Leading With Vision
Pamela Szmyrko has been working in education for nearly 20 years. She currently serves as the principal at The Father’s House Christian School (TFHCS) in Alberta, Canada.
It was because of this role that she decided to pursue her Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree, a decision she says has been instrumental in her ability to serve her teachers, students, and families well.
“While studying for my M.Ed. at Dordt University, I found there were ongoing assignments and projects that were life-giving to my role at TFHCS. Although it was a lot, and I could never sustain that load long-term, it all provided vision, direction, and application to the role in which I serve,” says Szmyrko.
She says the best part of being involved in Dordt’s program was “the ability to utilize every assignment and project in our schools in the moment.” She recalls numerous classes and discussions that she was able to apply to the immediate needs of her school.
Much of what Szmyrko learned in Dordt’s program had practical implications. She and her fellow classmates analyzed the value of owning versus renting buses, prepared tailored presentations about areas of ongoing development in their own schools, conducting evaluations, gathering data for goal setting, and problem-solved and practiced hard conversations.
During her time in the program, Szmyrko says, “We were amidst huge changes at TFHCS, and everything I learned allowed me to lead change in a positive manner with our team. Nothing felt like busy work; it was always applied to my role and was a constant inflowing of vision and direction.”
She adds, “I was able to run ideas by others confidentially” – an invaluable asset to her in a small, private school without a vice principal.
After she completed the program, Szmryko says she was, in a sense, grieving. “Although I needed the break, I no longer had the inflow of coaching by professors or learning opportunities to take into TFHCS,” she says.
Although she has been out of the program for two years, she still finds herself leaning on her experience in Dordt’s program to lead her team at TFHCS. “For two years, Dordt provided the means to analyze and create. I don’t think I would have ever considered most of the higher-level balcony questions that now allow me to lead with an end in mind,” she says.
“Dordt’s Master of Education program made me analyze how and why I lead the way I do. It allowed me to change leadership practices that were not beneficial, and the results are incredible with my team, board, and families.”
Plus, she still finds herself using textbooks, teacher evaluations, and other resources and practices acquired through the program to help develop meaningful professional development for her team and to “keep being filled with vision and direction to lead change at TFHCS.”
