Old School, New School

In this episode, we talk to Jean-Michel Oblette about his time as a “Difficult Student” and his current approaches to Gamification in his grade 2 classroom. We also get into what it means to be the teacher you wish you had when you were a student. Jean-Michel has taught Primary French Immersion at Kerrisdale Elementary in Vancouver for 14 years, and before that, he taught high school French in the...

In this episode, we talk to Bryon Carpenter about his journey from being a student who struggled with Language Arts to being a research scientist for a pharmaceutical company in Langley, BC. Of course, since he’s now a high school teacher in Abbotsford, BC, we also get into what led to that career jump and how his experience as a student shapes his approach to teaching. In addition to teaching at...

In this episode, we have an interesting discussion with Zoe Si about her origin story from her career in law to how she became a celebrated artist, illustrator, and writer. Key themes in the discussion include the work that goes into living a creative life and how a developing sense of belonging can become a superpower. Follow Zoe on Instagram @zoesees Check out Zoe’s Substack: https://zoesi.subst...

In this special Summer episode, we talk to Darren Gates about how leadership, for entrepreneurs and educators, can hinge on one’s authenticity.  Darren Gates has been in the restaurant business for many years. He owns and runs Mario’s Kitchen and Gracie’s Next Door in Tsawwassen, British Columbia. Visit: https://marioskitchen.ca/ Follow Claren Academy on Twitter/X and Instagram: @clarenacademy www...

In this episode, we talk to Kat Reilly about how her love of reading, especially poetry, set her on the path to a career in law. This conversation gets to the heart of what goes into making a great lawyer. Spoiler alert: it’s reading. A lot of reading. Katherine Reilly is Legal Counsel at the BC Ministry of Attorney General and was formerly a litigator for one of the biggest Canadian legal firms....

In this episode, we talk to Janet Loewen about her experience growing up with a First Nations mother who went through residential schools and a German father who didn’t want her to attend college because she might “take away a job from a man.” And that’s only the beginning… Janet Loewen is a Senior National Sales Manager with Oribe (hair care, makeup, body care, fragrance) in Canada. Janet teaches...

In this episode, we talk to John Lok about the importance of modelling strength and resilience. Later in the chat, we discuss the role a guidance counsellor played in leading his school through tragedy and teaching John about the kind of leader he could strive to be.  John Lok is an educational leader and senior administrator with over 10 years of experience in developing and sustaining non-profit...

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Josh Crone about the ways hard work and perseverance found their way into his formative years in school…and on the job. Josh Crone (@twojayjitsu), a proud member of the First Nations, has over 20 years of coaching, martial arts, and strength and conditioning experience with a foundation i...

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Gary Little about how he approaches the balance between the Science and Art of teaching. Gary Little is a former associate superintendent with the Vancouver School Board and a former director of the International Baccalaureate Educator Program at UBC. As for now, he‘s an author, an athlet...

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Rob Peregoodoff about what it takes to individualize instruction in the current educational landscape. A Math and Language Arts teacher by training in such diverse locations as Eswatini (Swaziland) and the Kainai Reserve in Rob'sta, Rob's career turned 90 degrees into administrati...

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Krista Parham about the importance of letting kids be themselves, de-emphasizing competition, and finding the “Joy in Being Awful.”.  Krista Parham is a senior user researcher with a popular mobile gaming company called Kabam. In that role, Krista brings psychological principles and scien...

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Ryan Black about education’s less talked-about influences on a person’s success: electives and extra-curriculars. Ryan Black is a seasoned tech lawyer at DLA Piper, one of the world's largest law firms. His practice focuses on a wide range of legal matters, including M&A, employme...

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Kathryn Sykes about going from being the type of person who avoids hard things to being the type of person who seeks them out. Kathryn Sykes is the co-founder and Executive Director of Claren Academy, an independent K-7 school in Vancouver, British Columbia. Kathryn is a Registered Social...

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. This podcast delves into pedagogy, leadership, and teaching best practices, as well as entrepreneurship, career development, and post-secondary education. Listeners will be interested to see how many different social, psychological, and environmental factors come into play when we analyze our school experiences. Whe...