Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, honoured guests and St. Michael’s Graduates of 2017. I want to begin by thanking the graduating class for choosing a theme that has a song that I actually know and don’t have to Google to find out the words! “Life’s a dance, you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead, …
Category: Educational Updates
Jun 30
Learn from yesterday, live for today, dream for tomorrow- St. Mary’s Taber Graduation Address
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, Honoured Guests and especially to our St. Mary’s Graduates of 2017. It is always a pleasure to attend our graduation ceremonies and bring greetings on behalf of the entire school division. I want to speak briefly about your grad theme, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, dream for tomorrow” but …
Jun 02
Stakeholder Engagement
The following article was written for and published in the Lethbridge Herald on May 31, 2017. One of the four strategic priorities for our division is, “Stakeholders will be well engaged in the educational system.” We would like to believe that school newsletters, blogs or other social media options, press releases and school council meetings …
Apr 19
Foundational Knowledge of First Nations, Métis and Inuit
The following article was published in the Lethbridge Herald on April 19, 2017. In the coming months, new standards will be unveiled for teachers, as well as school and system leaders. The current Teaching Quality Standard came into effect in 1997 and, although it has served the education system well, it certainly requires an update. …
Mar 25
Let’s Innovate!
Let’s innovate! We need an education system that provides us with students who are innovative and creative. To be successful in the future, students need to be adaptable and flexible. They need to be great communicators, collaborators and let’s throw in that they can get along with everybody they meet! That is exactly what our …
Mar 10
Adverse Childhood Experiences
The following blog post was printed in the Lethbridge Herald on March 8, 2017 Last week, as part of our ongoing professional learning, school and system leaders watched the documentary, “Paper Tigers.” It is a story about an alternative high school in the state of Washington and its turnaround due to a focus and understanding …
Feb 24
Learning for all staff
Yesterday morning, I addressed our support staff as they began their day of learning. It is an annual event that coincides with Teachers’ Convention and invites ALL of our support staff to come together for an opportunity to learn. You see, learning or being a learner is not owned by only the teaching profession. Learning or being …
Feb 12
Open to learning
Sometimes it is in the simplest of conversations or actions that we learn the most. But that learning can only take place if we are truly open to it. Our opportunity to learn should be constant and not encumbered by our own decision of whether the situation we are in, or person we are talking …
Jan 25
Connecting the Dots
The following blog was published in the Lethbridge Herald on January 25, 2017. I recently came across a visual from Marzano Research that illustrated the differences between the old factory model of schooling and the new paradigm we are striving for in education in Alberta. The old mentality had us simply collecting dots, placing high …
Jan 04
Teaching Grit
As an individual who grew up in a highly athletic environment, grit and/or mental toughness were almost natural byproducts. You played and worked hard, you didn’t quit and you earned what you deserved. I can’t ever recall just showing up and automatically winning a prize! But I also recognize that the attributes of grit and mental …