Peter Kalbfleisch

Peter Kalbfleisch began his career in education in 1999, taking a position as a physical education and math teacher at University Heights, a vocational school in the Waterloo Region District of Ontario. During his time there, Peter served as the Activity Director and Student Council Lead.

When University Heights closed in 2004, Peter took a teaching position with Sir John A. Macdonald (now Laurel Heights) Secondary School in Waterloo, where he served in various roles for thirteen years. Along with his teaching and student leadership roles, Peter began coaching boys and girls basketball, football, ice hockey, slo-pitch softball, and Alpine skiing. He found himself gravitating towards opportunities where he could have a hand in designing programs and determining the scope.

In his final five years there, Peter served as director of the Fast Forward program, focusing on the needs of students who were out of phase with their grade level. He developed a conviction that no school should quit on any students and that they shouldn’t be allowed to quit on themselves.

Peter also created an initiative called Charity Begins at Home, raising funds to allow students from low socio-economic backgrounds to participate in experiential learning and extracurricular activities.

In 2017, Peter made the transition to administration, taking on the role of Vice Principal at Waterloo Oxford District Secondary School. Two years later, he accepted the same position at Kitchener Collegiate Institute (KCI). He’s been able to make his convictions about a positive approach to the learning needs of all students a top priority in his work.

Peter is a creative philanthropist, co-founding an organization called KW Legacy with a group of friends from the Waterloo region in order to find ways to give back to the community. Peter helped to conceive of events such as Golf for Scholarships, funding a leadership award for high school students in the area, as well as Top Home Chef, a competition event to raise money for the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council.

Peter’s hobbies include operating a basement brewery, raising vegetables in his garden, and then handing out the fruits of these labours to his friends and family. He’s a loving father and husband who enjoys camping trips, hiking, biking, and fitness training.

What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?

In order to be productive throughout the day, I make sure to wake up early and take care of my personal needs. I walk the dog for a few kilometers, I do my workout routine, all the non-negotiable personal tasks for the day. I’ve found that the only way to ensure that I’m at my best for the people I work with and serve is to take care of myself first. And the only way for that to happen is to get after it before the day gets away from you.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I believe that sharing ideas with others is the best way for me to shape ideas and get excited about their direction. Through the process of sharing, I’ve found that trusting relationships are formed as we establish open, honest communication and ensure that everyone is being heard. It’s a bonding process to bring shared ideas to life. It builds belief in your team, and it builds their trust in you when you listen to their ideas and implement them.

What’s one trend that excites you?

In education, I am very excited by seeing teachers who are adopting a more thorough, creative evaluation process for their students. I support the trend of moving away from traditional, high-stakes assessments to include conversations, observations, and opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning and aptitude. These more holistic evaluations embrace all aspects of a student’s abilities. Teachers are increasingly understanding that a simple evaluation of a final product – say a test or an essay – does not accurately reflect a student’s overall learning progress or the process involved. As an administrator, I love when I visit classrooms and talk with teachers who are energized by helping students with the process of learning and are open to using conversations and observations as evaluation tools. Students should not be seen as a product – they should be evaluated as a whole person. Classrooms are moving away from the traditional “teacher at the front” model and towards co-learning environments and side-by-side assessments. With all the innovations in AI, there has to be a parallel innovation in how we teach, and how we apply those shifts in the application of knowledge. There is a lot to be excited about in education right now. I believe that schools and classrooms that embrace equity and diversity philosophies and intentionally teach these principles are best suited to guide and create the next generation of community leaders.

What is one habit that helps you be productive?

As I get to look back on a career in education, I have learned so much from so many. One very important habit I’ve established is to learn and practice Work-Life balance boundaries. I love my job as a Vice Principal – I’m enthusiastic about education and I like being involved with every aspect of our rich, vibrant school culture. But unless I intentionally create that balance and make time for everyone in my life, including myself, I won’t have enough to give to anyone. So, in learning how to balance work and home demands, I’ve been able to ensure I have enough energy to grow and flourish in both environments.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Surround yourself with growth-minded friends and colleagues who share your interests, and ideally, your career. The people you surround yourself with will become your tribe, and their thoughts and ideas will shape your own. So choose to grow with people who are kind, compassionate, ambitious, and most importantly, who you enjoy being with… and try to always find ways to be a “YES” person. Be okay with trying new things, and know that a part of growing is trying and failing. Normalize failure as a learning process, and never stop learning! Be curious. Believe in yourself and, as an educator, believe in your students!

Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?

I love to be in bed early, say 9:00pm, and get up at 4:30am. My old friends still want to burn the midnight oil, but I always take off early and make sure I’m ready and rested for the next day.

What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?

Create a fitness goal. Tell others what you are planning to do so they’ll hold you accountable. Commit to the process and complete your goals. When you build a belief in yourself that you can accomplish the difficult things, it will help you to overcome so many obstacles in life. The truth is, you can do the hard things!

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?

Exercise. I go for a run outside in nature. You can do it anywhere. All you need is shoes. When I get my heart rate going and focus on breathing, it helps me re-center 100% of the time. After a 30 minute run, whatever was overwhelming me seems different and achievable. If you don’t want to run, just go outside for a walk. That feeling of being in nature and connected to the natural beauty of our world always seems to help change my mindset and improve my mood.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?

Accept that there isn’t a straight line to success. Trial and failure is a part of the process. Learn from your setbacks. Be accountable. Own it. And then never ever accept defeat. Never stop. Always keep trying! I have found a spirit of never giving up and always rising to the challenge has been the difference. Having the courage to rise and try over and over again is the blueprint to success.

What is one failure in your career,  how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?

I applied to the Vice Principal pool three times before I was successful in getting in. Each time, I signed up and accepted feedback. Each time, I tried to be accountable and control the things that were in my control. A positive mindset, resilience and being brave enough to learn from these setbacks helped me to understand that there is nothing I can’t accomplish in my life going forward.

What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?

When you want to build any business, the most important thing is to be authentic and to be yourself. Don’t pretend to be anyone else other than who you are. Be curious and learn, but don’t deviate from your true self or your true beliefs. You will build authentic and meaningful relationships with others who will know you and trust you. This approach will take you anywhere you want, in business or in life.

What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

Google Suites has been a great tool for educators to have a common platform and to share, store and retrieve files. The ability to work collaboratively and remotely was important through the pandemic. Google Meetings are now an integral part of sharing ideas with a large number of our colleagues.

Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?

There are two podcasts I love – The Mel Robbins Podcast, and Connected Parenting. These are personal growth podcasts that have helped me with respect to self-checks as a parent and as a man. They’ve shown me ways in which I can remain open to learning from others. I want to continue to be a lifelong learner. I believe that the moment you think you know everything, is the moment you need to reflect on that thought and realize you don’t. I always want to challenge myself to learn and to grow.

As for a book – I’d recommend Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. Goggins is a retired United States Navy SEAL. He is also an ultramarathoner, distance cyclist, triathlete , author and public speaker. I’ve taken on the challenge of running 20 half marathons in my life. Then in 2021 during COVID, a friend and I trained for another one. After completing it, he indicated he was going to keep training for a full one. As a large man, (230lbs) I’ve always allowed myself to believe I couldn’t achieve running a full marathon. But Goggins’ book helped me to understand that the negative self-talk was only in my head. He demonstrates that through mental toughness, hard work, and self discipline – anything is achievable. I highly recommend it for any human who wishes to grow, challenge themselves, or just needs someone to kick their butt into gear.

What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?

I love movies and TV. I do enjoy binge-watching comedy series like The Office, Community, Brooklyn 99, The Good Place, and Superstore. I also love reality TV game shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race Canada, and Alone.

Key learnings

• Sharing ideas with others can be a great way to shape ideas and get excited about their direction.
• Success isn’t a straight line – accept it.