This is going to be a somewhat personal post. I have been pondering this for quite some time and have finally decided to write about it and share. For the past 2 and one half years I have been the vice-principal of an inner-city school in the school district where I work (not all ourContinue reading “What My Inner City School Experience Has Given Me”
Tag Archives: Poverty
School is Home
While I have always known it, from personal experience, this year made me realize once again just how important school is for our students. School is a safe place for many students. The ONLY safe place. Our students know what to expect, for the most part, from school. They know what to expect from theirContinue reading “School is Home”
Anything is Possible
Currently, we are studying Careers with my Grade 6 Health and Career Education students. The students have done a number of activities for the last few weeks. One of these activities was completing an interest inventory in which the students went through a number of items describing skills, attitudes, likes and dislikes. Upon completion ofContinue reading “Anything is Possible”
Open Your Hearts
I’ve been doing a great deal of reflecting these days (as I always do), but this has been a bit different. I usually reflect upon my practise, decisions, teaching, leadership, parenting, and relationships. Last night, with all that has been happening at my school lately, I did a lot of reflecting on the students atContinue reading “Open Your Hearts”
Are “Wants” Necessary?
Our school has done an amazing job collecting donations for a number of our most in-need families this Christmas season. It was quite a wonderful, rewarding experience for everyone involved. The generosity of the staff and some local businesses overwhelmed the parents who we supported this holiday season. If I had to speculate, I wouldContinue reading “Are “Wants” Necessary?”
The Importance of the Three C’s
So, here we are the end of September already. I can not believe how quickly this month has gone. It has been so busy though, so it’s not surprising it has gone so fast. I have spent a great deal of my time working with the Three C’s – Collaboration, Consultation, and Communication. Each oneContinue reading “The Importance of the Three C’s”
Teachers Must Entertain
The other night, as I read A Framework for Understanding Poverty, by Ruby Payne, I found some of the Hidden Rules Among the Classes very interesting. Payne says that “the bottom line in generational poverty is entertainment and relationships” (pg. 41), This intrigued me. Relationships I can understand, but really, entertainment? She describes a situation where teachers are very concerned aboutContinue reading “Teachers Must Entertain”
Powerful Chit Chat
As I have mentioned, I am currently reading A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne. I am reading this book mainly because my new assignment is the Vice-Principal of an Inner-City school in my district. I found Chapter 2 – The Role of Language and Story – to be quite interesting and informative, both educationally and personally. IContinue reading “Powerful Chit Chat”
I’ve Got a Secret
The district in which I work as a Vice-Principal is a large, complex and diverse district. We have 124 schools (100 elementary, 19 secondary, and 5 student learning centres) with 69,145 students. That number is expected to grow by at least 1000 students this fall (like it seems to each fall). The diversity makes this districtContinue reading “I’ve Got a Secret”
It's All About Learning 