Private Schools: Delta West Academy principal was drawn to teaching at an early age

Born and raised in Calgary, Jocelyn Forrester has been teaching at Delta West Academy, an independent academic preparatory school, for 17 years.

“It’s an honour to be in the education profession and I’m really lucky to get to do what I do every day,” says Forrester, who serves as principal at the school with approximately 100 students from junior kindergarten to Grade 12.

Forrester graduated from the University of Calgary with bachelor of science and bachelor of education degrees. She also holds a master of education degree from the University of New Brunswick. She taught briefly at Mount Royal Junior High in Calgary before joining Delta West Academy.

Q.  How would your best friend describe you?
A.  A loyal person.

Q.  What three things could you not live without?
A.  My family, my friends and a good cup of tea.

Q.  What was your first job?
A.  Working as a program assistant at a CanSkate program, with Crowfoot Skating Club; I was 14.

Q.  Did you have a favourite class, toy, game or sport as a kid?
A. Figure skating.

Q.  What would your students or staff be surprised to learn you like to do in your personal time or on a day off?
A.  Something I don’t get a lot of time to do, but really enjoy, is sewing. My next project is going to be a figure skating dress for my daughter.

Q.  Was there a formative experience that started you down the path to education?
A.   I was really lucky to have had really, really great teachers. I remember wanting to help out and playing teacher as a kid, and so it’s always been my first choice for what I wanted to do as a career. I really settled on it in Grade 4. I had a teacher I absolutely adored — Mrs. Stilson at Hawkwood Elementary — a really kind, really patient teacher. After that, it was trying to decide what I wanted to teach, not if I wanted to teach.

Q. What is the biggest challenge you face at school this year?
A.  Something that’s a little bit new for us has come from the Tumbler Ridge shooting last year. Recently, we were given a directive from Alberta Education about updating and working on a more comprehensive school safety plan. That’s a fairly big disconnect in terms of what you go into education for. Now, you’re making plans for scenarios you hope you never have to experience.

Q.  What most excites you about being a principal and the school you work at?
A.  My favourite thing about being in education is the light bulb moments — the aha moments from students, seeing them connect with a concept. Also, from the mentorship side, seeing those same things happen with the teachers I work with. Those are the things that are part of the heartwarming part of working in education.

Q.  What’s the best thing you’ve learned while being a teacher?
A.   I love that every day is different and every year is different. Teaching is something that takes a lot of flexibility and a lot of creativity.

Q.  What does your school have bragging rights to? What do you wish people knew about your school and students?
A.  Our school is a place where kids get to learn in an environment where they are valued and heard — and pushed. They are pushed to be better, both academically and as human beings.

I wish that more people knew about how amazing our staff is. I think the group of teachers I have the honour of working with, and our head of school (Denise Dutchuk-Smith), who was co-founder of our school, are all truly amazing human beings who are in this profession because of their passion for education.

Private Schools was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division.