Coming Full Circle

Although the work is not yet done, there was a sense of completion evident last week when I had the opportunity to present my Next Step project that I had been working on for the past 18 months. We often talk about relevance and rigor in the classroom and this was an opportunity for me to experience just that. The CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools) Next Step program invites candidates to produce a change project within their school, chronicle it, and then present the work publicly. While the formal completion of that process occurred for me during the summer when I was able to share my change project (Introducing the MYP at Ridley College) with colleagues and staff, I was invited to share my project at the CAIS Senior School Leaders conference.

Hosted at the Kingbridge Centre ( http://www.kingbridgecentre.com/#home )in King City, Ontario, this was an excellent venue for any presentation. It was also terrific to see many former colleagues who had moved on to other schools and were participants at the conference. The venue was perfectly set in the rolling hills north of Toronto, a fall snowstorm covering the area in white.

Upon entering the convention area you could not help but be inspired by the remarkable surroundings. Everything about the centre placed those present at ease- speaker and participants alike.  Before presenting I had the opportunity to reflect upon the journey that this project had taken. In its formative stages I was still coming to grips with what the MYP itself entailed. Given that the MYP was going through considerable changes with the Next Chapter phase being introduced, there was a great deal of new information to digest. As well, understanding that change is a long, slow process was also part of my learning curve. Taken together, there was much to unpack over the two summers that the program ran.

It is said that the teacher arrives when the student is willing. Thus, I was both student and teacher over the duration of this project. It was at this stage that I felt that the project was truly completed, and very much looked forward to sharing it. I enjoyed the moment tremendously, was inspired by speakers I shared the lectern with, and gained an appreciation of what it means to come full circle with a project.

In part, this blog was meant to be part of the change project itself. It served as a means of recording the process of change. As stated at the outset, the work of the change is not yet complete, and there is much work to be done in terms of implementation. Where we go next will be interesting, and the journey continues. No doubt there will be plenty to write about as the months unfold, but this phase is now complete and the circle is now complete.