So recently I have been incredibly inspired by our students, across all of our divisions, and it has left me smiling from ear to ear. You see, over the past few weeks I have watched our students compete on the soccer field, in the pool, on the volleyball and badminton courts, on stage in the fantastic grade 7 and elementary school drama performances, and in the ISTA festival, MRISA junior football tournament, and Vex robotics showcases that we hosted here on campus. I have also seen them practicing in the music room for our highly anticipated talent show, and in classrooms as they learned, debated, presented, collaborated and practiced for their upcoming student-led conferences…wow!
All in all, I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of young people over that time finding success due to the multitude of opportunities that they have had to showcase their talents all over the school.These opportunities have enabled them to grow and develop in immeasurable ways, in areas both inside and outside of the classroom. For me, that’s where the idea of student success ultimately lies, in that magical balance between activities that highlight the academic side of things and ones that highlight the physical, artistic, and social-emotional side of things. Individual student success often comes from a strong marriage of both, knowing that each one can strongly enhance the other.
These recent events have me thinking yet again about how we measure success in schools, and the importance of finding ways as educators to ensure that each student has an outlet or a pathway to develop a particular spark or a passion. These success pathways will ultimately help to shape their identity, facilitate their growth, and strengthen their self-esteem. I guess for me, the idea or measure of success cannot be simplified down to a single thing. The idea of student success incorporates so many different aspects of a young person’s life, and it should take into account the many variables that go into what positively shapes a young person’s being and character.
This past week I decided to ask a bunch of middle school kids the question, “What does it mean to be successful in school?”, and not surprisingly for many of them the answers went straight to grades and academic achievement. But, I was pleasantly surprised by the large number of kids who talked about success being measured by strong friendships and relationships, by learning from their mistakes, by being respected by their teachers and peers, being happy, and being seen for their individual and unique talents, whatever those may be.
I think we need to be careful as adults and educators not to place too much of a priority on any one aspect of a student’s growth or achievement, and look to develop and celebrate the areas where a student is able to find success in their lives right now. All kids, as you know, go through various stages of maturation and development, and a student’s “time” may not be in Middle School, or High School, or University for that matter. It’s no secret to the people who really know me, that I was very much a late bloomer when it came to academic success, but I did find success socially and in athletics, which set me up for the person that I’ve eventually become.
I guess the true measure of success is whether or not a student is constantly growing and learning, and for us that means asking questions like, is this student getting better academically? socially? as a teammate? as a person? Are they failing forward? And If so, then we need to find ways to celebrate these successes with each individual student as often as we can. I think we do a really good job of that here at SSIS, but it’s important to keep looking for areas where we can enhance our current models. We can’t rest until every student is finding success in one way or another, and being recognized for it.
I cannot wait to speak with the kids tomorrow who participated this weekend in their sports tournaments, the elementary drama performance, and the debate competition that was held here on campus. They will have all shown courage, teamwork, personal growth, resilience, determination and self confidence, and to me, that’s what true student success ultimately looks like. Have a great final week before the April holiday everyone, and remember to be great for our students and good to each other.
Quote of the Week –
The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows – Sydney J. Harris
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