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The wine tour

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For quite a few years now, my wife and I have holidayed in Kelowna during our summer break. What has usually happened is that our daughters come and join us for part of the trip, but as it turns out, usually at different times. This year their visit overlapped and I had a special request. I wanted to do a wine tour with them… where I wasn’t the designated driver.

So this morning 5 of us, my wife and I, our two daughters, and one of my daughter’s best friends, walked up to the front entrance of our campground and met a tour van to take us on a full day wine tour.

Six other people joined us: Four from London, Ontario, and two from London, England. It only took one winery to loosen up and then we became one big group on the bus. By the end of the day our 3 parties were sad to have to part ways.

Overall, the day went as I had hoped. I enjoyed my time with my family and new friends. I could fully enjoy the tasting without worrying about transportation. And it was a delight to have this experience with my wife and kids.

I’ve said this before, but it is special to me that my grown kids still enjoy spending time with my wife and I. I really believe that life is about creating special experiences. I don’t need more stuff, but I want more opportunities to spend time with people that I love and care for… and this wine tour is a perfect example of this.

Student led tours

After a long period without visitors to our school, we are slowly starting to get people visiting to learn more about Inquiry Hub again. When guests do the tour, I don’t go with them. I greet them, introduce them to a student, send them on their way, and encourage them to ask their tour guide and other students what it’s really like at the school. I’ll sometimes joke, like I did yesterday when I said, “Claire will show you around and after I leave you she can give you real dirt on the school.” Claire, in grade 11 and wanting to give tours since her no-visitor-mask–and-stay-separate-pandemic-grade-9-year, played right along, joking about how horrible it is to go to the school. Good for a laugh to break the ice and start the tour off relaxed.

Now, I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t give Claire pointers to talk about, but there is no script. I want to make sure she talks about the inquiry courses, the supports provided, and the schedule, but I honestly don’t know exactly what Claire shared with the visitor. She gave her version of the school not mine.

And inevitably, whether it was Claire, or any of my previous guides, when the visitor comes back to the office, I hear what an amazing ambassador my tour guide was. I also encourage visitors to talk to other students about the school and their projects, and I know when they took my advice because they tell me they did ask, and how great our students are.

I had a similar experience as a visitor at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, and High Tech High in California. Both with engaged students, passionate about their schools, giving me the tours, and me talking to random students that would answer my questions.

The reality is that the tour would not be as good if I tried to provide the narrative. It wouldn’t be as authentic. Do the students miss sharing anything important? Probably. But visitors will ask questions, and learn what they need to, or they can ask me after the tour. But the magic happens when students are trusted to be the ambassadors and not just presenters… and when they are trusted to lead, without an adult present. After all, isn’t it their school?