much easier. I always feel a level of support that encourages me to do my best but at the same time, a level of responsibility that I need to do my part for the team to achieve success. This makes the life of a teacher much easier when you are coming to work each day. Knowing you have a group of individuals that work so well together for the success of the students, the school community and each other is a blessing that I hope I have for many years to come.

The success of your students is always the most important goal of any classroom teacher. We all want our students to do their best, but this also takes the support of a team of teachers, not one individual. You always wonder at the beginning of a school year, sometimes before that, who the students are that you will see coming though the doors in September and what they will be like? It can sometimes be stressful and worrisome and you do what you can to prepare but you don’t really get a sense of it until those classroom doors swing shut. I have to admit, I was worried this year. And although this school year was not without it’s challenges, I can say that after 11 years of teaching that this was the most successful I can remember. Successful because I really felt I accomplished a lot with my students in terms of covering curriculum, creating meaningful assessments and guiding them to become responsible citizens, but most importantly, knowing who they are as learners. Their strengths and areas of growth. This could not have been accomplished without the proactive support of our administration, the forementioned dedication of my team but also the wonderful teachers we have in our building. The students see and feel that we are here for them. Here to help them grow and learn. We have created an atmosphere in our school that encourages students to do well and it has helped me in turn get to know them better as learners.

I have never been a very overly emotional person in my life, and definitely not as a teacher, but with the events that transpired at the beginning of this school year, we were all thrown an emotional curve ball that tested us all as individuals, as teachers and as a school community. And although we are not out of the woods just yet, it has been reaffirmed that I am working in a special place. Greystone is always being thought of as an innovative school through its collaboration, inquiry based learning and integration of technology, but I think our staff should also be known for how we come together in difficult times. It is amazing to be a part of such a special place.

So what is the theme of my reflection this year? Support. I truly felt an immense amount of support this year from my team, administration and my fellow teachers. Does that give me a grade of emerging then? I hope not. What it does tell me though is that despite all of the changes, challenges and unforeseen circumstances we have seen this school year, the successes could not have been possible without the support for our students and for each other. It feels good. Good to know that I am coming to a building everyday that has this kind of support for you as a person. Our kids are lucky.

~ Craig Letendre, Learning Community 5 Teacher

Category: Collaboration, Community Building, Learning Through Inquiry Projects, Professional Learning, Reflections, Student Learning |
greystone | June 20, 2012
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A Year of Growth ~ More Teacher Reflections

 

For this school year, I have had the honor and privilege of working with a wonderful team in Learning Community 8.  The team has worked very well in areas of team building and collaboration. Although we were not fortunate enough to have had common planning time with all four teachers, we managed to make the extra effort to be in constant connection with one another. As a result of this our students were all well aware of the commonality among the entire Learning Community.

I feel that I have experienced a considerable amount of growth in the way I develop my lessons and assess my students. I have incorporated many opportunities for students to gain knowledge through inquiry.  Students have always been aware of how they can improve their work and how they will be assessed. At times, students were given the opportunity to be actively involved in deciding how they will be assessed. Through many projects being made public within the school, the students felt a sense of pride of the final projects.

Throughout this school year, I was given the opportunity to be part of a group of teachers from Parkland who participated in Professional Development around the topic of ‘Learning Coaches.’

During this process, I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge in the areas of ‘Cognitive Coaching’ and ‘Universal Design for Learning.’ From being part of the cohort and meeting regularly, I learned so much from my colleagues; such as effective practices and how we at GCMS are always making changes to benefit our students.

This year has definitely been one of the most difficult years for staff and students of Greystone Centennial Middle School.  Due to the events that have occurred during this year, I believe that we have all strengthened the bonds among us.  Everyone has truly shown how much they respect and value one another. As yet another school year has come to a close, it has only become more evident that we need to cherish every moment in our very busy and hectic lives as we never know what lies ahead.  We need to make time to do what we value with those we care about, whether this be part of our personal or professional life or a balance of the two.

~ Peggy Bly, Learning Community 8 Teacher

Category: Collaboration, Community Building, Professional Learning, Reflections, Student Learning |
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