By Editorial Board
The Print recently caught up with Dan Smith, the secondary years principal, to have a quick chat about his life, his new job here at CIS, living during the time of COVID, and reading excellent books.
Dan Smith – Principal, Traveler, Reader
What do you enjoy doing on the weekends/during your free time?
Reading, but I also enjoy playing different types of strategic board games as they’re pretty exciting for me. I enjoy watching sports, football in particular. I love food! Going to restaurants and finding new foods are things I love to do.
What do you enjoy doing on the weekends/during your free time?
Reading, but I also enjoy playing different types of strategic board games as they’re pretty exciting for me. I enjoy watching sports, football in particular. I love food! Going to restaurants and finding new foods are things I love to do.
What is your goal for the CIS student body this year?
I’m not coming in with a clear set of goals because one of the things I want to do is gauge what students want and need. I’ve met with the student council to get some more input on this, but I’m still learning. However, I really want to do everything I can to ensure that students at CIS feel proud to be CIS students and enthusiastic to be a part of this community. I want to make sure they feel connected to our school.
Tell us about your typical day in school. I feel like many people, including us, are unaware of what a principal actually does.
I’ll tell you about my day today. I came in at 7:30 this morning and had a 45-minute online meeting with the subject leads. Then, I answered some student questions regarding things such as CAS work, future activities, and more, via email. After that, I had an hour-long meeting with the DP and MYP coordinators. After that, I got to eat lunch (I don’t eat lunch some days!) and I have bus duty and another meeting after this. A lot of meetings, for sure.
Do you have any advice/messages for us or the secondary school students in general?
If I was to give any advice, I would encourage everybody to keep an open mind. Keep an open mind in the classroom for learning, to hear new opinions, and also keep an open mind to your friends in relationships and give people the benefit of the doubt. Try your best to trust people. I think it makes life better and easier in the long run. I had some of my best experiences when I went into them with an open mind.
In the short time period in which you have been here, how have you experienced CIS differently than in previous schools you have taught at?
One of the things I like about CIS is that it’s more international than some of the international schools I’ve been to. They have more international teachers and serve local students, whereas here there’s a really diverse, active, and friendly student body.
How has the pandemic affected you? Do you think there are any takeaways from this experience?
I’ve been really fortunate in terms of COVID-19 itself as a pathogen to have been safe. One of the things that I’ve learned from this experience is trusting science. This is a changing problem, and some people get frustrated that our understanding of the issue changes constantly because we keep making new scientific discoveries. I have really started to appreciate science as a discipline. The other thing that I think I’ve learned from it is the importance of making the best out of every situation. Online learning is not what anybody wants to do but there are some unique and interesting things that come out of it.
You stated in your introductory video that you enjoyed reading. Do you have any book recommendations for us?
I hesitate to give book recommendations because there are so many great books. I want to make sure a student is excited about the book they are reading. However, one of my favourite authors recently is N.K. Jemisin, who writes amazing sci-fi books. I also really enjoy The Children of Blood and Bone, as well as Six of Crows.
What has been one of your most memorable experiences?
Traveling. I really love experiencing and seeing different places around the world and learning about different cultures. I’ve been really fortunate to have worked at so many different schools and seen so many different places. I think one amazing moment was the opportunity to go to Nepal and see the Himalayas. Seeing the enormity of these mountains and being so small in comparison gives you some perspective on who we are in the world. We may seem insignificant, but we are significant to ourselves and our loved ones, and I think that’s really meaningful.
What have been your biggest challenges? How did you overcome them? Any advice?
One of the stories I like to reflect on, and hopefully, this resonates with you, was in 10th grade. Tenth grade got boring for me, and I wasn’t really being successful. I had always loved school, but my friends weren’t great, and I wasn’t enjoying it. I had a few friends in another school, and they loved their school. I decided to talk to my parents about changing schools and going to this other school between grades 10 and 11. I had grown up in the same neighborhood and had been in the same school, so it was really scary to change. This new school was challenging, and I had an incredibly successful, fun, and fulfilling experience just by changing schools.
What motivates you?
For me, it’s the magic and thrill of learning. I saw a conversation the other day between a teacher and a student, and there was something the student couldn’t understand. There was a moment in that conversation where you could see the lightbulb go on. That’s the stuff that I love being there for. It’s really energizing and invigorating because new ideas and new discoveries and growth are happening all the time.
Are there any childhood anecdotes that you would like to share?
This story kind of relates to picking the right friends. When I was around 2 years old, a friend came by my house and we walked into the woods behind my house together, through trails and over hills. We were trying to cross a barbed-wire fence, and I got stuck, and I started crying. My friend left me! He walked back home, and he was walking past my house, and my mother saw him. She asked him if he had seen me, and he said no because he was worried he would get into trouble. But my mom saw where he had come from, and followed the path, and found me. She helped me get off the friend and get home. So there’s a message about picking the right friend who will help you off the fence, not run away from you when you’re crying and in trouble.
What advice/guidance would you give to students thinking about pursuing a career in education?
Many people may not advise students to do their job, but I don’t feel that way. I think it’s because I’ve been fortunate to work in really amazing schools. My advice if a student wanted to go into education is to be really clear about why they want to do that and know what kind of school they want to be working at. This will bring fulfillment because they want to go into challenging places and make a difference. You have to be prepared for the challenges.