Garita Coddington has been the principal of Francis Patton Primary School since September 2010. Married with two children, she went to Alabama A&M University, where she obtained her master’s of education in chemistry and teacher certification. She also studied in Alabama for a bachelor of science in zoology, with a minor in chemistry. Before taking over at Francis Patton, she was the co-founder and director of iTEACH Consultancy Group in Bermuda. She has also worked at Bermuda College, Whitney Institute Middle School, Sandys Secondary Middle School and CedarBridge Academy.

Mrs Coddington kindly spoke to Young Observer about the life of a principal.

• What makes Francis Patton Primary School unique?

Francis Patton is a school with a rich, diverse heritage. The community believes in the school, its vision and mission. Francis Patton is a leadership school. We develop leaders one child/teacher/parent/community member at a time. Francis Patton will be the first Lighthouse School in 2016 under the Franklin Covey Group, living the principles of the programme’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

At Francis Patton we continue a journey of having wildly important goals that encompass academic, cultural and leadership growth. When you enter our school the aesthetics speak to a rich learning environment. When you encounter staff members or students, you are greeted, with eye contact, they introduce themselves and you immediately feel like part of the family. Data is displayed around the school along with student artefacts.

• Can you describe an average day for us?

We arrive at school at about 8am and welcome the students, who are supervised by deputy principal Miss Parson from 8am until 8.30am in the assembly. I’ll have conversations with students about what is happening in class, with homework, at home, and tell them a little about my life outside school. We love to compare local football teams — everyone in the building knows Mrs Coddington is the biggest North Village Community Club fan!

Students greet each other and read books silently until 8.30am, when the staff collect their children. Students walk to their classes and listen to morning announcements over the PA system from 8.35am until 8.40am — all morning announcements are directed by P6 student leaders and read out by a student. In September we start from P6, by June every student from P6-P1 has had a chance to facilitate morning announcements.

I check in with the admin assistant, Ms Jacobs, to review the big rocks for the day. Then the instructional leadership work begins. Students have a schedule each day of what the staff will facilitate to enhance effective leadership principles, for example, Monday is assembly; Tuesday, leadership roles and responsibilities; Wednesday, Leader In Me student workbooks; Thursday, Leader In Me website; Friday, leadership victories for the day.

I observe instruction in classes and attend to any other business, such as meetings, staff requests. I plan time to meet with my staff to provide feedback based on a growth model continuum. We discuss their goals, set action plans with timelines and outcomes they expect, putting students first at all times. When necessary, I cover classes to ensure teachers meet to synergise and plan for instruction. Every Friday from 2pm until 3.30pm, the students are in enrichment classes with volunteers and paraeducators while all teaching staff are involved in professional development facilitated by teacher leaders.

• How big is your team at Francis Patton Primary School?

We have 147 students and 23 members of staff. They include the administration assistant, Donna Jacobs; P1, Aleisha James and Tamisheka Swan; P2, De’Von Allen assisted by a paraeducator, Zulema Bean; P3, Betty Lambert and Jodi Rudo; P4, Shanika Parfitt; P5, deputy principal Shequita Parson; P6, Alandra Swan supported by a paraeducator, Gina John; learning support, Daveta Patterson; reading teacher, Robin Smith; PE/art, Florence Sharpe-Trott; PE, Rob Corday; music, Abimbola Bademosi; counsellor Jutkia Wilson; educational therapist, Jennifer Fray; custodians, Leon Landy and David Outerbridge; volunteer, Wendy Tully; PTA president, Shavonna Simpson; PTA vice-president, Marina Sousa.

• What are the rewards of your role?

Outside of my family, being an educator is the one of the most rewarding aspects of my life. Knowing that I can have a positive effect on the lives of children and their families is something I am grateful for each day.

Everyone wants to succeed in the world to achieve extraordinary things — my job as a leader is to make that happen. A leader of a school or any other organisation can only achieve extraordinary results through their followers, not by themselves. Having the ability to empower and engage students, staff, parents and the community each day and see them be inspired to see leadership in themselves is an awesome, rewarding feeling.

• Who have been some of your role models in life and why?

My mother, Armanda Jennings. She was a single mother who did whatever she had to do to ensure my brother, Jemeiko Jennings, and I had what we needed to be successful. My mom always put us first, sometimes too often, and this allowed us to grow into respectful, responsible adults.

My paternal grandmother, Colleen Dill, taught me that supporting and being the leader of the family is important. Treating people with love is not optional. Vivlyn Cooper, a retired senior education officer, showed me that to be a leader you must be wise and knowledgeable. Interpersonal skills are the key to leading others towards success.

Carol Bassett, a retired senior staff development officer, taught me to acknowledge team members as often as possible for the strengths they bring to support the organisation.

Wendy Tully, a retired teacher, showed me that volunteering is not what you do for yourself, but what strengths you offer to an organisation because you believe in the leadership and spending time there becomes a natural extension of your educational experience.

• What are some of the challenges of being a principal?

Time with your family. I remember going to a workshop in Bermuda and the guest speaker was educator, speaker and author Steve Perry. Dr Perry is the most talked about innovative educator on the scene today, and the founder and principal of what US News and World Report has cited as one of the top schools in the country, Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. Capital Prep has sent 100 per cent of its predominantly low-income, minority, first-generation high school graduates to four-year colleges every year since its first class graduated in 2006.

He made a profound statement that God chooses those who have to lead and with leadership comes sacrifice. Some of the sacrifices can be your spouse and children. I feel this on a daily basis as my husband, Stephen Coddington, and I are both educators in the public school system and our children, Cree and Remy, have been very gracious with understanding sometimes that they have to share their parents.

• In your eyes, what makes a good student?

A good student is one that understands that success comes in many forms. Francis Patton Primary is a Seven Habits school that builds all our systems around the “Seven Habits” principles.

Two characteristics that make a good student are being disciplined and being focused. Students must be disciplined learners, living by the Seven Habits or any positive characteristics that guide their daily compass. Discipline includes being responsible, being respectful, being ready to learn and being safe.

Being focused involves setting goals and being intentional as to what these goals are, why you have set them and how you can reach them. We teach four and five-year-olds how to do this.

• Could you please share some good parenting tips with our readers?

For 12 years (P1-S4), a child’s job is to go to school daily. Their paycheques are their reports from the school (communication with teachers, termly report cards, etc).

Parents must be their child’s biggest advocate. This includes being supportive and present for all the years of their academic career. This involves making sure they arrive to school on time and have excellent attendance records, synergising with the school to support the child’s success, having children engage in activities that bring out their talents, growing themselves in areas of their strength, having them interact with different cultures within our communities, visiting the school once a term and sitting in on a class, and volunteering at least once a year.

Students thrive when they know their parent is supportive and interested in them academically and socially.

• Could you please share some tips for other educators?

Hold yourselves accountable for every child that you teach. Have a growth mindset that enables you to always see the greatness in every child. Reach out to those who support you to ensure your students are successful.

Never give up on a child, no matter what issues or concerns they bring to the classroom.

Never take anything personally; make no assumptions about a child; be impeccable with your word. If you say it, follow up and do it.

Every day give your best to every child. Be supportive of the school you are assigned to, this school contains individuals who are your extended family. Students appreciate those teachers who smile every day and forgive them or others, no matter what.