Class hadn’t even started, and Pam Aitkenwas already getting to know some of her kids this summer, helping them plant the flowers you see in front of Prestonwood Elementary. That’s all part of Aitken’s mission as the school’s new principal, building relationships and enriching students. The North Dallas native has spent all of her 16 years in education with RISD. She taught at Spring Valley Elementary, was assistant principal at Wallace Elementary and O. Henry Elementary and, most recently, served as the principal of Forest Lane Academy. Aitken talked with us about her goals for this year and her interesting, lifelong connection to Prestonwood.
What attracted you to teaching?
Oh, my goodness, I had a teacher that I just loved to death when I was in high school. She was one of my art teachers, and she went on maternity leave. So as a senior, I got to teach some of the art classes for the elementary kids at that school. And it just caused me to love kids and love learning and that’s when I decided that’s what my career path would be. The best feeling in the world is when kids actually get it, you know? You can just see the light bulb click on, and you get to see them grow from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, formulate their opinions and ideas, and start figuring out what their interests and passions are.
What are your goals for Prestonwood this year?
Prestonwood is such a strong campus. There are some outstanding staff members here, and the kids are just fabulous. But one of the goals I have for this building is to really work on enrichment for the kids and give them some opportunities for some collaborations, group projects and to just have the kids do more things to enrich and extend their learning experience.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned over the years in RISD?
The most important thing is building relationships with people — no matter who it is who’s coming into your building that you’re having the opportunity to work with. Without taking the time to get to know them and to build on that, you’ve lost a lot. Relationships are huge in making anything successful.
Tell me a little-known fact about yourself.
I have a big one that nobody knows. My husband worked for the school district, and he and I met in the school district and got married. We had both been married before and both had two kids from our first marriages. So, one of our first dates was actually at this school on the back playground with our kids. They used to have this castle playground on this big wooden structure that some of the parents or PTA had put there, and we used to come here all the time. So, when my husband proposed to me, he brought me to this playground with our kids and had an Easter egg hunt with our kids, even though it wasn’t Easter time, and we all had to find the egg with our name on it. And he got down on one knee and proposed to me and inside my egg was the engagement ring and inside all of the kids’ eggs, he had gotten each one of them a ring. So, he proposed to all of us that we become a family. And, when I got this job, they offered me this job on my wedding anniversary. How cool is that? It just came full circle. The playground has since been demolished. There’s new one up there, but even when I walk by there I think, ‘Golly, that was a long time ago.’ We’ve been married 16 years.
