Leadership

Failing Forward

/ Dave Eberwein / 3 Comments

Before I get too far into this blog post, I need to give credit to Chris Smeaton who shared his concept of ‘Failing Forward’ a few years ago when he was Superintendent of an Alberta school division. He has since retired, but is still influential in the educational field. Chris is a quality person who believes in the possible — a leader who builds a culture of risk taking and emotional support — someone who embraces the idea of failure being a springboard to better things.

Our conversation was about 3 years ago at a conference table. I loved the visual imagery of his ‘failing forward’ message.

Even if You Trip – You’re Still Falling Forward

Even if you’re experiencing a temporary pause in your momentum, you can still move forward if you’re supported and encouraged, but not if you’re condemned for your mistake during your exploration of something new.

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A New Year Begins – Along With Some Anxiety

/ Dave Eberwein / Leave a comment
Autumn in Victoria, BC

September is such a magical time of the year.

Autumn is the season of cooler weather, crisp leaves on the ground and corn on the cob — all worth looking forward to for sure. But, for me and others in public education, September is also our New Year. It’s a time of starting again, the excitement of seeing the kids back in classrooms, maybe some fun new equipment in the school and the optimism of tackling new challenges with some energy in one’s personal tank.

It’s really a great time of year.

As I enter my 34th year in public education that excitement is still there — freshly polished floors, big ideas on our learning agenda and a bunch of exciting new projects to tackle.

Yet, similar to last fall there is still a feeling of anxiety amongst many in our community. COVID continues to provide a significant distraction for many and a challenge for us as we focus on teaching and learning.

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2021 Year-end Reflections : The School Year, Star Wars & My Dad

/ Dave Eberwein / 8 Comments

Where to begin?

The 2020-21 school year has been … ummm … let’s call it memorable. We can throw in exhausting as well. This past year I’ve written a lot about the pandemic — its effects on us, what we’ve learned from it, and how we might grow from it. I’ve written a total of 17 posts since August and 6 of them have specifically referenced the pandemic.

It’s been on my mind. I’ve never blogged so consistently about a topic in one year.

In case you’re wondering, here are the posts:

Some of my other blog posts from this year didn’t actually mention COVID or the pandemic, but honestly, the link was there if you wanted to find it — for example, the one on the importance of being kind (We’re All Fighting a Battle – Apr 2021).

The point I’m making is this …

There hasn’t been a day that went by where we were not thinking about the pandemic, worrying about the pandemic, or wondering about what comes next in the pandemic.

It has consumed everyone this year.

And for me, it has been quite cathartic to have my blog where I can crystalize my thoughts and share them with you. But, I also hope that it has been helpful for you to know what I’m thinking and processing during this year of incredible change and opportunity.

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