Category Archives: Educational Leadership

Top Gun: Maverick and Authentic School Leadership

For many film critics Peter “Maverick” Mitchell is the quintessential Tom Cruise role. Like many of Cruise’s characters, Maverick is a character navigating some type of personal trauma, who then discovers something about himself that requires critical reflection. This reflection … Continue reading

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Register Now: A Media Literacy Week Conversation

Media Smarts’ National Media Literacy Week is soon approaching and promises an exciting opportunity for educators in Canada and beyond to learn, unlearn and relearn as it pertains to all-things media literacy. Recognizing that educators and students are navigating a … Continue reading

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To Infinity and Beyond the “Learning Gaps.”

Throughout the course of the pandemic, much has been shared about the negative impacts COVID schooling has had on students. From academics to social-emotional learning, a number of “learning gaps” and next steps have become a critical focus of educational … Continue reading

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[Coming Soon] Brick By Brick – An ONABSE Conference Presentation

As an educator, being humbled is part of the experience of learning from others and sharing time with those who make you better. I’m so fortunate that this happens quite often. For example, over the course of the past five … Continue reading

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The ‘Fresh Prince’ of Growth Mindset & Success:

The Wall is how Will Smith begins the telling of his life story in this autobiography, titled Will. In sharing his time spent building a wall outside of his father’s store front as an adolescent, Smith provides a window into … Continue reading

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[Media Literacy Lesson] Don’t Look Up

Well before COVID and when streamers became first release exhibitors of major Hollywood pictures, star-driven movies such a Don’t Look Up would be a significant box office draw. The likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence coupled with a topical … Continue reading

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It’s That Time of Year…

Media Smarts’ annual Media Literacy Week is just around the corner. Taking place Monday October 25 to Saturday October 30, Media Literacy Week provides educators with an intentional opportunity to learn, unlearn and relearn as it pertains to media literacy … Continue reading

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Practicing Gratitude

This past Saturday, I wrote a blog post for the St. Oscar Romero Catholic Secondary School website, where I proudly serve as a Vice Principal. In the post, a Thanksgiving message to the school community, I wrote about the importance … Continue reading

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Team Jess: A Reflection on Schooling Today

Last night I finished the culminating activity for the last course of my MEd program while Gilmore Girls played in the background. With such vibrant dialogue, every episode of Gilmore Girls plays like a soundtrack of rapid beats, fluid rhythm … Continue reading

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The Connected Classroom: Transforming Education Through Community Partnership

As I settled into the realities of the COVID pandemic with the “unprecedented” becoming a “new normal,” I did find myself missing the new learning that comes with being creative. As an educator with a film background, I’ve been so … Continue reading

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