Connecting the Dots

There are three reasons why I love being a teacher and neither has hierarchy over the other. In fact, each sustains and compliments the other. I love the fact no two days are ever the same, the passionate colleagues I get to work with and the vibrant, curious, creative and innovative students I get to connect with on a daily basis. It would be fair to say that the sudden change to our lives, and particularly for school communities, has been dramatic. Yet, in amongst all the chaos, there has been a calmness from the entire Pacific community to ensure a smooth transition to online learning. As a community we have collectively tapped into our innovative selves. In 2005, Steve Jobs suggested innovation could be summed up like this; “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future”. Fundamentally, focusing on the Pacific culture has enabled our community to transition into what has been described by many journalists as the ‘new normal’. Whilst much has changed, crucially it is the maintenance of connections which has not, and this will continue to see us flourish into the future.

Unequivocally, research informs us that human connection and having a sense of belonging is what most supports our mental health and wellbeing. Consequently, whilst we have not been able to connect face to face, there has been an incredible range of activities to maintain relationships, support wellbeing and engage students in rigorous learning. This has included PCG ‘bake-offs’, joke sharing, inspirational videos and images, interactive lessons, collaborative, small group discussions online, brain breaks, bush breaks, scavenger hunts and creative Science experiments to name a few.

I look forward to the day when all students are back on campus and trust the dots we have connected during this time are reminders of why we are so lucky.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students