“Education’s about people; my best friends are three feet tall.”
These words not only sum up Westlock Elementary School principal Terry Anderson’s attitude toward his chosen profession, but also illustrates the connection he’s forged with his students during his 10 years at the school.
Anderson will not return to the big office in September; after a 37-year career with the last 10 in Westlock, he is retiring.
He said he is doubtful, however, that he’ll be able to stay away from the profession he loves for very long — more likely, he’ll take a break and soon find himself back in a classroom in some capacity.
“There’s a lot of kids that need help, and a lot of staff that haven’t found their gifts yet,” he said. “I’m hoping to help people in some capacity, whether it’s young people or whether it’s old people, it’s hard to say.”
Anderson said when he finished high school, he never imagined he’d end up in a career as a school principal. He was initially taking physical education but soon switched to an education degree.
After teaching Phys. Ed. in Donnelly, Alta., for several years, Anderson ended up in Barrhead teaching math and Phys. Ed. at what was then J.R. Harris Junior High School, where he first got his feet wet as an administrator — another career step he hadn’t thought of taking before he did it.
“As with many cases, we’re influenced by some really good people in our lives,” he said. “I was encouraged to get involved so I did.”
From there he spent six years as principal at Eleanor Hall School in Clyde, before coming to Westlock in 2002.
There have been a lot of highlights at Westlock Elementary in the past decade, Anderson said, and all of them have to do with people.
“Last year was a highlight for us; we had the highest provincial achievement scores we’ve ever had,” he said. “And there are some individual cases with students and parents that are real successes.”
Overall, he said, the day-to-day and year-to-year programs running at the school are the real successes. In particular, he said he’s pleased with the inter-generational programming that takes place. Residents of the local seniors’ lodges come to work with some of the older students, and Anderson said he’s amazed at what they can learn from each other.
“It’s probably the most powerful educational opportunity for everybody I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “It’s amazing to see that happening; it’s experiential teaching at its best.”
Another highlight of his time at WES was having such a positive assessment from education experts at Canadian Effective Schools, an organization that identifies schools’ successes and areas that could use improvement.
“I’ve spent most of my adult life in schools and education. I don’t believe I have seen a school any more committed to children and getting better than this school,” Wayne Holly wrote of Westlock Elementary.
Anderson is quick to credit everybody around him as being integral to his success as an educator and as a school administrator, including students, parents, teachers and support staff.
He added that for the past nine and a half years, he has forged a good working relationship with his associate principal Shirley Craig, who took a position in the division office earlier this year.
“It was a perfect relationship — she did all the work and I got all the credit,” he said.
Anderson said he’s not yet thinking too much about what he will be doing next September, only that he hopes to use his time to do some traveling and be with his family. He said he doubts he’ll be able to stay away for long, and anticipates getting involved in education, in one form or another, within a year.
“We have just one chance in life to help other people, and I’m not finished with that yet,” he said.
