Letting Students Lead: How Tracy Faucher is Reimagining Learning at Holy Trinity School
From Istanbul to Richmond Hill, Deputy Head of School Tracy Faucher brings a global lens, deep compassion, and bold innovation to the classroom, championing personalized learning and redefining what school can be.
When Tracy Faucher walked into a Grade 3 classroom for her high school co-op placement, she had no idea she’d just taken the first step toward a lifelong career in education. She’d planned on becoming a marine biologist, she even had seashell wallpaper! But something about that classroom felt right. “I cannot describe it other than I just felt exactly where I was supposed to be,” she shared on The LearnIt Podcast. “I had about two and a half weeks to change all of my university applications from biology to education. It was the best decision I ever made.”
Now Deputy Head of School at Holy Trinity School (HTS) in Richmond Hill, Tracy has become one of Canada’s most forward-thinking school leaders. Her journey has taken her across the globe, from Toronto to Istanbul, and shaped an educational philosophy rooted in empathy, student voice, and adaptive leadership.
Global Lessons and Local Impact
Tracy’s international experience in Istanbul was formative. It wasn’t just about teaching, it was about unlearning. “It was one of the first times that I really realized the importance of putting aside your own perspectives and expectations when you walk into a place,” she recalled. “I had to stop assuming and start understanding.” That mindset of cultural humility continues to shape how she approaches leadership and curriculum design at HTS today.
Personalized Learning is More Than a Buzzword
At HTS, Tracy is one of the leaders who led the charge on personalized learning, but not in the surface-level way the term is often used. She’s quick to clarify: “Personalized and individualized aren’t the same.” Instead of creating 30 different lesson plans, she focuses on building relationships, co-constructing learning experiences, and giving students voice and agency.
“The learner is central,” she explained. “It’s not about flipping a switch. Personalized learning takes work. It’s never done, it should always be evolving.”
She encourages educators to start small. Stand at the door. Ask students questions. Invite their feedback on what success looks like. One of her favorite examples? A Grade 12 law teacher at HTS who co-created an entire unit with students - guest speakers, case studies, assessments and all. The result? The most engaging and high-achieving unit of the year.
Rethinking the System Itself
Tracy believes that true transformation won’t come from tweaking lesson plans, but from rethinking the structure of school itself. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that just because the current system produced successful adults, it doesn’t mean it’s still the best system,” she noted.
She points to persistent blockers - rigid timetables, age-based grade levels, traditional grading that limit how deeply students can learn. “If I could change one thing overnight, it would be no grades,” she said. “We’d move to competency and portfolio-based learning, and universities would accept it too.”
At HTS, she’s already laying the groundwork. The school has been developing its own set of six competencies since 2018, with robust frameworks to help teachers integrate them into everyday learning. Their internship and capstone programs offer students real-world applications of those skills, with mentorship and reflection baked in.
AI: A Threat or a Tool?
While many educators remain apprehensive about AI, Tracy sees potential, if it’s approached with intention. “AI could help us break through barriers in personalized learning,” she said. “If we do it right, it gives teachers more time for human interactions and authentic learning.”
Still, she acknowledges the emotional toll. “For some, it comes with grief and loss,” she said. “That’s valid. But educators today are helping define the relationship between AI and learning. If we center what’s most important, why we teach in the first place, we can bring those values into the AI space.”
A Leader Who Believes in People First
Throughout her career, Tracy has benefited from leaders who saw something in her before she saw it in herself. That’s a lesson she carries forward. When she started as a guidance counselor at a small private school, the principal created a new leadership role just to keep her. That moment shaped her trajectory.
“It made me stop and say, this person sees something. Maybe I should figure out what that is,” she said.
Today, as a leader, she pays that belief forward, to colleagues, to students, and to the next generation of educators finding their voice.
Quote to Remember: “Personalized learning isn’t a switch you turn on. It’s a relationship. It’s design. It’s evolving alongside your students.” - Tracy Faucher
