When I started facilitating PTC courses 17 years ago, they were only offered in person and only during the June/July school break. For me, it was one of the highlights of the year. To have a room filled with aspiring and current school leaders, excited to be learning together, and sharing their own wisdom and experience, was the best professional learning I could have hoped for myself. The energy was contagious. The PTC culture built on traditions like the daily “Pearl of Wisdom,” the Celebration of Learning, Graduation, and the interactive, research-based approach to instruction felt like home by the second year. None of those things have changed in both our online and in-person courses, yet I continually ask myself “Which approach is better?”

In 2020, the world was turned upside down with the COVID pandemic, and the PTC was no exception. To meet our core mission to “serve the unique professional learning needs of practicing and aspiring principals, teachers, teacher leaders, counselors and governance members in international schools worldwide” we had to shift to a virtual learning approach. The first year was messy. The PTC team offered “Pearls of Wisdom” and panel discussions virtually, but no courses. In 2021, we offered all of our courses virtually for the first time. The second part of the PTC mission is to “strive to provide world class, research-driven, practical training, designed for the international school setting.” I’m not sure that the first year was as “world-class” as our in-person courses, but participants still came and raved about the learning in their course evaluations. For the first time, Bambi Betts, Director of the Principals’ Training Center, and a true visionary in international education, led discussions with our team of course facilitators with Kristen MacConnell, the Director of the Teacher Leader Institute at the time and a vital part of the online transition, about the value of the online learning experience.

Continuing to offer online courses after the pandemic meant new, exciting, scary, and overwhelming possibilities. We could serve more international educators, including the ones who were unable to travel to our in-person sites. We could provide an alternative learning model for participants who learned better through extensive individual reflection time and planning their own schedule, rather than the intense collaborative in-person experience. And we could still stay true to our “research-driven, practical training” through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning. But it was new for us, and the work to make the online courses world-class was daunting.

In 2022, we began to offer both online and in-person PTC courses during June and July. Our TLI courses for teacher leaders, and CTC courses for school counselors also shifted to an 8-week online format during the school year, instead of being packed into 5-day summer sessions. 

The early feedback was mixed. Some TLI and CTC participants really missed the energy of in-person gatherings.  But many appreciated the chance to apply their learning on the job, with reflection and feedback from course facilitators, course colleagues, as well as school leaders and peers. Over time, fewer people mentioned missing in-person options, as they saw the immediate impact of their learning back in their school. This definitely made us feel like we were on the right path. 

We’ve come a long way since then to refine both models. Each year, school year courses are enhanced to give meaningful opportunities for job-embedded skill practice and June/ July classes are refined to model the best in online learning in a concentrated, intense, 7-day format. Meaningful feedback for participants from our team of international school course facilitators has become our signature “value-add” that translates across the PTC, TLI, TTC, and CTC. And whether through an “Application Task” in June/July or ongoing practice during the school year, job-embedded learning remains central to the PTC experience.

I like to meet with participants who have had both the in-person and online experience for feedback to support our continuous improvement. At first, I expected everyone to prefer in-person. Some still do. But definitely not all. I can’t be totally sure, but it seems to me that the more gregarious learners – the ones who process out loud – often lean toward the in-person June/July courses. Meanwhile, more introverted participants–  the ones who prefer time to reflect and process internally, as well as with course colleagues –  often favor the online experience.

One PTC participant told me, “They are different, but I like both. And I have learned a lot in both courses.”  Another CTC participant said, “I was going to sign up for the summer course but have gotten so much out of the online courses that I changed my mind.”

I guess that’s my take-away. My hope is that we will continue to serve the learning needs of ALL international school educators, by offering meaningful options that provide impactful and practical learning that meets them where they are. 

And all in the age of AI! But that is a blog post for another day…..

“Stay the course.”

“Is this the hill you want to die on?”

“Culture eats strategy for lunch.”

Three quotes, from three leaders, who I was fortunate to work with during my 28-year career as an educator to-date. Three quotes that have guided my actions, and become my mantras during challenging times leading and supporting change in Canadian and international schools.

“Stay the course.”

Change, even for enthusiastic, intrepid international teachers, is hard. Leading change in international schools can be a roller-coaster of emotions, responding to the needs and demands of the stakeholders involved. This quote, shared with me in my first international school, has helped me work with teacher teams to implement curriculum review cycles, develop assessment policies, analyse student work to guide instruction, and so much more.

On the hard days, it is my mantra. On the good days, it is my reward.

“Is this the hill you want to die on?”

Change should never be for the sake of change. Change should be based on the goal of implementing the school mission, addressing student needs, or ensuring continual growth and improvement. Even if change is based on these lofty ideals, however, there may be a negative impact on the relationships and culture of our schools. As an assistant principal, my principal constantly asked me this question, leading me to reflect on how important the change really was, and whether it was worth the cost. In some cases, it made me change direction. In others, it made me spend more time listening and talking to others. It always made me think.

“Culture eats strategy for lunch.”

Knowing that all the thoughtful planning in the world can fall flat if the school culture is not ready to accept or embrace the change, was a huge lesson for me from one of my international school leaders. Working with all stakeholders to create a positive, learning-focused environment is the most important work that we do. I love this quote to ground me when we are doing strategic planning, or mapping out a three-year goal. It has led me to be far more collaborative and support greater distributive leadership in schools, knowing that the culture created, will improve and support any action plan for change.

These three leadership quotes have guided my career so far. I hope that at least one of them speaks to you. My plan is to share leadership quotes and stories from our PTC, TTC, and CTC trainers in an upcoming TIE blog. As an international community, we have so much to share and learn from eachother.