Démontrer du leadership…toujours avec le coeur

Before French language acquisition, before literacy and numeracy, before athletics and inquiry and coding and Big Ideas – this year at École Pauline Johnson we will lead with the heart.

As we began a new school year with our District Leadership Team and Administrators in late August, we were honoured and awe-inspired by Maria LeRose. A very talented and accomplished researcher, interviewer and moderator, her work as an advisor for the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education looks at why and how Social Emotional Learning is impacting our learners and our society as a whole (image from www.casel.org).

Her message focused on the fact that in a rapidly changing world, we must continue the leading work we are doing in our West Vancouver schools around self-regulation and the fostering of positive relationships. The quote that resounded with me was, “Educating the heart is our biggest responsibility.”

Opening Day for all staff in West Vancouver is an annual event that engages us in a unique celebration as educators, support staff, administrators, community members and Board Trustees all gather at the Kay Meek Centre to kick off a new school year. This year our Superintendent of Schools, Chris Kennedy, took a different approach than in the past. Rather than a keynote speaker, we watched an incredible film, produced entirely by high school students from Rockridge Secondary, under the direction of film teacher David Shannon. The movie, “Longshot: the Brian Upson story,” focuses on Coach Upson’s relationships within the school community of West Vancouver Secondary during his career, in particular the fundamental and lasting impression he left on his basketball team. Even as he battled cancer and faced the reality of his own mortality, he calmly and passionately led his boys to a provincial championship. He showed up for every practice and many close to him commented that they believe it was his connection to the team members and love for the sport that allowed his life to last as long as it did, as sick as he was.

After the credits had rolled and the tears had dried, we returned to PJ to gather as a staff for our own Opening Day. Returning members of our team and many new faces brought an energy to our sun-drenched Learning Commons that I have not felt in that space before. It was electric, it was motivational, and it was heart-felt. I shared a quote from a blog post by Jessica Keigan:

“Imagine it. Schools where all kinds of teachers are empowered to lead
through access to authentic opportunity and venues for innovation.
There are so many voices just waiting for the system to change so they can be heard.”

Our conversation flowed. Authentic, innovation, empowered, voices, waiting, change. All of these concepts were explored. I then challenged the staff to finish the statement, “Educators lead by…”. Four overarching themes resounded.

Educators lead by giving and taking – and navigating when to do one or the other.
We have already seen first hand the importance of providing teachers with time to collaborate. Through this ‘give and take’ relationship, teachers are able to plan, share ideas and problem-solve. A number of our returning teachers took time to sit with our new teachers and shared resources, procedural logistics, first term planners, and thoughtful insights into class placement and dynamics. At the same time, colleagues new to PJ are bringing fresh ideas, resources and strategies that are sure to shape and strengthen an already strong whole-school culture and teaching pedagogy. Through outings to Ikea and collective coffee runs, it is clear that this is a staff that will work together and will have each other’s backs.

Educators are kind and they listen.
Kindness and effective listening skills are pivotal aspects of true leaders. These skills are essential and must be present between staff and colleagues, and towards students and their families in order to build trust and rapport. People need to know that their voices are heard and that their opinions matter. Getting to know a person’s likes and dislikes are paramount to building strong relationships.
At the end of August, I sat with an apprehensive family, new to Canada, and had to give them the unfortunate news that there was no space at PJ in their child’s grade. Although they were disappointed, we discussed a variety of alternative options to ensure that their child had a spot at an elementary school in West Vancouver for the start of the school year. Later on in the day, I heard our Administrative Assistant on the phone. On her own initiative, she had called the family to check in to see if any of the suggested options had worked out and if we could be of any help in the process. These small acts of kindness go a long way in securing trust and building relationships within our West Vancouver community.

Educators lead by building relationships.
As mentioned above, effective leaders know the importance of building relationships. We invited a few of our anxious students in early to wander the hallways, open the classroom doors, sit in familiar spots, and ask questions about the upcoming year. One mother asked a teacher, “So you get him this year, heh?” The teacher responded, “Oh I chose him for our class. I can’t wait. It’s going to be a wonderful year for him and for us.”
Leading through relationship building is not only for the staff at PJ. A few members of our PJPAC were in recently to organize and distribute new school supplies. Their children, all PJ students, sat in the chairs in and around the office and kept themselves occupied while their parents were busy setting up. When a new family came into the office, one of our students connected with the new child. He asked him if he’d be coming to PJ, what grade he was in, and what his name was. I am confident that this small act of connecting to an unfamiliar face will help this new student feel more at ease on the first day of school.

Educators lead by example.
How often have you heard the expression, “They talk the talk, but do they walk the walk?” Strong leaders are able to demonstrate both of these aspects. During our opening day activities, I encouraged our staff to reflect on their own strengths and how they could apply their skill set within our community. By playing to their strengths, educators feel more confident in taking on leadership roles within our school community and are able to encourage and support others.

And so, with the heart in mind (no pun intended), I invite you all to join us on our mission at École Pauline Johnson to strive to lead – by building relationships, through give and take, showing kindness and listening, and by setting a positive example.

In order to learn and grow, we must love and be loved. Our school is full of so much heart already, and I am confident that 2017-2018 school year will prove to be an opportunity to continue to make PJ a place where everyone is included, connected, safe and loved.