Meaningful Connections

Perhaps it is something that is shared around the globe with schools that run for three terms, but the one in the middle always seems a squeeze to me. At our school it is at least two, sometimes three weeks shorter than the others. Yet, there is no shortage of activity that is packed into that condensed timeframe. Intermediate and senior division plays, junior and intermediate speaking competitions, sporting championships, debates, ski club each demand time, and of course the classroom load never lightens with interesting and exciting things happening there too. With less than a week to go before an annual March break, there is still much to be done before putting the term safely to bed.

In the midst of all that activity I had the privilege of accompanying a team of Middle Years teachers to an IB-MYP conference in New York City for a four day professional development opportunity. It was a great bonding experience with the team and professionally enriching. There is always a buzz of activity in The Big Apple, and we were stationed in the heart of mid-town, close to Central Park and a host of other famous landmarks.

It is remarkable how much can be learned simply by sharing a meal with colleagues, and New York offers the perfect opportunity for trying new delicacies. In fact, I was going to title this entry: Going beyond the kale; artichokes, mushrooms and other interesting tales. It would take too long to explain the references, suffice it to say that we enjoyed some great meals and laughed heartily in each other's company. We each shared something of ourselves and learned a bit more about each other personally. When you are embarking upon a new journey as we are by introducing a new curriculum (IB-MYP), the benefits of this more meaningful connection cannot be overstated. The only drawback is that not all members of our staff were able to participate. This will happen over time as the program is introduced, but in the short term only a corps of grade seven teachers were able to be involved.

Sharing useful strategies, new practices, interesting approaches to teaching and learning is always a direct benefit of professional development. This conference proved its worth in that regard in many ways. While not every moment yielded new learning, the process of making meaningful connections that can best occur in-person, face-to-face, and in real-time was achieved. If nothing else, watching how other school teams interact, bond, and grow, revealed to me that our school has some terrific colleagues with the potential to really grow collaboratively as we move further along on this journey. As a school with students from over two dozen home countries of residence, I believe that our school is perfectly poised to take advantage of the benefits that accrue with international-mindedness.

The sharing of information at our most recent staff meeting by those who attended the workshops demonstrated that more meaningful connections come with collaboration.