We have heard it time and time again, this is a different kind of school year. Both Blended and face-to-face teachers have had to pivot and adapt to the ebbs and flows of teaching during a pandemic. From moving towards virtual assemblies to Covid-safe Sport’s Days and graduation ceremonies, we had a year full of firsts. I have seen first-hand the resilience and aptitude of the educators and students in our amazing district.

Part of my work since January, as a Surrey Blended Support Teacher, has been connecting with incredible teachers who I may not have had an opportunity to meet. I have been most impressed by how administrators and teachers embraced Blended classes and made it their goal to maintain positive school culture, despite the various Covid restrictions.

I had the opportunity to visit William F. Davidson Elementary and see the school community come alive and come together through Design Faire. Many schools, like William F. Davidson, have found creative ways to keep up with annual traditions such as an ADST Design Faire. That isn’t to say it was an easy task. I had the pleasure of going on a gallery walk with the school principal, Zahara Rawji, and speaking to two teachers, Alexis DeRos (Grade 6/7 Blended) and Carley Hughes (Grade 2/3 face-to-face) about their experience.

During the Design Faire outdoor gallery walk, students had set up their projects on display outside of their classrooms, as teachers took their classes to view each one. Each class worked with a theme from cardboard challenges, to nail art, bird houses, and solar-system mobiles! In a non-Covid year, students may have had the opportunity to stand by their projects and answer questions such as, can you tell me about your project, what was the design process like, what were some challenges, what are you most proud of? Although the direct interaction between maker and audience was not present, students of all grades were thoughtfully viewing and respecting the designs. There was a buzz of conversations from “Wow! That’s so cool” to “I wonder how they made that?”. Students were engaged and stayed curious.

Blended classes at William F. Davidson also took part in the Design Faire. Alexis DeRos’ students would share their learning and process during their class calls and shared their final projects through Flipgrid. In breakout rooms, they were able to discuss, ask questions, revise and improve upon their original ideas. When debriefing with Alexis and Carley, both vehemently agreed that the most powerful aspect of Design Faire is the student reflection. Students were able to reflect on the design process, what worked well, what did not, changes they would have made (if any) for future Design Faires.

Self-reflections have become an area of growth, not only for students this year but also for teachers. Think back to September. What will you take with you into the next school year? How have you surprised yourself? How have your students surprised you? What will you leave behind from your old teaching practice? As you take a moment in the busyness of June to think about your own learning journey, be proud of the hard work you and your students have accomplished!