Walnut Grove Staff Chronicles

It was a pleasure for me to sit down with Victoria and hear her story. This is a person who is solidly grounded in her understanding of herself and is poised to become a solid and valuable member of the Walnut Grove community. I know that I was talking to the future of WGSS. Victoria talks about her love of nature, the lessons it can teach us, the example of calm and the challenge that it brings....

In this episode, rather than interviewing a teacher from our school, I read a blog I wrote for the Teach Better Team. I'm sharing it as a word of encouragement and maybe a touch of "I needed that". I hope you have a wonderful summer and here's a few thoughts to kick it off. Science 360 Episode 54 - Burning Bright, Not Out https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Ua8IGz2INiLStxp6EwBPJ?si=1eb7c518951e4eaa...

If you love languages and travel, and down-to-Earth teaching that relates real life to the real world, then you would love to be in the company and classes of Adrienne Stubbings. Adrienne may have taken a straight line route to teaching but her experiences in the school of life has left her with wisdom and compassion for the well-being of her students. By getting out to just about every continent...

One of the things that I have noticed in speaking with staff members is the strength and willingness to take on the hard things in life. Not only take them on but beat them! And Jenny Kim is no exception. If you haven't heard her story, then I think you will notice that she is naturally gifted academically, has a playful, fun side that needs to be expressed and exudes a humility that is too admira...

Sam McGough was born and raised in the UK and therefore has a very different education experience than what we find in Canada. Much more stringent, streaming based on standardized tests starting as young as 10 years old, being segregated in class based on your scores. Yet as much as it is different, the fact is that some of the greatest minds and some of the greatest universities are British. So t...

Mr. Vince Rahn is a deep, deep thinker. And you will find that his greatest sense is that thought without a human connection is meaningless. Anybody who quotes Aristotle in the first minute of an interview is bound to speak some truth right?! If you have ever worked with Mr. Rahn, you'll know that he talks with wisdom, insight and clarity with a perspective that comes from noticing the world aroun...

If you've been around the game of hockey as much as I have, you would definitely know all the stereotypes. Brash, abusive, aggressive...hockey is tough game right? But then you meet Jamie Fiset and you have to ask why the hockey community puts up with those stereotypes Because Mr. Fiset is the real deal, coaching the highest level of players in the province, but doing so with a thoughtful plan, a...

The more I interview the teachers of Walnut Grove, the more I have come to realize that they each bring something so unique and valuable. What makes a school special? Is it the special academic offerings? Maybe. Is it the test score ranking? Not likely. It's the people that work there, like Steve Wilson, who take their life experiences, their highs and their lows, and use them to guide and mentor...

In this interview, Paul does a great job of describing why Walnut Grove Secondary School is the way it is. I love the way he name drops and uses these other WG greats to show how the school culture has developed. We talk about how that legacy will have to pass on to the younger generation of teachers. Paul's great lesson in this interview is that as you go through life, you develop friend groups t...

Deb has been working as a teacher at Walnut Grove since the early 90s. Anyone who has worked with Deb will learn to appreciate her so much more by hearing the incredible way she has been willing to try new things, often when she had no previous experience. But this willingness to embrace a can-do attitude is such a valuable example for new teachers and for students. Deb has lived her life, both pe...

Gary Lutes is one of the special teachers that started his career in the first year that Walnut Grove Secondary opened it's doors. In this episode, we find out how early life experiences crafted by a caring family that modelled hospitality, developed Gary into the warm and fuzzy guy that he is. But also, how it made him one of BC's most successful track coaches, perennially a top 3 team with almos...

Glenn has taught at Walnut Grove Secondary School for 30 years, and as such, he has a perspective on teaching that only comes with experience. This is a podcast that will be very interesting to long-time WGSS teachers, but will also be very inspirational for new teachers looking to make their mark. Find out how Glenn was almost an Olympic athlete, listen for the moment when I can't remember the na...

Julia is a long time teacher at Walnut Grove Secondary School. In this episode, Julia starts right away by dropping a bombshell of a story! I was shocked to hear how her life started. She will describe some of her adventures as a high school student, some of her travel exploits, and some of the life lessons that she has to share. But towards the end of her interview, in a very emotional segment, J...

Eric has taught at Walnut Grove since 1994. But his involvement in academics precedes that! And where did his love for adventure come from that we see in his leadership in Edge and the Harrison Hike? Learn about this and more as we hear from this great educator.

This is a very interesting conversation with Doug McGinn, fitness expert and teacher at Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, BC, Canada. Learn more of his background, from his education, his family growing up, family tragedies, ideas about staying in shape and travel tips. Quite a collection of topics and a very good listen.