Michael Bowman - Principal at Applewood Heights Secondary School

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Michael Bowman: The Educator Rewriting the Rules of Leadership

How a Principal’s Vision for Connection, Compassion, and Community is Transforming the Future of Education

In an era of rapid change and social complexity, education faces significant challenges. Yet, among those leading the charge for transformative solutions is Michael Bowman, principal of Applewood Heights Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. With a career spanning over three decades, Bowman is redefining leadership in education, emphasizing the importance of connection, inclusivity, and community.

From Reluctant Student to Resilient Leader

Bowman’s journey into education was anything but predictable. As a child, he struggled to find joy in school, candidly admitting he “hated elementary school.” His perspective shifted in high school, where inspiring teachers like Mr. McBurnie, his Grade 12 English teacher, fostered his love for learning. Through humor, compassion, and encouragement, those educators laid the foundation for Bowman’s future.

“They set a high bar for me,” Bowman reflects. “I wanted to bring that same energy and inspiration to others.”

This passion drove Bowman to pursue English and history at the University of Toronto, followed by a Bachelor of Education at Queen’s University. While he initially considered law, Bowman’s heart was set on making a tangible difference in the lives of young people.

A Principal for the Underdogs

For Bowman, leadership is about recognizing and nurturing potential, especially in students who might otherwise be overlooked.

“Many young people feel undervalued or see themselves as underdogs,” he explains. “We need to nurture them early, help them connect with caring adults, and show them they belong.”

At Applewood Heights, Bowman has championed initiatives that celebrate character and community contributions alongside academic achievements. He cites examples such as students stepping up to help a senior citizen in need or organizing events like a soccer tournament for younger grades. These moments of recognition are at the heart of his leadership philosophy.

“We need to notice and name the great things students do, whether inside or outside the classroom,” he emphasizes.

Building a Culture of Connection

Bowman’s leadership style prioritizes relationships. He makes a point of being present throughout the school day, greeting students in the morning, engaging with them during lunch, and connecting as they leave for the day.

“Education is about relationships,” he insists. “When students feel seen and heard, they thrive.”

This approach extends beyond students. Bowman believes that fostering strong connections among staff is equally critical. He encourages collaboration and professional growth, often facilitating discussions about teaching practices to create a culture of continuous improvement.

Reimagining Success

Bowman’s vision for success in education extends far beyond traditional metrics like grades. He emphasizes the importance of character, community involvement, and self-awareness.

“Success is about more than just academics,” he says. “It’s about preparing students to contribute meaningfully to the world.”

Through programs like Applewood’s Apple Crew, Bowman empowers students to take ownership of their school culture. These efforts ensure that every student has the opportunity to shine, not just the academically gifted.

Lessons in Leadership

Over his career, Bowman has learned the value of humility, patience, and listening. He cites his wife, Kelly, as a significant influence on his leadership style, particularly in embracing a servant-leadership mindset.

“Leadership isn’t about you,” Bowman advises. “It’s about creating opportunities for others to succeed.”

This philosophy has guided him through challenges like balancing the needs of students, staff, and parents. His approach—“tough on the message, gentle on the people”—has earned him the respect of his community.

A Vision for the Future

As he looks ahead, Bowman is focused on equipping students with the skills and values needed to navigate an increasingly complex world. He’s passionate about creating inclusive spaces where every student, regardless of their background, feels they belong.

“High school is a rare opportunity to meet people with different perspectives,” he notes. “We need to teach students how to have meaningful conversations and build bridges across differences.”

The Principal We All Need

Michael Bowman is more than a principal; he’s a changemaker in education. His commitment to fostering connection, celebrating character, and empowering underdogs serves as a powerful example of what leadership can achieve.

For anyone looking to understand the future of education, one thing is clear: follow Michael Bowman. He’s not just preparing students for the world; he’s preparing the world for his students.

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Discover Michael Bowman’s story on the latest episode of Educators of Today with Ziyaan Virji. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Youtube and be inspired by a principal who’s redefining leadership, one student at a time.

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Educators of Today with Ziyaan Virji is a podcast that dives into the stories of principals, superintendents, and educators shaping the future of learning. Each episode explores the challenges and innovations in education, from mental health and student agency to leadership and school culture. Whether you're an educator, administrator, or advocate for education, this podcast offers actionable insights and inspiration to create lasting impact.

Hosted by Ziyaan Virji, a 23-year-old award-winning keynote speaker and changemaker, the show combines his global perspective with the expertise of leading educators. Ziyaan has delivered 200+ talks in 7 countries, including TEDx, the United Nations, and the Global Education and Skills Forum, inspiring over half a million people worldwide.

Contact Ziyaan for speaking engagements that inspire schools to foster student leadership, mental health, and impactful education.

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Transcript

Ziyaan: Welcome to Educators of Today, a podcast highlighting educators in Canada and beyond. This is our second episode, and I’m so grateful to have this conversation with Michael Bowman, Principal of Applewood Heights Secondary School. Thank you so much for joining us.

Michael: Thanks, I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you.

Ziyaan: Awesome. So, to start us off, you’ve been an educator since 1992, if I’m not mistaken. I’m curious to learn what inspired you to pursue this path and how your journey in education has shaped who you are today.

Michael: Well, I’ll be honest with you, Ziyaan, I wasn't a big fan of elementary school. I actually hated elementary school. But when I got to public high school—I was in the Catholic system previously—when I got to White Oak Secondary School, I had some amazing teachers there. Like, amazing. And I was very inspired by them. I was thinking about teaching or law, but I have to say that was one of the things I wanted to do. I really felt that a lot of those teachers had a really positive impact on me, and I really enjoyed high school to a large degree because of that.

Ziyaan: Yeah.

Michael: Of how it shaped how I am today. I think they were a really good example of being knowledgeable, but they were also kind and compassionate and inclusive. They were very much ahead of their time, and they also knew how to engage you and get you interested, whether it was English or history. I was really… I even remember my one grade 12 English teacher, Mr. McBurnie, had such a great sense of humor. We had to do speeches, and my speech was actually a parody of his class.

Ziyaan: Oh, wow.

Michael: It was a high-risk assignment because I was being graded on this, but he loved it, and it got a lot of laughs. It was a compliment to him, obviously. He was only one of many great teachers I had. So I would say they set a high bar for me going into this profession.

Ziyaan: I love that. I love the story about Mr. McBurnie. That was definitely a little risky, but it sounds like it turned out really well.

Michael: It paid off.

Ziyaan: So I love that. I know you mentioned a little bit about doing English and history when you first went to U of T, right? I’m curious how you made that decision and then at what point did you decide you wanted to pursue a Bachelor of Education at Queen’s?

Michael: I think there was a lot of concern back then about whether I should go into teaching. I wanted to be marketable. I had a deep interest in both English and history and classics and philosophy, but I knew that English and history would probably be fairly marketable in terms of going into secondary teaching. I definitely wanted to be a secondary teacher, so I was thinking ahead at the time. So I decided to go for the combined history specialist. Unfortunately, while I was at UTM, instead of reading my Victorian novels, I was reading philosophy on the side. That helped me later on when I ended up teaching the philosophy course. But when I was doing the degree, I think I was concerned because I was thinking, if I go into teaching, I have both of those teachables, and if I try to go into law, then I think those are good preparation for a pre-law degree.

Ziyaan: Makes sense. You mentioned your interest in philosophy. Any philosophers that you’ve looked up to or specific philosophies or values that you specifically subscribe to and have been a big fan of since your time of studying?

Michael: That’s a tough one. I mean, I got interested later on when I was teaching philosophy in Bertrand Russell, and I really… When I was in school, I found a lot of the Continental existentialists really interesting, like Nietzsche and Kierkegaard and Heidegger. But I liked reading. I just found it really interesting. So I started buying a lot of philosophy books and just reading them on my own and not doing my homework for my courses. But they were good because when you have to teach it yourself later on, I didn't have a lot of courses. I only had three courses in my degree in philosophy, so I did a lot of my own reading and research to be able to teach it to students in high school.

Ziyaan: That makes sense. It sounds like even when you were a student, that personal responsibility and drive and leadership was a big part of your journey. I know that’s something you emphasize as a principal in your school. I’m curious to learn if there are any personal experiences where you’ve had… Obviously, you’re in a leadership position, but why is that so important, especially for young people today?

Michael: Because I think a lot of young people do have leadership potential, but they’re not noticed, they’re undervalued, and sometimes they’re underdogs. A lot of young people see themselves as underdogs, and we have to nurture that from day one and get them in grade nine and ten and get them connected with different caring adults in the building so that they can grow their leadership. I’m a big believer that you have to practice these things. You have to practice service to others and seek for meaning, something beyond just money or something beyond yourself. I think for a lot of kids, they want to help other people, they just don’t know how sometimes. They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They just need to know how to go about doing it. I also think that for a lot of kids, it helps them connect with other kids who have similar values. It’s almost like there’s a conspiracy of kids who want to be nice kids, but sometimes it’s not considered to be cool.

Michael: I remember we have these student recognition awards assemblies where the teachers nominate kids for different things, and one of the things they nominate them for is character. I remember there was this one student who got an award, and I said to him, “I know you got this award, congratulations, but don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone you’re still a badass.” Because he knew exactly what I was talking about. He kind of said that, you know… Again, it’s one of those things, like they don’t want… In high school, you want to be doing good things, but you don’t want to be singled out as, “Oh, you’re the good student.” So it’s nice to kind of go through the back door or through the side door to help recognize the good qualities in kids.

Ziyaan: I love that. I remember in high school, as you mentioned, you’re either the nice kid or the cool kid, you’re definitely grouped into certain categories. It’s interesting that you mention that. I’m curious to learn what your take is on the role of recognizing things like awards and stuff. What role does that have in the journey of a young person at a school? I remember in my school, we had this honor system, and if you got a certain grade, you got first-class honors, second-class honors, and there would be this big ceremony. At some point, it felt very toxic, and if you weren’t part of that group, you felt like your self-esteem was pretty low. I’m curious to learn what your thoughts are on that.

Michael: I think you’ve got to recognize kids every day, whether formally or informally, for the stuff they’re doing, even naming and noticing great things that they do. We had some students where there was a 100-year-old man walking in front of the school, and he fell, and students went and helped him and called paramedics. We recognized that because that is what we want our grads to do. Some of the kids who achieve high marks obviously get recognized, but we need to really name and notice all the things kids are doing for other kids or for people in the community. We had a number of kids who organized, our leadership group, they organized a soccer tournament for grade fives, and they did an amazing job. We have to give them the feedback in the moment when they do things. We have a group at school called Apple Crew, and they do a lot of great things for the school, but the reason they came about was because they wanted to improve the tone of the school. I support them as much as I can.

Ziyaan: I love that. I like that you talk about recognizing not only academics but things like those students helping that 100-year-old man, things outside of class that really give young people a chance to shine in what they’re good at versus being someone that you’re not necessarily just for the recognition. I appreciate you saying that. I was reading your school’s website, and I know one of your mottos is “Letting Knowledge Flourish.” What does that mean, and what does that mean to you specifically?

Michael: I think with young people, and even with staff, the first thing is self-knowledge. When you begin to know who you are, I think you can make connections with others, and you kind of know what your goals are. That takes a long time, it’s an ongoing process. There’s curricular knowledge, but there’s also knowledge about the world and what’s happening in the world. I think there are lots of different ways you can define what that means. The flourishing part is making sure that everyone has access to that knowledge and everyone has opportunities to develop themselves as much as they can because ultimately, you’re looking at the generation of tomorrow. These people will be running our society, they’ll be parents, they’ll be leaders, they’ll be doing all kinds of things to solve complex problems that beset us. It’s really important to give kids not only opportunities in class but also opportunities in the community and outside of class to develop their knowledge and knowledge of the world, of the community, of people who are not like them. High school is one of those rare opportunities where you’re with people who are very different than you and have different perspectives, different upbringings, different religious backgrounds, and you get to have exposure and have conversations. We have to help teach them how to have those conversations with each other. That’s sort of a lost art. I talk a lot about something my wife has talked to me about, where psychologists have talked about shift. Sometimes when you’re talking to someone, they’re asking you questions, and you want to get to know someone, but you think the way to do that is to talk about your experience. Really, the best response is to continue to ask more questions because it’s not about shifting the focus onto you, it’s about getting to know them in a really deep way. It’s a tough thing to do because you think that by shifting it to you, you’re going to connect with them, but really, if you really want to probe deeply, you just keep asking them more questions. I think it’s a great way to get to know people.

Ziyaan: Yes, right. That’s why I love podcasting as well. You get the opportunity to ask as many questions and really get to know someone on a deeper level in a way that you wouldn’t necessarily have when you’re just having a normal one-on-one. I love that you say conversations have become a lost art. Where does… Tell me more about that, and how do you make conversation not a lost art in a school setting?

Michael: I think it’s practice. I think you sometimes have to have some ground rules or norms. You need to have ways of… because conversation can go in a lot of different ways, or learning to agree to disagree. There are different standards that you can have. If you’re just trying to understand the other person’s perspective, it does require some discipline and some ground rules because obviously, we all have a place that we’re coming from. Someone might say something that might be very foreign and different from our comfort zone, but nevertheless, for that person, it’s their truth, it’s their personal truth and experience. It’s about practicing listening and imaginatively putting yourself in the shoes of the other person and their perspective over and over again. It helps you appreciate that there are so many different ways of looking at things.

Ziyaan: So right. I think now more than ever, where we live in a world that feels very polarizing, it’s important that we learn how to sit in a room and have a conversation with someone you disagree with or someone that doesn’t necessarily come from the same background as you. I think it’s extremely important, especially now more than ever. I know you folks really emphasize this idea of second chances. Can you recall a moment or a story in your career as an educator where you’ve given a young person a second chance or have had a second chance on your own in terms of the work that you’ve done?

Michael: I would say a lot of our team at our school really believes in working with students to try to give them opportunities, like how I was talking about underdogs earlier. Sometimes students will come to us, whether it’s a superintendent transfer or they’ve gotten in trouble at another school, and we meet with them. We don’t get into that. We basically introduce them to all of our support people, we get them their timetable, and we let them be a part of the community. We try to get them to connect with the community as much as possible. We’ve done that over and over again with many, many students. We’ve had a lot of success. I think a big part of that is getting to know the students. We do that by, three times a day when the kids arrive, we welcome them when they come in the door, and then at lunch, we try not to book meetings, so we go out and we supervise the kids, we talk to the kids at lunch, and then after school, we go out the third time. A lot of our kids leave through the main foyer, so we’re out there again. We try to make ourselves more accessible. That’s how we connect with the kids and check in with them. We always ask them, “Are you good? How are things going? How’s your semester going?” Because you have to be relentless in asking for feedback about how things are going. That’s where the kids will tell you, “I need to talk to you about this,” or “This is going well,” or “That’s not going well.” You’ve got to be out there and approachable because you don’t want to be stuck in the office.

Ziyaan: I feel like when you give those opportunities to have those organic conversations outside the classroom setting, as you say, when they’re leaving, you’re physically there, you’re providing a space for them to come and share. It’s so important. Even the relationships I had with my teachers were in those moments during break, during lunch, right after school, where I had the chance to build a relationship with them and get to know them outside of that role they’re playing in our classroom setting. I completely agree with you on that point.

Michael: I was just going to add to that. I would say as well that I think a lot of times when teachers create really interesting lessons and experiences, and sometimes those are outside of school, that’s where you really get to know the students, and the students really get to know you.

Ziyaan: 100%. You’ve learned for your role, obviously, in a leadership position, you definitely have to balance your relationship with the teachers, the students, their parents. What’s been your approach with balancing and navigating all these different relationships? I’m sure you have to play a different role in those different contexts.

Michael: I guess, and I don’t want this to sound patronizing or anything, but the teachers are kind of like your class. You have to get to know them, you have to know their strengths, you have to know how to support them, you have to ask for feedback, you have to acknowledge your own mistakes and own them, and you have to earn their respect, and it takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. At the same time, you are advocating for students, so sometimes things are going to be done… the students come first, in my view. You can’t ignore their feedback. Obviously, the teachers are the ones who have the most direct influence and spend the most time with the students, but at the same time, if you’re talking about policies and procedures and good teaching, you’re tough on the message but gentle on the people. You try, and you use patience as a weapon because some teachers who have been doing something for a long time don’t realize that maybe what they’re doing is harmful. They need to come to a different understanding eventually and realize you want them to reflect on their practice and talk to other teachers as well. As a group, as a profession, we don’t get together and talk enough about teaching. John Hattie talks a lot about this. When we give teachers opportunities to talk about their practice and their craft in very explicit ways, I think our teaching moves forward. My own teaching moved forward when I had opportunities to teach with someone else, and then I would say, “Okay, I’m going to try this period two, you try it period four, we’ll talk about it.” You’re kind of coaching each other into better teaching, and you’re taking into account the differences between your classes. It’s a very lonely profession. The more you can do professional development with each other every day, the better. You have to balance those things because if you put students on top to the exclusion of everything the teachers want, you’ll alienate all the teachers. If you please the teachers at the expense of the students, you’ll lose the school. You have to find that balance, and you have to make sure that you are following the policies of the Ontario College of Teachers as well as your board policies. You’re employed by an employer. You have to make sure those things are done too.

Ziyaan: I’m sure over time, with experience, you build that muscle of navigating that balance. I really like what you said about, as a teacher, you are also a student in that sense, learning from your peers and adapting. What I really liked about something on your school’s website was being culturally responsive and adaptive in your teaching practices. Why is that important, and can you share an example of what that actually looks like?

Michael: One of the things we ask our teachers to be… We’ve been working on this for a number of years, but it really looks at, as part of the process of getting to know your students, you need to know they’re coming from different cultural backgrounds, different religious backgrounds, and different perspectives. We’re a very diverse school. You want to make sure that not only are the resources and the novels, the examples you’re giving, not all Eurocentric, that there’s diversity there, that people can see success, they can see themselves in terms of success and what’s been achieved in the subject area. Getting to know people and being flexible and being adaptive and negotiating sometimes with kids and learning from your students because your students are always teaching you things, it’s just whether or not you’re paying attention. Behaviors are always communicating something to you, but are you clued in, or are you just so focused on the curriculum or whatever super lesson you’re trying to deliver that you’re not really hearing where they’re at? It’s kind of meeting kids where they’re at each day and realizing it’s not all about you. I remember an administrator saying, “It’s not about you, Mike, it’s about them.” Even in the classroom, it’s not about you. You can do direct teaching, you can do explicit instruction, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure the kids who are probably the least advantaged are doing amazingly well because the other kids, they don’t need you, they’ll do well in spite of you. Can you get the kids who are maybe not as strong and don’t have as many advantages doing really well? The ones who are the least engaged, if those kids are really doing well and they’re on fire by the end of your courses, that’s the true measure of whether or not you’re a good teacher.

Ziyaan: You’re right. I love that you mentioned this idea of “it’s not about you.” I do a lot of speaking, and something I always remind myself before going on stage is thinking about reminding myself that it’s not about you, you’re here to serve. As a teacher, you’re also speaking in front of a class, and sometimes it’s so easy to make it about yourself. Going in with the mindset of you’re here to serve, it’s about the audience and the students, it really reduces that pressure and allows you to really listen and engage with your audience or your classroom. I know you’ve been in this space for a while. I’m curious to learn how you’ve seen things evolve over the last 30 or so years. What are the types of challenges you have to face today versus a bunch of years ago? How have you seen the space evolve as an educator?

Michael: That’s a big question. When I started out, there probably was a lot more trust in the institutions, including education. Over time, there’s been a bit of an erosion of that, so everything is being questioned and second-guessed. That’s something you have to deal with now, that people are more skeptical. We have to earn our professionalism every day. It’s not taken for granted that because you have your name, you are a teacher, that people will automatically see you as a professional. They’ll kind of see, “What are your practices? How do I know you’re professional?” It’s important for people to have really good practices and to make sure they conduct themselves appropriately with their students and that they embody the Ontario College of Teachers standards and the ethical standards and that their interactions with students, not just the students in their classes but the students in the school at large, are in ways like treating people the way you want to be treated. If these kids were your kids in another school, how would you want them to be treated? Kids really weigh and consider your words depending on your positional authority. If you’re a teacher and you’re really nasty to some student that you don’t know, they’ll remember that. They will remember how they were treated. Even in these roles, it’s important to take a low key because people think, “The principal’s talking to me,” or “The vice principal’s talking to me,” or “The guidance counselor is talking to me.” They almost see your position before they hear your words. You have to be really careful and measure how you talk to people because you could do a lot of unintentional damage based on being thoughtless and careless with your speech.

Ziyaan: Why do you think that trust in institutions has decreased over time? What do you think has caused that?

Michael: I know the pandemic had an effect, but even before that, there were a lot of different perspectives on public education, on its value and utility and its cost. It is a very expensive thing, along with healthcare. It uses up a lot of provincial budgets. People are looking for results, and maybe for some people, they didn’t feel they were getting the desirable results out of our grads. It’s pretty complex. I definitely think we have to work at earning our place. Especially after the pandemic, I think people, including teachers and all of us, have a level of… I shouldn’t speak for everyone, but from my perspective, I see that the level of anxiety out there is pretty high. Sometimes we’re managing our own anxiety and the anxiety of our clients and their families. The relationship piece, the sense of belonging piece, getting to know people, that’s huge. That’s what creates the trust.

Ziyaan: We’re almost out of time. One final question: if you had to go back to year one of you being an educator, what advice would you give your younger self?

Michael: First of all, I want to acknowledge my wife, Kelly. She’s been a huge influence on me in terms of that servant leadership. She works in the retirement industry and goes above and beyond for her clients. She’s been my cornerstone in terms of how to navigate not only teaching but also getting into these kinds of roles. I would say it’s important

Michael: I would say it’s important to have a critical friend. I think it’s also important to spend more time on connecting, finding as many connections as you can with your students before you get into the curriculum. Your passion for the curriculum and the subject will only get you so far. What gets you further is really connecting with students and keeping that connection going so that they will go on that journey with you. If you don’t get to know them and they don’t get to know you, it’s only going to get you so far. I would say spend more time intentionally in those areas.

Ziyaan: Definitely, throughout the podcast, a big theme has been connection and people and relationships. Even just going back to earlier, having conversations and getting to know people on a deeper level, which, as you say, is a lost art, especially in a world where we feel so connected with social media but we’re more disconnected than ever before. I really appreciate you taking the time. I feel very inspired. I feel hopeful knowing that students have educators like you that go above and beyond to create an environment that they can thrive in. I appreciate you taking the time and sharing a couple of stories with me on the podcast.

Michael: Thanks, Ziyaan. I appreciate the opportunity. You have some excellent questions. It’s good that we’re practicing what we’re saying we need to do more of, which is getting to know each other. It’s a real privilege to be able to do this podcast.