Fostering Effective Relationships

A leader builds positive working relationships with members of the school community and local community.

During my career I have been fortunate enough to be in various positions that have allowed me to build relationships on many different levels. The evidence and information on this page is listed chronologically throughout my career.

Hutterite Colony Teacher/Principal 2011-2015 and Colony Team Leader 2014-15

Teaching at a colony opens many doors to unique relationships. Being the sole teacher for all of the students for the entire four years I was there, I cultivated very strong relationships with the children, their families, and the Colony leadership. Within my first year of teaching at Ferrybank, I assisted with hiring one Education Assistant and then was responsible for hiring her replacement when she decided the travel was too much for her. Being the only two adults in a building all day long, we became quite close and still keep in touch.

I feel that the relationships I cultivated with the other Colony teachers allowed me to seamlessly move into the team leadership role. Even though I was the newest member of the team, they readily accepted my instruction and guidance. More information abou this role can be found in the Managing School Operations section.

Learning Coach 2015-2017

The role of learning coach gave me opportunities to get to know students and staff in many different schools, as well as build strong working relationships with the coaching team and our leadership team. I very much enjoyed my time as a coach and feel that my ability to quickly connect with others in a meaningful but not overbearing way very much increased my ability to be an effective coach.

Classroom Teacher 2017-2022, 2023-present

When we learned that the Learning Coach role was being eliminated and we would be returned to classrooms, I found myself feeling very comfortable knowing that any of the buildings I might end up in would be a great place to be. However, I could not have been happier with the placement I received. My three children have all attended Rimbey Elementary, and I spent some time supporting staff in that building as well. It felt very natural to move in there. I have the privilege of working with some amazing staff members and guiding some wonderful children through their final year in the building. My grade 6 team partner and I often work together, sharing our teaching strategies and activities as well as ideas for helping our students navigate the emotional roller coaster rides they are embarking on.

I have worked hard to build a safe, comfortable and respectful environment for my students. They have often commented that I deal with things differently than other teachers. For example, when a large group of my students were struggling with playing 4-square fairly during recess, I asked our phys.ed teacher to teach a mini-unit on the game to everyone. He loved the idea and as a result students began to enjoy the game again. Similarly, with a group of students who were arguing about soccer, I spent half an hour with them listening to the problems and brainstorming solutions. When we were finished I thanked them for the effort and they said they were surprised I didn't yell and ban them from soccer. They have been able to work through playground issues much more effectively because I have given them guidance on how to do that, rather then solve the problems for them, or take the activity away.

New...but not really.

This is the article introducing new staff to our school the year I began teaching at Rimbely Elementary. You'll notice I'm not in the photo or mentioned in the article. This oversight on behalf of my principal was actually a huge compliment. She completely forgot that I was a new staff member because I had been in and out of the building for so many years, as a parent as well as supporting staff as a Learning Coach.

Acting Admin 2018-2020, 2022-2025

I've been very honored to be able to help out in the school office at various times while I've worked at Rimbey Elementary. In October 2023, due to unfortunate circumstances, our Principal had to be away for two full weeks. I was asked to take on the Acting Assistant Principal role. This was made a little more challenging because we didn't know right away how long this shift would be, so I had a variety of substitute teachers in my classroom for whom I still had to plan. Additionally, we were without a full-time admin assistant, so at times, I also took on that role while trying to help with admin duties as much as possible. Throughout all of the times I've stepped into the acting admin role, I've always felt comfortable contacting Jodi or Kathleen for guidance whenever I was unsure. The staff in our school have not hesitated to come to me with most issues and trusted that I would support them to the best of my abilities.

Virtual Learning Program Lead Teacher/Department Head for At Home Learning 2020-2022

This was the most challenging and rewarding position I've held so far. Working with students and their families virtually during the COVid pandemic pushed me to find ways to connect even though we could not meet face to face. During the first year of this program I built stronger relationships with parents than I ever had before. The fact that our program was completely asynchronous, we relied heavily on the parents of our young students to guide their children while accessing the materials we created. I spoke with parents on the phone every second week and was able to give them encouragement and support when they were feeling stressed and overwhelmed. I also worked very closely with a wonderful team of teachers with whom I met (virtually) at least once a week to guide and support them through the challenging task of preparing and monitoring such large amounts of lessons. The teachers knew that they could contact me at any time with any questions or concerns.

The second year of this program saw many fewer students, which meant a reduction in staff. Considering that most of the materials needed had been created the previous year, I was able to meet with each and every student virtually at least once a week, building trust through a screen half and hour at a time. Through my volunteer role as team manager for the Red Deer Braves, I was even fortunate enough to meet one of my youngest students at a baseball event. He didn't quite recognize me at first, in real life, but then he gave me a huge hug and we both had tears.

This message came as quite a surprise as it was from a family that we really struggled to support to an extent that was possible for us in the structure we had but also made them feel comfortable.

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