Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, honoured guests and St. Michael’s Graduates of 2017. I want to begin by thanking the graduating class for choosing a theme that has a song that I actually know and don’t have to Google to find out the words! “Life’s a dance, you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead, …
Tag: Learning
Feb 12
Open to learning
Sometimes it is in the simplest of conversations or actions that we learn the most. But that learning can only take place if we are truly open to it. Our opportunity to learn should be constant and not encumbered by our own decision of whether the situation we are in, or person we are talking …
May 15
What have you learned?
I think it is quite sad that our world is so driven by achievement. What did you achieve this year or what award did you receive or simply what did you get, are common questions that surround us. It is not that I’m anti success, quite the opposite. My issue is that achievement seems to …
Oct 22
Learning must be continuous
The following post was published in the Lethbridge Herald on October 22, 2014. On Sunday, I returned from a conference sponsored by Educational Research Development and Innovation (ERDI). This organization invites approximately 50 superintendents from across the country, twice a year, to meet and discuss education trends and topics from a national perspective with a …
Aug 25
A marathon and not a sprint!
This week, staff will officially return to work on Tuesday, although many have been in and out of the schools throughout the summer. Our Division’s opening day celebration will be held on Wednesday and then schools will have a couple more days to prepare before students return to classes after the long weekend. There is always …
Mar 24
Measuring Learning vs. Measuring Achievement
I want you to reflect on this question, “When was the last time your performance was measured by a written multiple choice test?” There will be few of us who have had our performance measured by a single test in our adult life. Our performance cannot be captured on a single or even a series …
Dec 09
Learning and Innovation
I need days like today! The busyness of the work week is replaced by the quietness in my office. Days like today are filled with reviewing my Twitter, reading articles and watching video clips…and of course responding to never ending e-mails. But most important, days like today allow me to reflect on what I do as …
Aug 09
Olympic lessons for education
Great holiday timing and superb coverage by the Canadian media has allowed me to watch the Summer Olympics on an almost daily basis. Although I’m more familiar with some sports than others, I enjoy watching all of the different competitions. Much to the chagrin of my wife, I try and watch all of them simultaneously, …
May 13
Living and Learning
This weekend I provided messages to the graduation classes of Catholic Central High School in Lethbridge and St. Michael’s School in Pincher Creek. With both convocations being on the same day, it was a mad dash to finish up with CCH in the morning and then drive the 1 hour to arrive in time for …
Chris Smeaton
Superintendent for Holy Spirit Catholic Schools located in southwest Alberta.