Faculty Bio
Dr. Adriana Klassen
Sessional Lecturer
I am an educator and school leader with 20 years of K-12 experience. I currently serve as Superintendent of Westmount Charter School in Calgary, Alberta, the province's only K-12 public charter school dedicated to gifted education. Before becoming Superintendent, I served as Principal of Westmount's Elementary Campus for two years and spent 17 years with the Calgary Catholic School District as an elementary and junior high humanities teacher, Assistant Principal, and Vice Principal.
Throughout my career, I have been guided by the belief that when educators thrive, students succeed. That belief has shaped my leadership and research.
I earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Western University, where my dissertation-in-practice, “Leading by Serving: Enhancing Collective Teacher Efficacy,” explored how servant leadership can strengthen collective teacher efficacy
and support educator well-being. I also hold a Master of Arts in Gifted Education from the University of Calgary. My thesis, “Gifted Adults Who Overcame Academic Underachievement in Adolescence to Succeed: A Multiple Case Study,” examined the
experiences of gifted adults who overcame academic underachievement and identified conditions that contributed to their long-term success.
My research and professional interests include collective teacher efficacy, educator well-being and flourishing, servant leadership, gifted education, and creating learning environments where every student thrives. I am passionate about connecting educational research with authentic classroom practice and school leadership, helping educators translate evidence into meaningful action that strengthens relationships, builds community, and enhances learning.
I have presented at provincial conferences on topics including classroom complexity, women in leadership, and educational leadership. I am the author of the book chapter, “Enhancing Collective Teacher Efficacy: Leading by Serving,” and the article, “Engaging and Empowering Gifted Learners: 30 Years of Innovation at Westmount Charter
School.”
As a sessional instructor, I look forward to learning alongside future educators as they embark on their professional journeys. My goal is to help them connect theory to practice, teach with purpose, lead with compassion, and foster inclusive, engaging, and flourishing learning environments where every student can thrive.
Courses
EDFN 311: Establishing and Managing the Learning Environment
