One of the powerful things that schools can do is have an impact on a student’s life trajectory.
Sometimes this means providing the support for a student to achieve an even higher trajectory than he or she might otherwise have achieved.
Sometimes it means providing the stimulus to launch a career and a positive life by providing the inspirational fuel needed for take off.
Sometimes it means working to reset a trajectory in a student’s life, because the current one is starting to look like turning into a “death spiral”.
Every day teachers at St Columba offer their students knowledge, they model the love of learning, and offer hope and encouragement.
They also teach students about respect, the need to work hard to achieve your goals, and how to be a productive member of their community.
These are some of the lessons that fuel a positive life trajectory.
Teachers do indeed make a difference. Every single move we make in the classroom, in the schoolyard, beside the sporting field, in the audience, brings a fuel boost that can change the trajectory of the lives of our students.
We also recognise that some of the things that we do to make a positive trajectory possible are not always easy for our students to swallow.
Sometimes we have to work with students to remind them that :
The fact is that the stimulus needed to develop a positive life trajectory does not always come gift-wrapped in pretty paper with unicorn pictures on it.
Sometimes, the fuel to go higher, faster and better can taste a little bitter and be a little hard to swallow, but in the end it is worth it.
In the words of a song:
“You can’t always get what you want
But if you try,
Sometimes you get what you need.”
Tough but true.
Want to share your thoughts on this story, or do you have something you’d like to add? Email me at principal@scas.nsw.edu.au
As we return to school after what I hope was a relaxing and refreshing break…
On Tuesday, an enthusiastic gaggle of performers from Years 7 to 11 gathered to present…
Embark on a captivating journey down the Yellow Brick Road with this timeless tale beloved…
As we approach the end of another term, I wanted to take a moment to…
Student exchange organisation, World Education Program (WEP) is excited to be welcoming exchange students to…
As the Head of Secondary School, one of the highlights of my role is welcoming…