February 2017 BCPVPA Journal Volume 29 • Number 3

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Feb 1, 2017 - Trades Discovery was introduced at the Chilliwack Education. Center in the 2015-16 school year. It began w
Adminfo February 2017

BCPVPA Journal

Volume 29 • Number 3

Professional learning for newly-appointed principals & vice-principals July 4 to 8

40th annual

Short Course

Gain the knowledge, understanding, and connections you need to enhance your school leadership journey. Moral Stewardship

Values, Vision, and Mission. Ethical Decision Making.

Instructional Leadership

Supervision for Learning. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.

Relational Leadership

Intrapersonal Capacity. Interpersonal Capacity. Cultural Leadership.

Organizational Leadership

Management and Administration. Community Building.

Inspiration to Lead Partners in Education.

The 40th annual Short Course is a BCPVPA/UBC program and endorsed by the BCSSA

Registration

Active Members $1312.50 Non-Member $2100 Fees include all taxes.

July 4–8, 2017

Registration is open. Space is limited.

Register soon. More than 100 registrations have already been allocated.

http://bit.ly/BCPVPAShortCourse17

On embracing challenges with determination & creativity

BCPVPA President Kevin Reimer writes about his foray into the business world and the linkages between school leaders and entrepreneurs.

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everal decades ago, after my first three years of teaching, I took a leave of absence to pursue another opportunity. In my mid-twenties, newly married and without kids or debt, the time was right to take a risk, so my wife and I moved from the Lower Mainland to establish a family business in a resort community. Education has always been my passion and I only viewed this opportunity as a foray into the business world; a world that I knew little about but was keen to better understand. After two years working as an entrepreneur I returned to the classroom with greater insight into how small businesses operate and today, as an experienced school leader, I often rely on the skills that I learned in business in my role as a school principal. In fact, that entrepreneurial experience was a driving factor in my choice to move into school leadership. What does it mean to be an entrepreneur and what are the linkages between the roles of school leaders and entrepreneurs? Bruce Bachenheimer, a Clinical Professor of Management and Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Lab at Pace University in New York City, contends that, “Entrepreneurship is much broader than the creation of a new business venture. At its core, it is a mind-set — a way of thinking and acting. It is about imagining new ways to solve problems and create value.”  In schools across BC, principals and vice-principals are continually engaged in adding to the value that already exists in their schools or programs and creating new value. Like entrepreneurs, school leaders question the status quo and look deep inside the system to understand the connections and the opportunities that lie within. Like school leaders, entrepreneurs are driven by a desire to create, build and develop. By generating new and creative approaches to solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities, school leaders have a great deal February 2017 • Adminfo • 3

2016 — 2017 Board of Directors President Kevin Reimer (Comox Valley) [email protected] Directors Brad Baker (North Vancouver) [email protected] Susan Clough (Surrey) [email protected] Steve Dalla Lana (Prince George) [email protected] Darren Danyluk (Rocky Mountain) [email protected] David DeRosa (Kootenay-Columbia) [email protected] Tracy Godfrey (Vernon) [email protected] Heidi Grant (Nechako Lakes) [email protected] Brett Johnson (Greater Victoria) [email protected] Lee Karpenko (Prince George) [email protected] Carol-Ann Leidloff (Kootenay Lake) [email protected] Brian Leonard (Coquitlam) [email protected]

ISSN: 1201-4214

in common with entrepreneurs in business world. I have friends who work in business and often we good-naturedly argue over the complexity of leadership in business in comparison with leadership in schools. I argue that school leadership is significantly more complex than business leadership because of the shifting expectations and targets in schools. In business, the goal is to maximize profitability and the goalpost never moves. In education, our goalposts continually expand and morph with the shifting expectations of society. A generation ago, schools were largely about learning and preparing students to graduate from school to be productive citizens and employees. With the changes in our social fabric and support systems, today schools are expected to provide custodial care while creating an educated citizen; address developmental gaps in children while maximizing their potential; feed and clothe children while also attending to their learning needs. For these and many other reasons, school leaders rely on their entrepreneurial capacity to ensure that they can successfully align their approach to the ever-shifting and expanding expectations. The opportunity to develop and create a successful business has fostered in me a strong belief that the work that we do in leading schools and creating successful learning conditions is very much entrepreneurial in nature. There is tremendous overlap in the skills and understandings of entrepreneurs and school leaders. Determination, creativity, enthusiasm for new opportunities, and embracing challenges are not only important to the work that we do as school leaders but it is also deeply ingrained in who we are.

Please visit our website for information on more workshops coming to British Columbia in 2017

T

VEN

IAL E SPEC

LEADERSHIP–Insights for Thinking Differently Victoria: April 19, 2017; Vancouver: April 21, 2017

This workshop will challenge you to think critically about your approach to leadership. In exploring new and different ways working through challenges as well as opportunities, you will develop new insights that will strengthen your leadership. This training is based on the book The Ordinary Leader.

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Some of the Topics Covered: • Employee Engagement Matters the Most • Seeing Things That Impact the Future • The Talent Shortage Myth • The Number One Task Not to Delegate • The Human and Financial Costs of Unhealthy Workplaces • How to Stay Relevant, Needed and Useful TRAINER: RANDY GRIESER

Founder & CEO of ACHIEVE and CTRI, Author of The Ordinary Leader Randy Grieser is the founder and CEO of ACHIEVE and CTRI. He is a visionary leader who, together with a team of employees and trainers, has positioned these organizations to be two of the premier providers of professional development training in the industry. Randy is the author of The Ordinary Leader, and gives presentations on leadership and management principles to a wide range of audiences in business, education, health, and government settings. Please visit our website for details.

www.achievecentre.com

Adminfo

VOLUME 29 NUMBER 3

Adminfo is published five times per year by the BC Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association. Subscriptions for non-members of the Association are available for $33.60 per year, including taxes. Adminfo welcomes your editorial contributions and student artwork. All material should be sent to: Richard Williams, Editor, Adminfo, #200-525 10th Avenue West, Vancouver V5Z 1K9 [call 604-689-3399 or 800-663-0432, fax 604-877-5381 or email: [email protected]]. Editor Richard Williams February 2017 • Adminfo • 4

Learning in 3D A SCHOOL LEARNING STORY by C R A I G M U N R O E

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3D printed prototypes of bottle openers with final metalwork projects, made by students Ty Thurow, Tiara Solomon and Dylan Telford The Dissection Frog Prototype

ntil recently my experience with 3D printers was limited to abstract news stories about odd things people, namely engineers, were making. I always had the misconception that 3D printers carved smaller objects out of large slabs of some unknown Buck Rogers type substance. My understanding and personal experience with 3D printing was dramatically altered when one of the Industrial Education teachers at Lake City Secondary (LCSS), Nick Macdonald, came to me one day early last year holding a 3D printed gear. In the ensuing conversation Nick informed me that the cog he had printed was a replacement cog for the 3D printer he had assembled from a purchased kit. I asked him, “Why the cog?” and he went on to explain that if the part wears out he now has a replacement part and was now in the process of printing several other key parts that were prone to wearing out. I asked where this was taking place and Nick informed me that he had set up the 3D printer in the back of the shop teachers’ prep room. A quick morning field trip to the shop teacher prep room revealed my first glimpse of a 3D printer quietly humming away making replacement parts for itself. Truthfully, visions of the Terminator briefly crossed my mind, but any anxiety was quickly put aside as I leaned in for a closer look and saw we were still only dealing with plastic. 3D printing for Nick was a passion borne simply out of his insatiable curiosity in terms of wanting to know how things work. That being said Nick is a dreamer and wants to somehow formulate this new technology into course work that would expose many students to this up and coming process. Nick walked me through the layout of the 3D printer from top to bottom explaining how what major component did and how he himself had learned by error, and was still learning, what worked and what didn’t work – regardless of what the owner’s manual said. Nick had an incredible amount of support in developing his knowledge of the 3D printer from one of the school district Information Technology team members Aaron Ulrich. Aaron and Nick, being good friends, built and developed a 3D printer each for their own personal use and had leaned on each other’s skill sets in setting up both printers. Aaron is an incredibly capable computer scientist who independently researched, sourced, and February 2017 • Adminfo • 5

Grade 8 students say: Ariel Veitch “I’m most proud of how quickly I got the hang of how to work the 3D design program.” Enessa Zus “I am most proud of my 3D printed prototype.” Ty Thurow “It was the best class ever, seeing the final project was super amazing!” Tiara Solomon “What gave me the most satisfaction is how I started with an idea and made it come to life.” implemented a prototype 3D printer that would be a viable option for wide spread use within our school district. Nick is one of those teachers who can assemble and build just about anything given a set of tools and an idea, so the two made a natural pairing for the rollout of an in-school pilot project. Nick and Aaron both had their printers hooked up at the school and had them continually running so that they could further define their knowledge base and skills in working with 3D software and printer interfaces. Needless to say Nick and Aaron were producing all sorts of novel items like 1:10 scale WWII tanks, miscellaneous gears and cogs, chess pieces, 12-inch tall model figures, and replacement parts for the printer itself as they pushed

the 3D printers’ capabilities, while working out technical production issues along the way. In the following weeks Nick, whose enthusiasm was contagious, presented me with the idea of reintroducing a drafting program at LCSS with 3D printing being an addition to the coursework to address the new curriculum. Although an informal discussion, I had asked Nick to prepare and submit a course outline that involved 3D printing to some degree. The proposal Nick submitted initially was based on a full implementation of a semester length, Grade 10-12 program that addressed all avenues of a drafting curriculum. I was completely in support of this program but was still wanting more as I was keen to see and build the program from the proverbial grassroots – starting in Grade 8! Currently, as in many Grade 7-9 school structures, Grade 8 students are exposed to electives in a format known as an Expo rotation. Students are exposed to 8 different elective options in four Derek Rispin operating 3D drafting software week segments so February 2017 • Adminfo • 6

that when they enter Grade 9 they can choose their elective options with some background knowledge of what they are signing up for as a course. Nick took my suggestion and incorporated 3D printing into the Tech Ed (metalwork) Expo rotation course outline seamlessly. Today in our Grade 8 expo Tech Ed. rotation student begin learning the basics of drafting, then move into the computer lab, and begin work on design and development of a plan for their metalwork project, first in 2D, then in 3D. Students are required to 3D print their project, a bottle opener, and once complete then move to the metal work shop to fabricate the working edition. The 3D prototype has led students to see how, and if, their designs will function ‘properly’ prior to working with metal. Program plans are still developing to include the full implementation of a Grade 9 elective offering for the fall of 2017. Moving forward, Nick has plans to 3D print models of dissection frogs that would be painted by art classes and used by biology classes to support the study of the anatomy of frogs without having to dissect, an option for squeamish biologists. My personal investment into the program was to paint the prototype. I think it turned out okay. Overall the whole experience has been an incredible learning adventure for all the students, teacher Mr. Macdonald, IT Support Tech, Mr. Ulrich and myself, a true community of learners!

Craig Munroe is a Vice-Principal, Lake City Secondary in Williams Lake. He can be reached at [email protected]

Workshopping Success

Amoré and Cori sharpen their skills while working to build a construction shed.

by Leslie Dyson

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Trades Discovery was introduced at the Chilliwack Education Center in the 2015-16 school year. It began with four students but quickly grew. There are now 27 students enrolled and more are interested.

t’s not easy teaching students the rudiments of the construction trades without a workshop. So, the first major project for the students and staff in the brand new Trades Discovery program at the Chilliwack Education Centre was to build a 25-foot by 12-foot construction shed. “There are constraints that come with a portable,” said Principal Chuck Lawson. “There was no shop to work in. They now had a meaningful project to work on together.” Not only did the structure provide undercover protection for work on future projects, it became a showpiece that drew others to sign up for the program. February 2017 • Adminfo • 7

The education centre, a collection of buildings in east Chilliwack, offers a hands-on, passion-based model, leaving behind the selfpaced, paper-based programming of the past. Programs are designed to tap into students’ interests (outdoors, sustainability, creative arts and technology, expressive arts, and trades). Many of the students have had difficult life experiences and have seen many roadblocks to education success. “Life happens,” Lawson said, “but the kids who are successful know how to ask for help and have resources.” “The school spirit and camaraderie are things I didn’t expect to see,” added instructor Ryan Pastorchik. There are kids with high needs but constructing the building was the perfect vehicle for helping students recognize their strengths and see the value of working together. The diversity in ages (from 14 to 19) could have been a challenge as well, but Lawson said, “There are no barriers. They’re all working together. We don’t have behaviour problems. They’re not fighting with each other, no one’s angry with their teacher.” However, many struggle with confidence. So Pastorchik and Education Assistant James Braun spend considerable time modeling and helping students develop the soft skills (communication and social skills as well as a sense of teamwork and responsibility). Trades Discovery was introduced in the 2015-16 school year. It began with four students but quickly grew. There are now 27 students enrolled and more are showing interest. “The class size is higher than I want,” said Lawson, “but hopefully we will have two classes.” Braun said students are drawn to

the program because the work isn’t paper-based. It appears more relevant and useful. “I’ve always had issues with the type of learning in mainstream schools,” said 15-year-old Amoré. “But now I’m not as stressed out. Some people are visual learners, need hands-on, or a quieter setting. In Ryan’s class there’s a bit of everything.” Lawson developed the program after spending time researching and learning from other educators in the province. He learned that the success of the program depends on students’ commitment and resiliency, a strong partnership with the trade school at the local university, and hiring a teacher with a trades background. The Chilliwack program has received help from the school district’s maintenance department, the University of the Fraser Valley’s trades centre, and the City of Chilliwack. “Everyone we’ve turned to has been supportive,” he said. Then it was just a case of finding the perfect staff. Pastorchik, has a decade of experience in the residential and commercial construction sectors. He also has degrees in history, literature, and environmental

February 2017 • Adminfo • 8

education. Braun works in the summer with the maintenance department. Lawson was persuasive, Pastorchik said. “Chuck has such good enthusiasm. He told me, ‘Just give them a hands-on project and things will start to happen!’” However, there were conditions. The program had to be cross-curricular, industry relevant, academically rigorous, project-based, and fun. “I just want to see some sawdust fly!” Lawson told Pastorchik. But there were no tools or wood. “That was the first challenge,” Pastorchik said. He was given $500. So he bought two power saws and found someone to donate some wood. Since then, tools have been purchased as the projects progress and, thanks to community support, materials show up as needed. Pastorchik has maintained the contacts he had while working in construction. He went to his former employers and asked them what they look for in new hires. “All of them said they want people who are attentive and punctual and willing to try new things and work as part of a team. Understanding the tools of the trade showed up lower down

The instructors share their expertise and watch the progress take shape.

on their lists.” The program is demanding. Expectations are high and the weather conditions can be unpleasant. Some students discover they are not well suited. On the other hand, falling far behind in math in earlier grades may not be an impediment. “The trades are rich with math applications,” said Lawson. “They definitely are not based on low academic ability. Pastorchik agreed. Building projects are “more or less huge math projects. There’s trigonometry, surface area, volume, geometry, working in cubic meters. All the stuff I used to roll my eyes at in high school.” Lawson said, “It’s interesting to watch the kids doing their measurements and grades. Working out the angles makes it so real. They have a real sense of purpose.” Even though it might take longer to reach the Grade 10 level in math, “the academic rigour here is equivalent to anywhere,” Pastorchik added. Each school day begins with trades

lays.” Pastorchik said. Construction works on a “hurry up and wait” model. There were a few days of slightly milder weather last December and the students knew all the arrangements had to be in place to pour the concrete footings for the seating area or it would be weeks before another opportunity came up. Working with the school district’s Maintenance Department, they moved earth, shoveled gravel, and mixed concrete in the pouring rain before the snow and ice arrived. For students like Cori (“I was named for the car”), it was working outdoors that drew him to the program. “It was the only program that suited me. It was outside. There was math and English. The poetry unit the outdoor program but I’m not reresonated with many students be- ally into hiking. “I like all weather. It was pouring cause it provided a different avenue for expressing their pain and frus- rain when we put in the forms. I tration. Former student Shawna grabbed some coveralls and boots. I Ferguson will have her poem Death was outside in the pits. I wasn’t getby Words published in Youthink maga- ting my own clothes dirty.” A short thawing period in Januzine. The first few weeks cover safe con- ary allowed students to strip the struction work practices, use of hand plywood from the four forms. The and power tools, and completion of concrete had cured perfectly. Then heavy snow arrived and again the a small woodworking project. Projects have to meet all safety worksite was under a foot of snow requirements, align with the build- and ice. So the project had to be ing code, and fall within the budget. left. But that didn’t leave the stuThis year’s big project is construct- dents idle. They began work on an ing a pergola-covered seating area elaborate three-level chicken coop with easy-to-clean sliding floors. in front of the centre. By the end of the first 10-weeks, The large-scale construction projects and working in all weather pro- the students have a glimpse into vide insight into what happens on four trades (framing, electrical wiring, plumbing, and architectural typical construction sites. Every morning, before launch- drafting using Google’s Sketch Up). ing into the construction work, the But the B.C. Industry Training Auclass has a “tool box meeting.” As thority lists hundreds of trades. Students spend the second half on regular construction sites, the issues of safety, scope of the work, of the year (12 weeks) in the trades and expectations are made clear to centre at the University of the Fraser Valley getting hands-on experieveryone. “There are setbacks and time de- ence in many other trades. February 2017 • Adminfo • 9

Ryan Pastorchik shares a sketch of a pergola/ seating project.

The second year of the Trades Discovery program provides work experience and opportunities via Youth Work in Trades (formerly Secondary School Apprenticeship). In the third year, the centre connects students with Youth Training in Trades (formerly ACE-IT) or Regional Career Programming options. At that point they are able to embark on their first year of apprenticeship in their chosen trade. For Cori, who started the program last October, the program is even better than he expected. “I thought it would be just hammers and hand saws, but we’re working with $600 power saws.” He’s set to graduate in 2018 and he’d like to work as a conservation officer. “Oh yeah, I can use these skills,” he said. “Conservation officers need to learn the tools for setting up rigging to help an injured animal.” Female students do well in the program but there is a stereotype that the trades are more suitable for males. Most of the construction trades have fewer than four percent women. “The good news is that classrooms are not like that,” Pastorchik said. “Change will come from the bottom up.” He’s confident that the male students in the Chilliwack program will respect their female

colleagues because “they are people that others in construction would want to work with.” Amoré said, “A lot of people think the trades are based solely for men. Women aren’t portrayed in the trades.” Her father is a retired electrician and he’s bought her tools because she likes to build “random things.” Over the winter break she helped him build a workshop and a room in the basement of their house. She brings enthusiasm and fun to every project. Despite the freezing wind and the air filled with ice crystals and flying sawdust, she had a big grin and was joking with her work mate.

“Everything in life is tough,” she said. “But once you have a group, everything is easier.” Even moving heavy objects for people of small stature is not an obstacle. Teamwork and strategizing with others overcome every challenge, she said. Pastorchik loves teaching but said, “What I do miss about the industry is that at the end of the day, your body and mind are tired but what you’ve built is large and so is your pride. When you build a house or a building you don’t just tuck it away.” Amoré understands that sense of accomplishment that pervades the construction industry. “You start from nothing. You start with a whole bunch of pieces of wood and nails and you can see everything you’re capable of.” Now the students are talking excitedly about an upcoming gear project that will have the portable classroom ceiling outfitted with moving wooden gears that they will work on collaboratively.

Leslie Dyson is a regular contributor to Adminfo. She can be reached at [email protected]

Cover Story

Our cover art for February is by Makayli Wilkinson, a Grade 9 student at Crawford Bay Elementary-Secondary School, in School District #8 Kootenay Lake. Our thanks to Makayli, her art teacher Shannon Lanaway, and Principal Laury McPherson for submitting this work. February 2017 • Adminfo • 10

Making Sense of My Mindset Reflections by Aaron Akune

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hen I read, hear or think of the words ‘growth mindset,’ I immediately translate them in my own mind, as ‘willing and able to learn.’ As I reflect on how my perspective about mindsets has evolved I have found myself rewinding the clock to my own childhood to see how and where my thinking was initially grounded. Although the term ‘growth mindset’ is one that I have only been introduced to during the last decade, I believe I was introduced to the concept as a way of thinking as a youngster. Even though at that time research about growth mindset may not have existed, I’m sure my parents, who happened to be educators themselves, likely would have articulated many of the same underlying principles outlined by Dweck today. Although I cannot recall one specific situation in which a growth mindset was emphasized to me or which sent my own thinking along a growth mindset path, I consider myself fortunate that the ongoing messaging I received as a child more than likely aligned with that of a growth mindset. It is as a pre-teen growing up playing sports that I first recall my experience with mindset thinking. On every team I played on, in any sport, I was almost always the small kid, the one who lacked the height, size, and strength of many of the kids I was playing with and competing against. While I knew I would eventually grow and was hopeful that I might someday catch up with many of my peers, I also knew that this was not a reality I could count on in any given year of playing sports. Knowingly or unknowingly, my different coaches from the different sports I was involved in all communicated to me, directly or indirectly, that because of my stature I would be limited to playing certain positions or roles. Was I a victim of fixed mindset thinking on their part or was this just conventional thinking February 2017 • Adminfo • 11

and the most strategic way for them to utilize the skills and talents of the players they were coaching? I guess one could argue either way. One of those coaches happened to be my father and over the course of many conversations during rides to and from the ballpark, he brought me into his thinking as a coach. While I don’t recall any of his exact words, listening to him I formulated a concept of myself as a ballplayer. I was undersized, physically not as strong as most others, had average speed, and half-decent hands. From my perspective, these were my inherent traits to work with and in some cases work around. From early on, I could field balls fairly consistently

and toss fly balls in the air for me to catch. He would catch for me as I experimented with curve balls and other pitches, patiently coaching me along as I sometimes bounced balls off the plate and other times sent pitches four feet too high into our soon-to-be cracked fence. He would push me, encourage me and instruct me. Whether I was having my best day or most error-filled day, his actions and words communicated to me that I could, with consistent practice, improve as a fielder and pitcher. I felt he had the confidence in me to play defensively in most infield or outfield positions. Surprise, surprise, when the opportunity presented itself, I pushed

Whether I was having my best day or most error-filled day, his actions and words communicated to me that I could, with consistent practice, improve as a fielder and pitcher.

and throw well enough to the point that I would pitch. But it became obvious that batting was not something that came naturally to me. Whether this was something I became aware of on my own or thinking that my father had implanted in me, I honestly cannot recall. At any rate, he and I spent many hours in the backyard practicing. He would hit ground balls at me for me to field

for more practice fielding because I was convinced that with repetition I would keep improving. I held a growth mindset at it’s clearest! But we rarely, if ever, hit. There was no batting cage in our backyard and going to a park would have required transporting equipment. And what would have happened when I actually did hit the ball? One of us would have had to run around picking up February 2017 • Adminfo • 12

balls all over the place. And predictably, because I believed I wasn’t much of a hitter anyway and my father’s messaging confirmed this, I didn’t push for more batting practice. Why put myself out there, only to confirm what I believed I would fail at anyway? Enter the fixed mindset! It is amazing that I could have had such opposing mindsets about different aspects of the same sport. It’s been a great reminder to me that we do not always subscribe to a growth mindset or fixed mindset. We can possess a fixed mindset in one area of our life and a growth mindset in a different area of our life. As I reflect on the previous example and other situations in my past, I recognize that when I have approached challenges with a growth mindset, I have felt a high degree of self-efficacy and have been most persistent in accomplishing the challenge. In contrast, when I have brought a fixed mindset to a situation, I have felt a lesser degree of selfefficacy and often lacked the persistence required to be successful. The advice I hear many adults give to children is ‘keep trying.’ On one hand, they may be right because without persistence, a person may never reach the point of experiencing the success that was to come. On the other hand, persistence alone may be futile. Persisting with poor technique or flawed thinking is unlikely to lead a person to success. Persisting while self-assessing, adapting and learning is the key to a person closing in on success. And as we have all experienced, success breeds more persistence, which in turns provides the chance for more learning. It is a positive feedback loop that leads to longer term growth.

The reason I chose to share the previous

story and my thinking behind it is because it reveals how I attempt to approach and view all situations in my life, both personally and professionally. I know that with persistence and determination, my willingness to admit failure and learn from mistakes, I will continue to grow. I recognize I have areas of strength and areas of challenge, and as such I try to focus my energies into areas that will result in the greatest growth. Growth is often times incremental, largely unnoticeable to others and sometimes only recognizable to me because of my situational courage and confidence. Courage and confidence are by-products of competence that is built through learned experience. I believe my mindset as a formal leader continues to evolve as I make sense of the experiences I have witnessed and been a part of in my work with other leaders. I have come to understand that the best way to learn to lead is by leading. I have to do things, try things, and some of them will work and some of them will not. It is when I reflect and inquire into my lived experiences that the learning takes place. Combining this self reflection with reading, networking, and collaborating with others is when my learning has accelerated. The key is that this reflection, which must trigger action, should contribute to more successful actions and decisions. The majority of these situations lead to the incremental, gradual growth that I referenced earlier. I am also aware that there are and will be major tests that will define me as a leader. This comes with the territory of a person responsible for the performance and care of others. These tests look a little bit different for each person in a leadership role based on their comfort zones, or more importantly, their zones of discomfort. I know others are constantly assessing me based on how and what my answers are to certain questions. My responses reveal to others who I am, what I stand for and where my priorities lie. I am comfortable challenging the status quo and questioning long-held beliefs or traditions. As best I can, I try to separate people from their ideas, confronting ideas and actions without challenging who they are as people. I try to anticipate reactions and preserve healthy relationships

while creating cognitive dissonance within people. Cognitive dissonance is in itself evidence of reflection, learning, and growth. Despite this, I recognize that in sticking to my beliefs I may create uncomfortable situations for myself and I may unexpectedly walk into other uncomfortable situations. These types of situations have the potential to trigger my fixed mindset, which will tell me to avoid them altogether. I must remain aware of when my fixed mindset wants to creep in and meet these scenarios head on with resolve and confidence because this is often when my greatest growth will occur. Through my work with kids, I now believe our challenge of getting students to assume a growth mindset as their more dominant mindset is considerable. Although I do not have data to support my claims, I hypothesize that a large proportion of our fixed mindset learners belong to one of two categories. Many of them are vulnerable learners who experience little to no success in school based on traditional outcomes. Despite their best efforts early on in their education, they find it is always a struggle to fully grasp what they should be learning. Even in the absence of formal grades, they know that in comparison to their classmates they are simply not measuring up. Without a caring teacher or parent to point out incremental growth and attributing it to effort, these students become more and more entrenched in a fixed mindset. These same students enter high school, often times committing to greater effort in an effort to start fresh in a new environment. Unfortunately, many go on to

Short, timely updates. Follow the BCPVPA on Twitter. https://www.twitter.com/bcpvpa February 2017 • Adminfo • 13

Every student can learn and every teacher can find the pedagogical approach that enables learning. Put together, this will ensure a learning progression for every student. fail multiple assignments, tests and courses, confirming for them once again that despite their best efforts they lack the ability to learn. Even in situations where they are unsuccessful, praise for their effort further confirms for them that their teachers do not believe they can learn. Gradually, the thought of not being able to comprehend what everyone else appears to be able to and receiving failing grades on the completed portions of work becomes too big a threat. Rather that legitimately trying and feeling stupid, many of our vulnerable learners choose to opt out by not completing work and not attending class. The other group of fixed mindset students are those who perform exceptionally well based on traditional outcomes. As young learners they are praised for being ‘smart’. They are consistently placed in groups with the accelerated learners and gradually they understand this to mean that they have been born with the talents to do well at school. In their early years of high school, their success on tests and the high grades they achieve earn them praise for being ‘bright.’ And with each seemingly well-intentioned word of praise for their abilities, these students feel greater pressure to live up to the internalized expectation of others. Instead of pushing themselves forward as learners as many might an-

ticipate, they choose to protect themselves against failure and limit the chances they might find out they’re not as ‘smart’ or ‘bright’ as others perceive. The same learners who we implore to go on and tackle great challenges are the ones we may have unknowingly and unintentionally made risk averse by our championing of their abilities. The obvious question is what we should do about it. First, when we notice students aren’t learning we must avoid getting frustrated and defensive, thinking that it reflects on us. We also must avoid pushing the blame on to the students by saying that because of their fixed mindsets they aren’t willing to invest the effort required to learn. We must remember that it is our responsibility to create the environment in which the growth mindset flourishes. Suggesting to students that greater effort is the solution is not great advice either. Investing greater effort using the same ineffective strategies is unlikely to lead to improvement. And praising students for their effort when they are unsuccessful is counterproductive because it communicates to them that we think they can’t do any better. On the flip side, praising students for their innate abilities is also detrimental.

In either scenario, we must focus on how their effort to use certain strategies is creating learning progress and success. Every student can learn and every teacher can find the pedagogical approach that enables learning. Put together, this will ensure a learning progression for every student. One way I have seen and experienced that ignites a growth mindset is connecting learners to a purpose other than marks, ranking and status. When students have an authentic purpose to their work, their concern about grades disappears almost completely. Examples of this come from some current students of mine who are focussed on strengthening school community through an Independent Directed Studies Project and the Community Ambassadors program that focuses on inclusivity and bettering the local community. In both instances, students have designed and assumed nearly complete ownership over their initiatives. Their outcomes serve a real purpose, they feel real pressure because they know others are relying on them and the feedback they receive from their teachers is all about how the learning process is enabling them to reach their goals. So, what is the best way to shift learners to a growth mindset? Connect them to an authentic purpose that serves an authentic audience and let this drive authentic learning.

Aaron Akune is Principal at Sands Secondary in Delta. This is his first article for Adminfo. He blogs at https://deltalearns.ca/aakune/ and can be reached at [email protected]

Short, timely updates. Follow the BCPVPA on Twitter. https://www.twitter.com/bcpvpa February 2017 • Adminfo • 14

Exclusively from Corwin

Visible Learningplus Institute Visible Learning Institute with John Hattie &Vancouver Ainsley Rose plusthe In partnership with Visible Learning July 7 and 8 Richmond (Pacific Gateway Hotel) US $449 (with the $50 BCPVPA discount code applied)

Register http://bit.ly/2kOhZMU

Institute July 7-8, 2017

A limited number of rooms (at $325 per night) are available at the Pacific Gateway Vancouver, Canada Hotel, using this link http://bit.ly/BCPVPAGatewayVL

Registration: $449 USD per person

(Withis Discount BCPVPA) a two-dayCode: conference with John The Vancouver Visible Learningplus Institute Hattie and Ainsley Rose. This institute introduces you to the core concepts and www.corwin.com/CanadaVL research of Visible Learning. You will learn to systematically examine effective instructional practice to make the greatest impact onOutcomes student achievement and Institute learning. Ainsley Rose will provide the BC context and application. • Recognize and implement high effect size instructional strategiesand andmake makeadjustments adjustments to to focus Recognize and implement high effect instructional strategies focus on onwhat whatworks works best best in light of what the research shows in light of what the research shows • Discover why a culture of effective feedback is essential in a school district, and learn strategies to make • Discover why aand culture of effective feedback is essential in learning visible by giving and receiving effective feedback a school and district, and learn strategies to make learning • Learn to use the Visible Learning plus framework, share visible learning intentions and co-create success criteria for every by giving and receiving effective feedback plus The lesson, Vancouver Visible Learning giving students the tools they need to recognize success and track their own progress • evaluation, Learn to use thedeveloping Visible Learningplus framework, share • Learn how to integrate student voice into planning, and curriculum Institute is a two-day conference learning intentions and co-create success criteria for every • Learn how to create assessment-capable learners lesson, giving students the tools they need to recognize



Featuring John Hattie

with John Hattie and Ainsley Rose. success and track their own progress This institute introduces you to the • Learn how to integrate student voice into planning, evaluating, and developing curriculum core concepts BCPVPA’s and research of Visible 2017 Partnership Awards Learning. You will learn to systematically • Learn how to create assessment-capable learners is now accepting nominations from Chapters for its annual examine effective instructional practice Partnership Awards. The Awards recognize the valuable Agenda support provided principals, vice-principals, teachers and students by individuals or in order to make thetogreatest impact on • The Research groups have, over extended period of Visible time,Learning demonstrated strong support for student who achievement and an learning.

The BCPVPA

public education creating a direct benefit •forMetacognitive students.Strategies The winners in Action last year were Yo Bro/Yo Girl Youth Initiative, (Surrey PVPA); Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship • Using Data to Make Learning Visible In partnership with Centre (Nanaimo/Ladysmith PVPA); Cumberland Community School Society, (Comox • Creating Visible Learners Island North PVPA); and, Valley PVPA); Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations, (Vancouver John and Sandra Barth, (Nechako Lakes PVPA). Nominations must be submitted by • Becoming a Visible Learning School Friday, March 31, 2017. The Awards will be presented at the May 2017 Chapter Council meeting.

Register today at www.corwin.com/CanadaVL Nomination form: http://bit.ly/BCPVPAPartnership2017 Read about last year’s recipients: http://bit.ly/1NNp0GW February 2017 • Adminfo • 15

Question

How do we foster transformative teaching & learning within existing traditional structures?

Sarah Garr considers the impact of concrete and intangible structures as education moves from traditional to transformative.

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hile curriculum changes are lead- was later reinforced through a conver- ing uncomfortable, and to model the ing us towards a significant re- sation I had with the head teacher of same growth mindset that we are hope fashioning of our role as educators, the an alternate program. He shared his to instill in our students. How successreality is that many schools and districts ongoing struggle to convince “his kids” ful will the integration of a transformed are constrained by traditional struc- that they were valued within a physical curriculum be if it is combined with tratures that can pose significant barriers space that was aging and run down. ditional modes of thinking? With the integration of a new curricuto meaningful and sustained growth. Transformative teaching and learnTraditional structures can encompass ing should and can happen within tra- lum we have an opportunity to transeverything from the concrete, (the ditional and sometimes less than ideal form learning for our students. But it’s physical spaces of our school communi- physical spaces, but I don’t believe that not enough to squeeze a new curriculum ty) to the abstract (mindsets, attitudes, we can discount the impact, both posi- into our existing traditional structures. If belief systems). tive and negative, that those spaces can teaching and learning do not begin to Let me begin with one example of the have on staff and students. A school look significantly different in BC schools, concrete. While the physical space of a community is not confined, or defined, then we will have failed our students. There are no easy answers. But we school community does not necessar- by a “bricks and mortar” structure, but ily impede transformational teaching it can provide a supportive foundation. must continue to have conversations, mindful of existand learning, That is, not an insurmountable it can pose a barrier, but a factor to be conShould a We now know ing traditional challenge. With bell schedule sidered. Other examples of better and so structures. Within the unique many schools concrete traditional structures signal the end we need contexts of our traditionally demight include elements such districts and signed as a colas timetables, staffing, budget of learning? to do better. schools, what lection of “little constraints, and Ministry guidedo we identify boxes,” how do lines and policies. we encourage teachers and students to In addition to these more concrete as the non-negotiables, those elements move beyond the walls of their class- structures, however, there are less “tan- which we are unable to change? And rooms to engage in collaborative learn- gible” traditional structures to consider. what are the elements that we are able ing experiences? The truth is that by our very nature, hu- to address and transform to facilitate As part of the West Coast Regional Ex- mans are creatures of habit. In times of the types of learning experiences that change (WCRE), facilitated by Stephen uncertainty and flux, we tend to default we know are best for our students? As Stephen Hurley reminded memHurley and Max Cooke from the Cana- to familiar, traditional modes of thinkdian Education Association, I had the ing. The “known” is comfortable. It’s bers at the WCRE, “an issue is where opportunity to marvel at the beauty of safe. As such, despite the implementa- an opportunity and a challenge meet.” our venue, Norma Rose Point (Vancou- tion of a new curriculum, many educa- Rather than viewing existing traditional ver), a school which was designed for tors continue to teach the way that they structures as insurmountable barriers to transformational teaching and learning, teacher collaboration. Although Prin- were taught. cipal Rosa Fazio was quick to point out With a curriculum that challenges stu- we can view these as opportunities for that it is more about a mindset than a dents to explore, take risks, and venture innovative and creative solutions. I look physical space, I couldn’t help but think into a world of creativity and inquiry, forward to continuing this conversation, about the impact that teaching and educators must take up this same chal- both with my colleagues in BC, across learning in such a space might have on lenge, to become comfortable with be- Canada, and globally. the hearts and minds of the members Sarah Garr is Vice-Principal of Steveston London Secondary in Richmond. of the school community. My sentiment She can be reached at [email protected] February 2017 • Adminfo • 16

On performance reviews The BCPVPA’s Executive Director, Kit Krieger, writes about the requirement that future salary increases for principals and vice-principals be tied to performance reviews. The BCPVPA believes that the Leadership Standards for Principals and Vice-Principals in BC give our members a clear, widely accepted, and research-based set of competencies on which to ascertain performance.

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ritish Columbia’s public school province’s principals and viceprincipals are relieved that the wage freeze that affected exempt staff in the public sector has ended. The initial measures taken by the Public Sector Employers Council (PSEC), the agency that oversees compensation for all public sector employees in the province, achieved two desirable outcomes. First, they implemented a measure to transition exempt staff in the K-12 system to the regional grids that were introduced in October 2014 in the Realities, Risks and Rewards report from BCPSEA. Secondly, they reverse the compression and inversion that undermined our members for a decade. The end of the freeze invokes an-

other PSEC policy initiative that will require that future compensation increases be tied to performance. While this is a longstanding compensation practice in both the public and private sectors, it is new to K-12. The PSEC documents speak to a “performance-based (merit) culture.” In awarding salary increases within PSEC guidelines, districts will be required to differentiate awards on the basis of three factors: experience, performance, and labour market (recruitment/retention). The previous practice of periodic general wage increases, barring a freeze, granted to principals and vice-principals, is no longer acceptable. Differentiation in wage increases is required. Merit-based pay is based on some February 2017 • Adminfo • 17

reasonable assumptions: not everyone performs at the same level, high performers should be rewarded, and performance-based compensation serves as an incentive to improve. Conversely, it is argued that school contexts and student populations are too different to enable a fair and defensible metric for performance measurement. Student achievement, a primary purpose of schooling, is affected by numerous external factors and principals and vice-principals, while playing a significant role, lead within a learning community. Regardless of the pros and cons, the new expectation is now in place. The BCPVPA believes that the Leadership Standards for Principals and Vice-Principals in BC give our members a clear, widely accepted, and research-based set of competencies on which to ascertain performance. Many districts have well-established practices of professional growth plans that, if implemented, will provide a process that should en-

able districts to manage the requirements for performance review without straining the capacity of senior staff, already burdened by severe cuts to administration and a truckload of managerial and leadership responsibilities. There are several factors which will determine whether the K-12 system can successfully adopt a performance-based model. Above all, a successful transition rests on a trustrelationship between the parties. A second requirement is that the performance review model focus on those outcomes over which the principal and vice-principal have control and that school and community contexts are appreciated. Decisions should be evidence-informed and the BCPVPA is working to develop a platform that will enable members to collect and communicate evidence of having advanced toward goals and displayed competencies. I will share more about this as this work takes shape. Update on leadership development I have previously written of the need for the province to develop a provincial leadership strategy and to invest in leadership development. BC is the only province that does not make a significant investment in leadership development in the K-12 sector. Recent collaborative efforts by education partners and the Ministry on the Leadership Development Working Group has given us some optimism that investment in this area will be forthcoming. Until that investment is secured we will continue to work with our partners to advocate for sustainable leadership development … and will report back to you regularly on our progress.

The Dossier on Inequities Every teacher in British Columbia is enrolled in a short-term disability plan that provides income for the 120-day qualifying period for LTD. Not so for principals and vice-principals. The following story is true and illustrative of the need to address the employment rights of principals and vice-principals. As Jack Webb intoned in the introduction to the 1950s TV series Dragnet, the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Sylvia is a long-time principal in a metropolitan district. With 30 years experience, including 18 years as a principal, she is interested in moving to the Okanagan for her final five to seven years. The move is motivated by a desire to relocate to the place that she and her partner plan to live after retirement and to augment her retirement savings with proceeds from the sale of her home in the hyper-inflated Vancouver real estate market. Sylvia accepts an offer for a principalship in the Okanagan and is looking forward to a new challenge. She signs her contract and starts her new position in August. In November, Sylvia, who has missed less than ten days of work due to illness during her career, is diagnosed with cancer. While the prognosis is encouraging, she will likely miss the rest of the school year. Sylvia left her previous district with more than 300 days in her sick bank, much more than enough to bridge her to long-term disability (LTD) should the medical leave be extended. When she informs her new district of her situation, she learns that she has only 15 days of sick leave in her sick bank. She then learns that her new employer does not have a short-term disability program and that it does not provide bridging to LTD. In other words, there will be a gap of 105 days between her last paycheck from her district and her first benefits check from the long-term disability insurer. How can this be? Every teacher in British Columbia is enrolled in a short-term disability plan that provides income for the 120-day qualifying period for LTD. Not so for principals and vice-principals, whose terms and conditions of employment vary among the province’s 60 school districts. Only 20 districts provide their principals and vice-principals with short-term disability benefits. The remaining 40 have a variety of provisions. Some provide full salary until the individual qualifies for LTD. Contract language in 22 districts have the potential to leave a principal or vice-principal without salary or a salary continuation benefit during a medical leave. This vulnerability is unacceptable. BCPVPA staff work with districts when members are without salary and we have found many districts willing to provide ongoing salary support despite the absence of a contractual obligation to do so. For small districts, this represents a substantial liability. Any member considering moving to another district should ask about sick leave and salary continuance provisions. Unlike your teaching counterparts, you cannot be assured of this important benefit. The BCPVPA is working to address the overall gap in the quality of benefits packages available to teachers compared with principals and vice-principals. The exempt staff compensation wage freeze made it impossible to address the issue over the last four years, but the end of the freeze may present a long-awaited opportunity to achieve equity and consistency in benefits. February 2017 • Adminfo • 18

Professional Reading Available in February

Published in association with the BCPVPA & available from our website

“We raise our hands in thanks and respect to the authors for their exemplary efforts in working through questions and challenges to realize Aboriginal education success. They have started a movement of Aboriginal education success stories in British Columbia.” The BC Principals’ & Vice Principals’ Association and the UBC Faculty of Education have worked cooperatively to publish this timely book. The topics include Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements, curriculum change, curriculum/program development, policy, research, Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous language revitalization, Aboriginal family and community engagement and partnerships, innovative technology, and more.

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Inst ru ct

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Moral Stewardship

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adership l Le na io

Relational L ea

Jo-ann Archibald, Qum Qum Xiiem, PhD, of Sto:lo and Xaxli’p First Nations ancestry is the former associate dean, Indigenous Education and director of NITEP in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. Jan Hare is an Anishinaabe scholar and educator from the M’Chigeeng First Nation in northern Ontario. She is the Associate Dean for Indigenous Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia.

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Leadership Standards for Principals and Vice-Principals in British Columbia 2015 Developed by the BCPVPA Standards Committee – May 2015

170188-01_BCPVPA–LeadershipStandards_2015_V4.indd 1

Creating Thinking Classrooms by Roland Case & Garfield Gini-Newman

Leading educational change for a 21st century world

Spirals of Inquiry by Judy Halbert & Linda Kaser

Organized to provide readers with specific inquiry tools, research evidence and examples from practice in BC schools. February 2017 • Adminfo • 19

6/10/15 1:19 PM

Leadership Standards for Principals & Vice-Principals in British Columbia Relational Leadership, Instructional Leadership, Organizational Leadership Moral Stewardship