As May fades, with a background of political uncertainty surrounding teachers in BC, I have been reflecting on the fabulous final year I have had at Willoughby Elementary, and I am excited by the new adventures I will be facing in September. I have shed several real and metaphorical tears in the past weeks, as I have reflected on the last four years at my current school. I am leaving the comforts of my elementary school family, to walk through the doors of a brand new middle school in the fall. I am excited for the new challenge of teaching in a middle school and helping be part of a team that builds a new school. However, it is still hard to leave behind the community we have built at Willoughby.
| The biggest take away from the past two years has been the Inquiry journey I have taken part in with my colleagues. The release and collaboration time allowed all of us to grow as educators. We have become a close-knit group where we feel comfortable sharing and dissecting our personal inquiries and narratives. It has been exciting, rejuvenating, challenging and inspiring to share each other’s passions and personal inquiry journeys.  |  This year, the biggest break though – being able to make some peace with my personal narrative. Why am I the educator that I am? What do I do well? What do I do best? In an early post this year, I talked about teaching as my truest self. This is my biggest take away, truly embracing all my strengths and working on weaknesses, while receiving amazing support from phenomenal colleagues. |
Then there is my work with Bonny Kelly. Last year, we started this crazy idea called Inquiry Buddies, and dragged Barry along for the ride. You can read our year one reflections here. It was so amazing and wonderful to work through the peaks and valleys with two amazing colleagues. This year, Bonny and I continued the Inquiry Buddy journey, test-driving it with Grade 5, 6, and 7 students, and invited our colleague Brian Milner to join us. This year, students continued to work through the triumphs and challenges of pursuing yearlong passion based inquiries in groups, while being scaffolded by the three of us. The results: light creeping through the cracks once again, showing the value of having students pursue inquiry through groups. The need for students to genuinely collaborate, problem solve, communicate and critically think, while navigating through interpersonal problems to work towards an agreed upon goal.
As another tear falls upon the keyboard, I know that these final tears are mixed with sadness, relief, joy, and hope. I am sad to leave my amazing collaborative partner Bonny. Until her and I worked together on Inquiry Buddies, I never truly understood the profound difference between cooperating with a colleague and collaborating with one. I am relieved that we once again have come out of the “Inquiry Chaos” to experience the “Inquiry Joy” felt by both students and teachers. Finally, I have hope for the future of Inquiry Buddies both at Willoughby and in the ways Bonny and I hope to connect my Grade 8 middle school students with her elementary students. We have had a will before, and we will definitely find a way again!
As another tear falls upon the keyboard, I know that these final tears are mixed with sadness, relief, joy, and hope. I am sad to leave my amazing collaborative partner Bonny. Until her and I worked together on Inquiry Buddies, I never truly understood the profound difference between cooperating with a colleague and collaborating with one. I am relieved that we once again have come out of the “Inquiry Chaos” to experience the “Inquiry Joy” felt by both students and teachers. Finally, I have hope for the future of Inquiry Buddies both at Willoughby and in the ways Bonny and I hope to connect my Grade 8 middle school students with her elementary students. We have had a will before, and we will definitely find a way again!
So May, as you fade into June and onward, amidst the chaos, I am not worried, because in all those cracks, there is light and it will eventually shine through!
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