Looking back…

The past year has been a period of rapid learning and growth. It has also been one of the best journeys that I have ever undertaken as a professional. Those first few months in the role was a whirlwind and it all seems fuzzy in my mind right now. However, those were key learning moments for me as I tentatively navigated each day not knowing what to expect next.

Reflecting back on the past year, I have come to realize that I could not have come this far without the help and guidance of other professionals, especially my Principal. The staff were patient as I learned the nuances of the Vice Principal role. Above all, the students were so accepting, welcoming, and so forthright. The following anecdotes from some students steadied my resolve and fortified me when I felt myself wavering.

You are a good Vice Principal…
Little did he know that I felt like a small fish in a big pond in November of last year. How nice is that?

I want to stay with you…
This broke my heart as it made me realize that some of our little ones have some big lions in their lives and we provide them with that one constant where they feel safe and cared for.

Mr Millward, I am hungry. Do you have anything for me to eat?
I did…in my lunch bag. I pack extra stuff in my bag for times like this.

Then I go into a grade 1 class and I am swamped by the little ones who want to show me what they are learning, or to have me come over and do some math with them. It is the best experience ever….

These are my students and they know that I care about them because I show them that I care.

This job is tough. You have to balance the management demands of the building with the main reason we are here – to improve student learning and achievement – the learning agenda. This is not always an easy thing to do but I have been so lucky the last year to learn first hand from my Principal how this should be done.

I asked myself many times, Why do I still want to do this job? I guess my answer would be greed.

I am greedy!

I am greedy for the feelings I get when I see a student succeed in learning something new and how proud they feel about it.

I am greedy for the feelings I get when I see a teacher try something that I have suggested and they come to you afterwards and thank you for your help.

I am greedy for the feelings I get when I see a school community pull together to create a positive, supportive, learning environment.

I love these feelings and that is why I am still on this journey.

However, despite these feelings, I still ask myself, “Can I do this job?”

This role requires a balance between those hard skills that are required to advance the Board’s learning agenda and those soft skills that will help one navigate complex situations with people.

I am an educator who believes
– that every student can learn and succeed;
– in lifelong learning;
– In excellence;
– in equitable and inclusive education

I support positive learning environments that are bias free, barrier free, and free from discrimination. Having grown up in South Africa, I know the impact of discrimination. I lived it. I felt it. Yet my parents and teachers guided me through that morass and instilled in me the value of education.

My journey continues…