Greatness at Selwyn House

Message from the HEADMASTER

GREATNESS at Selwyn House

By Hal Hannaford, Headmaster

Being good is a challenge. It requires a level of competence one can be proud of and pleased with. The reality however, is that good is not great, which means it is not good enough. In fact, good is the enemy of great. We need to be great. All of us should aspire to greatness, and I believe that everyone associated with Selwyn House shares that aspiration. Simply put: Don’t be good, be great.

A little self-awareness is required, along with a heavy dose of self-reflection. Each of us needs to look at our own personal and professional situation, and honestly discover where we are good and where we are great. Then, there has to be a personal reflection on how to achieve greatness.

Earlier this year, I asked every member of our faculty to review our Definition of a Master Teacher that was completed in preparation for the Master Teacher Workshop in New York this past February. It is an important list. Every faculty and staff member at Selwyn House was reminded of the benefit of reading through the list and determining where they stand on each of the points. Humility is important, as it allows anyone to understand the discipline required to reach the level of greatness by becoming a Master Teacher. I should also add that each of these points relates to all of our coaches. Athletics and coaching must be coordinated in a way that will support and add to academic excellence.

Our four teachers who attended the workshop (Claudine Martel, Matt McCarney, Brad Moffat, and Roman Pylat), each in their own personal way, epitomize the concept of Master Teacher. They will be the first to explain they are not perfect, that they make plenty of mistakes and face the intense insecurities that all great teachers face; but they are masters of their professions. They were wonderful representatives of Selwyn House while in New York, and they were so impressive with the work they completed.

At Selwyn House, everyone who is a part of our community must go through the same self-evaluation process. This includes students, teachers, Old Boys, parents, and friends. Selwyn House needs everyone to be great, whether you teach, coach, support, administer, volunteer, maintain, cook, clean, process, or assist.

This past year we have started the conversation with many about greatness. We have discussed ways to become great, both from an individual point of view and an entire school perspective. That is what professional development is all about. It is quite personal, and our own personal learning plan is required to reach higher and higher levels. A striving for greatness needs to be an obsession. And obsessed we will become.

Over the past couple of months, we have discussed seriously: greatness in athletics, why curriculum mapping is necessary for curriculum and pedagogical greatness, the connection between greatness and professional development, greatness with French and the vibrant Québec culture, the role of teacher evaluation in creating and maintaining greatness, the physical environment and its relation to greatness, greatness through experiential education, the role of the arts, and even more mundane thoughts on dress code and staff rooms. These are reflections that we hope create valid discourse. At the core, we need to remember: good is the enemy of greatness, and at Selwyn House we will always battle this enemy. ■

A Master Teacher...

• Connects with each student and fosters relationships. Knows the kids, learns their passions and helps them find ways to engage in their learning. • Teaches the students first, then the curriculum. • Makes the curriculum relevant to the student’s life. • Believes in lifelong learning and the possibility of their own personal growth and learning every day. • Focuses on learning goals as opposed to performance goals, effort versus achievement, growth versus inertia. • Embodies character education and is a model of respect, warmth, integrity and concern for others. • Is passionate and, therefore, knowledgeable about the content/subjects they teach. • Is a team player and a leader of the school, always concerned about the impact of their actions on school culture, not just in their classroom. • Possesses and models strong communication skills. • Is confident in themselves and confident in others. • Understands and enjoys boys and knows how to set limits with respect and acceptance of boys. • Is enthusiastic and passionate about life—their lives, their colleagues’ lives and their students’ lives. • Contributes to a growthoriented faculty culture. • Supports the school mission. • When a student does not succeed or understand, a master teacher tries and tries again.

Les qualités d'un maître enseignant

• Est en lien avec chaque élève …relations…connait les enfants, connait leurs passions, les aide à trouver des moyens de s’engager à fond dans leur apprentissage. • Enseigne à l’élève d’abord, ensuite transmet le programme. • Rend le programme pertinent pour la vie de l’élève. • Croit en l’apprentissage continu tout au long de la vie et à la possibilité de son propre développement et apprentissage personnels jour après jour. • Se concentre sur les objectifs d’apprentissage et non pas sur les objectifs de rendement...sur l’effort au lieu du résultat obtenu... et à sur croissance au lieu de l’inertie. • Incarne l’éducation du caractère et est un modèle de respect, de chaleur humaine, d’intégrité, d’attention pour les autres. • Passionné et, par conséquent, bien renseigné sur le contenu ou les sujets qu’il ou elle enseigne. • Maître enseignant, bon équipier, et leader de l’école... se préoccupe toujours de l’incidence sur la culture de l’école et non pas uniquement celle de sa classe. • Possède et témoigne de solides compétences en communication. • A confiance en lui ou en elle et fait confiance aux autres. • Comprend et apprécie les garçons et sais comment établir des limites avec respect et acceptation de ces derniers. • Fait preuve d’enthousiasme et de passion face à la vie... la sienne, celles de ses collègues et de ses élèves. • Contribue à une culture du corps professoral axée sur le développement. • Appuie la mission de l’école. • Lorsqu’un élève ne réussit pas ou ne comprend pas, un maître enseignant essaie et essaie encore.