Take a Moment to Celebrate

It only took a minute.

Actually, more accurately, probably about 40 seconds.

A moment to make a "good news" call to a parent who typically only gets phone calls when her son has done something wrong. In fact, I've been the person who's had to make several of those calls this year.

This boy has struggled to find his way and has made some poor choices earlier this year. Repeatedly. At one point, I didn't have much hope that he would be able to turn things around. He was on the verge of going down a road that would be very difficult to travel.

The last time I spoke to this student's mom, she was in tears in my office, accompanied by her son and an RCMP officer.

But then...something changed.

I'm not sure ultimately what made a difference- a supportive teacher, a persistent counsellor, a parent who didn't give up... I'd like to think perhaps that even I played a part.

But over the past several months, something changed.

He started coming to school. On time! I'd see him in the lounge working on homework with other students. He'd smile and say, "Hey Ms. Garr!"

So today I took a moment... A moment to call this student's mother and share with her the improvements that I've noticed and how happy I was to see the change. She paused in uncertainty. And then, I could "hear" her smile. She thanked me, saying how much she appreciated me calling. She was in tears again, but this time, it was happy tears.

Now, I'm not saying this student is perfect. He's still struggling in some classes. I know he will still have challenges and difficult choices ahead. But I took a moment to make a "good news" call to a parent, to celebrate where her son is today.

I hope it made a difference in her day. It certainly made a difference in mine.

Happy year end!

Next Steps, When the Only Constant is Change

It's deceiving.

On the surface, schools appear to be highly regimented, structured environments, regulated by bells and pre-determined schedules. 

But in reality, the only constant, is change. 

Each school year brings new challenges, new initiatives and new possibilities. It is the unpredictable and fluid nature of a school community that I love. 

It is challenging. It is invigorating. 

And it is exhausting. 

But, it is never boring. 

In two weeks, I will be making the move to a new school. After only two years at my current school, I must admit that this is a bit of a daunting prospect. It has taken me two years to gradually learn the stories, the context, of my current students and staff. 

As someone who values relationships as an essential foundation of a school community, that understanding and insight is partially how I gauge my success as a leader, and set goals for the year ahead...

But as poet Robbie Burns and later author John Steinbeck so aptly noted, "the best laid plans of mice and [wo]men often go awry..."

So, plan B. 

Fortunately, I have also come to the understanding that my most rewarding opportunities have come from unexpected change and challenge. 

So despite being somewhat daunted by the prospect of learning the stories of a new school community, I take with me incredible learning and rich experiences, and I am excited by what lies ahead.

It is with enormous gratitude and appreciation that I look back on the last two years. 

And in the end, I am not starting again. I am simply continuing the journey. 

Relationships- the measure of my success.

The Measure of Success

There's no denying the enormous complexity of a school community. They are fluid, incredibly diverse, multifaceted microcosms of society.

But in the face of this complexity, there is also one simple constant. Relationships. They are the essence of every interaction, every challenge and success, every mission statement and growth plan. They form the foundation for all that we do. They are at the heart of learning. 

So as we head into the final months of the school year, and perhaps begin to reflect on the success of our year, I'm challenging myself to focus less on the numbers and more on the people...

Did I do my best to connect with every student, every adult in my school community? Did I take the time to hear their stories, to truly see every individual? Did I work to establish trust and transparency? Did I value, encourage and respond to the voices of my community? And how can I continue to build on this foundation as I look ahead to a new school year end?

In the end, how will I measure the success of this school year? By the smiles in the hallways. By the high fives and fist bumps. By the ratio of "good morning's" to grunts. 

It's hard to plot on a graph, to factor into a report, or to display in a trophy case, but in the end, it's at the heart of all that we do. And I truly believe, there is no better indicator of success. 

What's important in a school community?

What is Success? 1200 Stories

What is success? I was privileged to be able to share my story at TEDxWestVancouverED....

In the End, No One Really Cares

The other day, I told a student that I didn't care if he failed. I'm sure he thought I was crazy. And likely the counsellor who was sitting in on the conversation was thinking the same thing. To her credit, she didn't say it out loud.

The student that I was speaking to had been missing classes. In the first month and a half of classes, he'd probably missed more than he'd attended. As a result of this, and several other factors, he was failing all of his classes. One of which he was repeating for the second time. He had come to school on this day, late, but he'd come. Perhaps as a result of the conversation that I'd had with his mom the day before. To be honest, I was just so happy to see him, all I could do initially was grin at him. Thus the, "this woman is crazy" look on his face...

As we waited for his counsellor to join us, I asked him what his favourite thing was about school. He stared at me blankly, and then slowly began to shake his head from side to side. He didn't know. He couldn't think of anything. Although I maintained my smile, inside my heart was sinking. A month a half into school, and there wasn't a single thing that this student could think of that he liked so far. But after a minute or two of gentle probing, he finally thought of something. He liked cooking. Awesome.

In attempt to put him at ease a bit, I began to tell him a little about myself. I'm new to the school, and so I'm meeting many of our 1200 students for the first time. I shared that I'd struggled in school myself, that I'd also failed classes. His eyes widened. I told him that when I'd interviewed for my current position, no one had asked me when I'd learned how to read (grade 2), how many times I'd failed math (twice), or how many awards I'd won (one, in grade 8 Band- thank you Mr. Green). They didn't care about any of that stuff. They just cared about where I was now.

O

As the counsellor entered, our conversation continued. I told him that "success" might look a little bit different for him. It might take him a few more times through a course, an extra year in high school, some additional support through it all. And I also told him that I didn't care if he failed a class. I just wanted him to come. That we would worry about the whole "passing" thing a little later on...

As we set out a plan for the following week, one that includes him stopping by in the mornings to say hi to me before he sets off for class, I reminded him that five, ten years from now, no one would really care where he'd started out...they would just care where he finished. I'm not sure if he believed me. He probably still thinks I'm a bit crazy. But as long as I get to say hi to him every single morning next week, I'm ok with that...

My one & only. Thank you Mr. Green.