Our Senior Leadership Team are currently reading a book by Chris Prior titled ’Who We Are Matters.’
This book starts by unpacking the story of self and how this impacts our leadership, which in turn will impact our influence on the school and its culture. It talks about the idea that who we are has a big influence on the way we interact with others and in our context, how we lead others.
“... who we are has a big influence on the way we interact with others ...”
The same can be said for teachers and students within a school community. How they are learning and how they are interacting with others is greatly influenced by their identity and who they are as people. Our identity is entwined with our personal story and the influences that sow into this story. In the Christian school context, an extension of the question of ‘who am I’ can be stated as ‘whose am I.’ In his book, Prior states that this ‘question encourages us to reflect on the audience we live in front of. Whom are we seeking to please? How and who are we seeking to define our success? (p 16).’ Answers to these questions will help determine what we see as important and even influence how we determine and define success.
At Calvin, we believe that God has created us with an identity that is created and influenced by our personal stories and experiences. God Himself teaches us and speaks to us through stories in the Bible. We want to encourage students to participate and engage in opportunities and experiences that influence and impact their story, and therefore develop, grow and nurture their identity. We feel blessed to undertake this in an environment where our faith and relationship with God can impact and guide us in this process.
Andrew Nash - Head of Primary