As people are returning from summer and attention is beginning to focus on the upcoming school year there seems to be enthusiasm over the normal year that is ahead. I have been hearing it from staff and parents. People say, “you must be glad to finally have a normal year” or “finally it will be a normal start-up”.
I know what people mean. Given the labour dispute that carried on into last fall, and the seeming treadmill of the last five years which has seen us in a cycle of potential job action, job action, post job action – repeat – it is nice this is not sucking up all the oxygen in BC education again this year. But normal is an interesting word. The more I hear it, the less I like it.
For me normal feels boring. Normal is about average. And our schools are about the exceptional. More than ever we want to support our students and teachers to be anything but normal. We want to tap into the passions of our artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, scientists and engineers in our classrooms.
I am reminded of this scene from the movie Soul Surfer:
So let’s have a year where we have conversations about curriculum for our modern world and assessment that makes a difference for learning. Let’s have a year where we focus on excellence and equity. Let’s have a year where we teach and learn about residential schools, gender identity and our natural world.
Let’s embrace all the young people that will enter our classes the Tuesday after Labour Day – who each have their own story and their own struggles and challenges. And as they try to fit in, we need to remind them that normal is overrated.
And as the adults that have amazing opportunity to work with students, let’s commit to being better versions of ourselves this year.
But when we look to this year – let’s not let it be normal.
cultureofyes.ca 
I think this year as a year full of changes. This summer we have been delighted by our climate change. And the economic state of the world is preparing us to look beyond normal. It is challenging. We can almost say that the changes in the world around us has become the “norm” and that adapting to change is normal.
In education, we are looking towards curriculum change and new ways to assess student learning. To some educators this is normal. They have always looked for ways to bring new learning experiences to their classroom and a way to go beyond normal. To find ways to engage the many different students in their class and give opportunities that stretch both student and teacher capacity and understanding.
The new year gives opportunities to bring new beginnings. With the upcoming election and curriculum changes, lets hope for a wonderful year full of surprises and embrace what’s ahead. Be open to change and live beyond normal.
Beautifully stated, Julia.
Julia reminded me to think back and remember all the changes I’ve observed this year. As a Canadian Iranian, I have to admit say yes to the end of Iran’s sanctions during the summer was a blast besides all the other changes beautifully said by Julia. This is going to open so many new economical opportunities for Iranian to shine and grow. The same goes for school this year. A normal year for teacher means they had the opportunity to be creative with their new years’ agenda. They had the energy which helps them to think about the new opportunities they can give to their students without being irritated and confused about their own rights besids what is right for their future students. A normal year for teacher means that they have saved all the energy they got from a peaceful summer to start a delightful beyond normal school year. I hope all the teachers got an opportunity to enjoy a normal summer surrounded by all the abnormal changes beautifully painted their summer coulors. I as a parent am looking forward to seeing you as normal teachers that are super creative, passionate and devoted which is a superb above normal kind of humanity by itself. You rock if your mind engagement for new year, would be offering new learning experiences to the classroom.
Thank you Chris Kennedy for bring a new shiny meaning to the word “normal” that could mean a world to the teachers who experinced some years without the shine consisting their own extraordinary normal.
Bringing
Thanks you Razi for your comments.
Very true and we’ll said! My daughter is 8 and just starting to care about what others think. Sometimes we do catch ourselves saying “everybody else wears jeans why can’t you? ” an innocent comment but creating the norm. Thanks for the reminder and I look forward to this new school year. I will continue to read your blog and emails. Thanks!!
Thank you Monica – I appreciate that you are reading and engaging. With my 13 year-old daughter there are a lot of discussions that start “everyone in high school”.