Yesterday, April 18, 2026, was my friend’s birthday. Happy birthday, Nina!! I did not realize that it was her birthday, but knew it was coming soon. Yesterday morning, as I rolled over in bed to reach for my phone (a very, very unhealthy habit), and I got a Facebook notification announcing birthdays. My friend passed away last year, but her Facebook page is still alive and well. LOL. Social media. I’m beginning to question the value of social media in relationship with humanity. Very questionable. Nina passed away last year from a 1.5 year battle with cancer. She had glioblastoma. I remember her telling me her diagnosis on my birthday at 4 or 5 am. She did not use that term, glioblastoma, but with what she had described, Google provided the rest of the details. I remember her introducing her herself to me in 2019 at the CAfLN (Canadian Assessment for Learning Network) conference. At that time, I was not in the best place in my life. Things were very uncertain for me and I was about to embark on lots of life changes, but she remained caring, curious, and joyful. I appreciated her friendship ever since. She was 10-years my junior. Nina was a phenomenal teacher educator, assessment advocate, and educational researcher. She was in the middle of her doctorate program, something that she had always wanted to do, but was unable to finish due to her health condition. She was so passionate about her work, her kids, and her family. Nina was good friend.
I met up with our mutual friend, Shannon, in Prince George for bunch (image below). Of course, we took a selfie. Shannon is no longer on social media. I wish I could do the same. I do social media for my job, but I guess I could step away as well. Anyway, I chose to go to Grama’s Kitchen at Grama’s Inn for brunch. My other friend took me there a couple of months ago and I loved it, so I wanted to go back again. As you can see with the image above, the breakfast feature of two eggs, hashbrowns, toast, and sausage is HUGE and I chose items that remind me of my mom, like sausage and shredded hashbrowns, but Shannon had her eggs poached, ordered bacon, and chose to have the potato “cubes” with grilled onion. Damn. I love the permutations. We both had coffee and chatted for a good couple of hours. I love catching up with Shannon and I love spending “be a person day” connecting with friends and having a restaurant breakfast (aka., my favourite). The meal was very satisfying, much like the conversation, and I brought my raisin toast home to have for breakfast at another time. I thought it was serendipitous to have planned and meet on Nina’s birthday. Nina had a huge impact on both of us and believe that Nina brought us together in some way to celebrate her birthday. She was that kind of person. Selfless, always in service. Nina was an incredible person, much like Shannon. We decided to meet again next month, but go somewhere else. We gabbed for a bit in the parking lot and decided to rate and review each restaurant we go to.
Although we did not set success criteria for the brunch assessment, Grama’s Kitchen is PROFICIENT. We are referring to BC’s Proficiency Scale (not a score out of 10). I would have rated Grama’s as a solid 8 out of 10, but that’s based on my feelings, past experiences, and perceived level of self-satisfaction. I love the diner atmosphere, the service is fun, animated, and personable, and the food is delicious. I know I will be back again. Thank you Grama’s Kitchen for another amazing breakfast. I’ll be back again. For the blog-reader, look forward to our next brunch review (with success criteria too). 🙂
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 19th, 2026 | No Comments »
As we approach the end of another semester at the university, my daughter (known as the kid) will be graduating soon. She has only a few more days of clinical left which concludes her final term at the university. As selfish as the may sound, I am so grateful that I could be with my daughter during her undergraduate years. I remember as a kid that I had to leave home at 17-years old and go to university. I had no idea what I was doing. From Prince Rupert to Vancouver at UBC, I was a deer in the headlights, to say the least. I stayed in residence and had no idea what I wanted to do. My kid, on the other hand, due to life circumstances, followed me to Prince George after she graduated from high school. We lived in my one-bedroom apartment for a few years. She got the bedroom and the dining room became my bedroom/office. She took a couple courses from the school district as an adult student before entering the nursing program at CNC and UNBC. And about a year and a half ago, I bought my own place in Prince George, to make a commitment to me, the kid, and the place.
No regrets.
I almost think this is how things should have played out. I feel very fortunate that my kid received quite a few scholarship and bursaries to pay for most of her tuition at CNC. I am grateful to my mom who helped out in creating an RESP for my kid and contribute to it religiously so that my kid could have an education. And finally, I am thankful that I have had a steady contract and renewal at the university so that my kid could reap the benefit of tuition waivers. She also won a couple of bursaries too during her time at the university, and she has worked as a ESN (employed student nurse) for a couple of summers as well as acquire some RA funding with a couple of research projects she has been involved in. Moreover, now that I’m bragging, she was VP of the Pre-Med Club as well as the President of the Stem Cell Club, in addition to being a member of the REB (research ethics board) and co-chair of Hoops 3-on-3 and executive member of the Relay for Life in Prince George. It’s a handful, and she did that on her own. Did I mention that we were roomies the whole time? I just loved it.
Wow. I guess I really wanted to talk about how proud I am of my kid. She’s really made the most of a situation and then some. I am really excited for her with respect to next steps and I will support her in any way I can. Again, I loved spending this time with her during her undergraduate years to see her grow up, be an adult, and heal from many of the hardships experienced as a young child. We were healing together.
So, onto the real premise of this blog post. It’s something that I have been considering for quite some time, but now more than ever, given that my kid is finishing up school and moving into the big world as an adult with her nursing credentials and skills acquired from higher education, I feel that now I can be my own person too. So who is that? Who am I? I just came to the realization that much of what I am curious about with respect to research is (1) out-of-field teaching; (2) professional learning experiences; and (3) identity development… are all things that I experienced, love, and struggle with. Makes sense. What you research has to be important to you. The context from which I do my research is in mathematics education, teacher education, and teacher leadership. Also makes sense too, as these three areas in education reflect my positionality in my personal and professional spaces. But really? Who am I?
DR. CHRISTINE HO
It’s taken some time to get here. I remember as a kid that I would write out on a piece of paper, “Dr. Christine Ho, BSc, MSc, PhD.” My dad, I did not realize until years later, had found these pieces of paper (or at least saw them in my room). It was something that was always in my mind, and in many ways, never thought it would be possible. Admittedly, I did not take the “intended” route to get my doctorate, and really, the letters after my name unravelled more like, “BSc, BEd, MEd, EdD,” but I’m still “Dr. Christine.” I kinda like that name when students call me that. It resonates with me, respectful but personal, even though I prefer “Christine” instead. All is good.
After separating and my divorce, I could have easily changed my name. I ended up with a compromise by calling myself “Christine Ho Younghusband” to recognize two big chapters of my life being “Christine Ho” and “Christine Younghusband.” Now that my kid is turning to a new chapter, I feel that I can too. I was looking for some images that reflected a time when I was “Christine Ho” and found two grad photos: one from high school and one from my B.Sc. in Chemistry. I guess these images provoked me to also talk about my kid, her accomplishments, and her upcoming convocation. Anyway, these photos look BOMB. I had no idea. Of course I took off my glasses for both grad photos. Not sure why? The vanity!! I have been wearing glasses since I was in Grade 1. Anyway, I wanted to see myself as CHRISTINE HO, now Dr. Christine Ho, and I’m feeling the vibe. I am so overwhelmed how much work it will be to change my name, but much like my townhouse, I’m worth it. I think I’ll start this process in June.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 11th, 2026 | No Comments »
An archival pic of my family from 2017, I believe. It’s one of our last family photos.
April 5, 2026 – OMG… I’m sick and lost my voice
You just can’t take things for granted. OMG… I’m just struggling with illness. I have no idea what I have… a cold, the flu, or COVID. Oof. All I know is, I am sick, I am coughing like nobody’s business, and I lost my voice. I just had another “cold” a few weeks ago and managed to “work my way through it” but this time, I don’t know. I am fully operational in terms of low level activity, like blogging. I went to Vancouver last weekend with my kid. She had an appointment in Vancouver and she wanted me to come along. It turned out to be a weekend of connection, rest, and bliss. We met up with one of her childhood friends, we met up with my family, and we visited my mom. We celebrated this weekend as my kid is heading closer to graduation. I got her a build-a-bear and we had a couple of massages too. We had a great weekend, but I could feel something creeping from behind.
My ears would not unplug after flying home from Vancouver. This anomaly was my first clue. Of course, like any good teacher, I denied these symptoms, hoping that my ear would pop and life would proceed as it should. Monday was my last in-person teaching day with this crew. Next Monday (aka., tomorrow), is Easter Monday, and our last Monday together was made asynchronous. Everything in those two classes are due that day. I got through that day, and I was in the race-of-work. Because my last weekend was spent with my kid, I was in full gear trying to get things done, like email, prep, and meetings. I was still in sick-denial. By the time I was teaching my Tuesday night class, I could feel “the sick” coming in hard and fast. The first part of the class, my class was being filmed for the university. The second-half, I was dying. I think the students picked up on this when no one sat beside me in circle. I dragged myself home and I was overwhelmed by SICK.
Just like that, I was drinking NeoCitron, having Benadryl, and managing to get through Wednesday and Thursday before Easter long weekend. Luckily, I could work from home. But, I lost my voice by the end of Wednesday… and now it’s Sunday, and I still don’t have my voice. I had to teach my Thursday online class using the chat function, established instructional routines, and videos. That was an interesting experience. My occupation is very reliant on my voice. Thank goodness the class went well and my students were very compassionate and accommodating. It’s been an interesting class and I appreciate how it’s been moving along despite the interruptions. After that class, I was very intentional to take the night off, to go to bed, and take the next day or two to recover from this mess. Two days later, I am still sick, I’m struggling with sleep, and I still don’t have my voice.
So, why the photo of my family? My sister, brother, and I are connected via text messaging. I am so grateful to be so connected to them both. Although I spent a good chunk of my life trying to be “like them” as the first child and first boy in our family, I have learned that they have my best interests at heart and I don’t have to be like them (or anyone) to be accepted for who I am. Anyway, I am very grateful for what they both have to offer and very appreciative of the sibling-team we have become for one another and for my dad. A long story made short, it was triage for us which resulted in a FaceTime call. Of course, I had no voice. I was all non-verbal cues, much like my Thursday’s class without the chat function. My sister commented by saying mid-Triage about me not having a voice and how refreshing it was. LOL. I’ll take that as a compliment. It’s been something that I have been learning since my mom passed. I have a voice. Use it.
In the end, the triage-moment proceeded as it did and I was left wondering about not taking what we have for granted. I’ve been doing that for many, many years. But, I have my health. I have a place to live. I have a job I love. I live with my kid. I have everything I need. Ok. I am sick and lost my voice, but what a wonderful reminder of making the most of what I have and not take things for granted. I have been adapting and doing my best to make the most of the current situation. I have rested for a couple of days, like it was the weekend, and I have a couple of more days this long weekend to get things done without the interruption of meetings and emails. It’s nice. As we approach the end of the term, I hope to get my voice back from my last two classes, one on Tuesday and the other on Thursday. Other than that, it’s time to close the term, get my marking done, and to submit grades. I also need to work on my CV. I’ve done a tonne of things for the last 3-months and I need to document them for the annual report. Honestly, life is good.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 05th, 2026 | Comments Off on Appreciate What You Have
March 26, 2026 – My cat found a new passion in Churu
Oh my… I am super late with my weekly blog, so much so that it’s almost next week. That’s ok. There will be something else to reflect on and wonder about. What I wanted to talk about in this blog post is reminding myself what stokes my fire. I find myself, at times, overly excited when I am at presentations and I can honestly feel the JOY busting through my chest. My energy is up and I just get excited about the possibilities. I just get JACKED-UP when I am at a ProD workshop or conference. And yes, that topic is MATH.
Let me be clear. I’m not a math-nerd. I’m OK at math. In some ways, I wished I was math-bionic. With respect to pure-math at the 300- and 400- level, I would need to return back to university to find the love in different types of mathematics. I am not 100% sure if I can say that “I love high school math” or “elementary math” per se. The content itself can often seem disconnected to the real world and it’s hard to believe that math teachers from K-9 are primary working towards mathematics to learn calculus. Yup, it’s true.
Now, I’m getting into MY JAM. I love the policies, the pedagogies, and the politics of math and math education. I am so drawn to the idea of math identity and math efficacy. Moreover, I am so enamoured by math teacher efficacy and math pedagogy. I love how people interpret and translate the curriculum. I love math education teachers and experts who share their ideas and exude a love for math. I am so curious and deeply invested in policies in math education and why it matters. It’s all a puzzle to me. It’s super FUN!!
So, it’s strange to look back at my photos to find an image of me and my friend (i.e., selfie… on-brand) or even a food pic of my lunch (i.e., also on-brand). Nope. I found a picture of my cat eating Churu within 30 seconds. I used to give my cat Catit tubes, but saw an AI cat on Reels promoting Churu. I thought I would try this brand with my cat and she has never looked back. My point is, she found her JAM too. So, the picture seemed appropriate for this blog post. There is likely no pic of lunch because I was so engaged.
Oh my goodness… we just talked about MATH, math education, and math policies. We chatted about math efficacy in teachers and ourselves. We talked about the proposals we each wrote with hopes of the editors from UBC to publish a book on Indigenous Math K-12. I was brought home. It was a very familiar feeling and I was so grateful to have this 2-hour conversation over fish tacos about math and math education. I was so engaged, excited, and interested. It’s conversations like these that boost my math efficacy.
I am finding as an academic that I am exploring everything about education in terms of leadership, identity, and pedagogy, but I am not centred around mathematics. What is that about? I don’t ask this question in a judging way, but rather in a curious one? What happened to my doctoral research? What happened to continuing that research program? What happened to my math embedded project? Why aren’t I exploring that work further?
This lunch conversation and how I feel about math, math efficacy, and math identity cannot be underestimated or ignored. I remember one student asking me if it was ok if they took my research idea math stories. I said, OK. This convo has left me thinking. I need to really dig deep (well not that deep, I’m there) and be truthful about what I fear about and why it matters. Being in my JAM matters to me and I need to stoke this fire.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, March 26th, 2026 | Comments Off on Feeling Stoked About Math
Yes, this blog post will be one of gratitude. I am so grateful for my sister. She my older sister. We did not become close until were were both adults. Much of my formative years was spent leaning on my twin brother. As time has passed and I’m well into adulthood and career, my sister and I grew closer. We started to get to know one another and for many years I struggled with being the youngest in my family. Although I am a twin, I am the youngest. My sister and brother were afforded the responsibilities of being the older siblings. I guess I fulfilled the stereotype of the youngest sibling. Generally, I just followed along and did what I was told. I did hold some resentment for many years as I had wanted to be just like my sister and brother. I wanted to be treated equally. I remember that I insisted as a child and through many of adult years to be treated the same. After my mom passed away in 2018, I realized that we were all treated differently… LOL… and we don’t have the same strengths, even though my mom made things feel equal for me.
Now as an older (and much more wiser) adult, I can see the value that my mom took in differentiating our lived experiences as her offspring. We were all different and we come to this world with different strengths. My mom saw that. In fact, after she passed away and we got to really see what was happening behind the curtains, my mom was the greatest conductor of this H9-family orchestra. She was thoughtful, caring, and strategic. All three of us had to learn about each other again, especially now when we are having to support our dad from a distance. We are three very different people. In hindsight, I don’t know why it was so important to be the same. I also spent much of my time trying to “fit in” to my family, thus betraying my authentic self, to do what I thought my dad, in particular, valued. Now, I understand (from my mom) that we are all different and the strengths that we bring to the table are different. I can see our differences, and I do find it hard to believe that we are so connected. We just don’t have the same strengths.
So, back to being grateful for my BIG sis. Since my mom’s passing, life has changed dramatically in many different ways. As turbulent as that was, I am finally in a place where I feel like my whole-self. It’s amazing to feel like oneself, with no compromises. Admittedly, it was scary to learn more about who I am, my value, and my self-worth. I had to figure out what made me happy, what stokes my fire, and what I truly believe in. There has been many pivots along the way and I feel that I can foreshadow another potential pivot in the horizon. In some ways, it freaks me out, but in other ways, I’m not reacting. I’m trying to be realistic while still keeping aligned to who I am and what I want out of life. This is where my sister comes into the picture. Last week, I really needed to co-regulate with someone at the end of the work day, and my sister is always there to pick up the call (or call back). After the call on Friday, I was so grateful that she could reason with me about a particular situation and co-regulate me to a place of calm and peacefulness. The next day, we are catching up and strategizing next steps. In this case, she uses her strengths to help me out. I am so grateful for this unconditional love.
I feel calm and rational in anticipation of what might come. And even still, it’s about making a decision for me. Just last night, I shared with my kid about saying no to something, and her response was that she was happy for me for being able to put myself first. HUH. That really struck me… I don’t do that. I am learning not only more about myself, but I am also learning more about asking for help, being vulnerable, and accepting this help knowing that people want the best for me. This is a good feeling.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, March 16th, 2026 | Comments Off on Feeling Much Gratitude
I could not find a picture for the life of me for the blog post. So, why not a food pic of my breakfast from this morning, of which, my friend bought for me. It was delicious and unexpected. We sometimes go out for breakfast. It’s something I like to do, in particular, have a “hotel breakfast.” As a kid, we NEVER went to the hotel (or motel, for that matter) for breakfast. And, don’t even consider room service. It was not a thing that my parents did, and I see why. It’s expensive. Why not go through the McDonalds drive-thru to get a breakfast combo? (TBH: I did that on Saturday… LOL). Nonetheless, I wanted to try a new place in Prince George. We often go to the WhiteSpot, of which I do enjoy. My friend recommended Grama’s Kitchen at Grama’s Inn. I was game, and I heard some folks talk about this place, but never went.
On the way to the restaurant, my friend tried to describe the experience I was about to embark on. She said that the service is lively and entertaining and the food is homestyle. I was open and wanted to try something new. When we arrived to the Grama’s Inn, I did not realize that the entrance was on the side. The parking lot was almost full, much like the restaurant. It was a little establishment with lots of light. The two servers were very lively and entertaining, but also personal. They recognized my friend when she entered the restaurant. We found a table and went with the flow. There was a distinct rhythm to the place. I loved the natural light coming through the windows. It was super sunny this morning. And, I appreciated the homestyle service and food. The place was hopping the whole time we were there.
I was also surprised that we both knew people who were at the restaurant. It was clearly a place to go for the locals. As you can see from the photo, the portions are huge and the food was very delicious. I even got raisin bread for my toast (my choice and never had that before with my breakfast) and I chose the shredded hashbrowns, sunny side up eggs, and sausage. One of the things I do like about my meals is lots of variety and lots of choice. This experience met that criteria in spades, as well as being a “hotel breakfast.” There is something that’s heightened for me when I can have not just breakfast out, but at a hotel. This place did not disappoint and I am likely to come her again. I am so glad that my friend took me there. I’m not sure if I would have went on my own. It was a good day to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Why does this all matter?
I feel that this breakfast experience serves as a metaphor of my week and weekend. I have a zillion things on the go (and I am not complaining because it is work that I feel very aligned to) but there are only so many hours in a day and week. This week was Weaving Words, an Indigenous writers’ festival in Prince George. I have heard about this event over the last few years, but never went. This year, I felt compelled to go. A good reason why is, my friend, Carolyn Roberts, who was one of the writers and speakers of the event reached out to me to say that they would be here in Prince George and wondered if we could connect. I did not realize that she was going to be one of the speakers (until I looked into it). We went out for dinner at the beginning of the week, and I went to one of her events on Wednesday that she was speaking at and then to an evening event at Omineca Art Centre. I bumped into another friend there as well, and we listened to a few writers that night, including Richard Van Camp.
Unfortunately, I could not attend all of the events for this writers’ festival. I had to work, I had meetings, and I was teaching. Time is a premium lately, and I decided to go to the beading session at the Two Rivers Art Gallery with my daughter on Friday afternoon with Crystal Behn. I loved that session. I came to that session not in the greatest of moods and beading is a good teacher. I did not follow the pattern that was suggested, unlike my kid. I wanted to make a heart, and yes, it looks blobbular and free-wielding. At the end of the session, with some homework to do, a person at the workshop said, hearts are one of the hardest things to bead. HUH. That tracks. I’m pretty happy with the process. You can see over time in the beading, my energy shifted from a form of “grumpiness” to one that was more peaceful and accepting. I was not planning to go to the evening event at Books and Company, but my friend encouraged me to go.
No regrets.
I never went before. Saw some familiar faces and I was sitting in the front row. We got to listen to Richard Van Camp and Katherena Vermette speak and read to us. It was AMAZING and I was such in awe with how clear and confident each of them were about who they are, where they are from, and their craft. I enjoyed Richard talking about how he writes and what inspires him. I have been part of a couple of workshops with Richard as Zoom sessions, so seeing him in person was absolutely a bucket-list experience. Consistently, he is so generous in helping others in their writing journey, and once again, he offered a “one month” opportunity to send him a “what if” piece of writing, and he will provide feedback on your work. I don’t know how he does it, but I always appreciate his invitation. With Katherena, I just enjoyed her reading and embodying her poetry. I loved watching her move her hand and read her words with animation and ease. She took me on a ride with her words, and I was so honoured that she was here in Prince George to share them.
What a way to end the work week… despite the volume of unread email in my in-box… and all of my intentions of what I wanted to achieve this week. I just loved that I was able to see a few events from the ‘Ut’loo Noye Khunni – Weaving Words Celebration that highlights Indigenous storytelling in its many forms. Often professional learning is one of the first things that gets struck from the list of things to do. I am so grateful to at least attend a few sessions and not foregoing the whole event, like I have in previous years. Thank you to all of the artists, organizers, and volunteers who made this event possible. You have inspired me in many ways, and I hope that I can also find the courage and motivation to share that deep love that you have about where you are from, what you do, and who you are. The joy that you have shared and demonstrated will be in my memories and my heart. Thank you for your generosity and welcoming us in.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, March 09th, 2026 | Comments Off on Things Are Changing
I am not sure where the first two months of 2026 have gone to, but here we are. It’s time to recalibrate and delve into a “new start” to the new year. There are a million things I need to do, but I will continue to honour my time on the weekends. This form of REST is honouring and self-preserving. It’s a practice that I did not do when I was teaching in K-12 and for the first handful of years when I started teaching at the university. As much as I thought it was something that I needed to do to be viable and valuable, it took me several decades to realize that I am important and valuable too. I needed to re-navigate my life so that it would or could be sustainable. A couple of years ago, I almost burned out in January and I thought that I needed to respect my health and wellness. In doing so, I needed to figure out who I was, what’s important to me, and do what I wanted to do (not what I thought I needed to do). It’s taken some time for me to figure this out.
For example, today was a gorgeous day. I was inspired to get outside and go for a walk. I needed to connect with the land and place. It’s something that I don’t do that often, but today felt different. Maybe it’s a day for renewal, but I wanted to enjoy the sunshine and make the most of my weekend. I know that I have a billion things to do, my health and wellness are important to me. I loved getting outside and I predetermined a route for me to participate in, with a brief pitstop at the local Tim Hortons. I enjoy a cup of a medium dark regular coffee (and I needed to use the washroom too). Seemed serendipitous, and I even bumped into a former student from last semester at the restaurant (who gave me a couple of chocolates to complement my coffee… which were delicious). I enjoyed my time at Tim Hortons and on my walk, listening to my podcast. I loved the walk and coffee too.
I am also enjoying my time blogging tonight. Normally, I would be prepping for my two Monday classes, but the students are currently on practicum. It provides a little break from the enormity of my teaching schedule, but I continue to teach the undergraduate and graduate courses I am teaching as night classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Another thing I enjoyed doing today was cooking dinner for me and the kid. My kid is currently doing clinical, which involves 12-hour shifts. It’s nice to have dinner ready for her today and I was pleasantly surprised that she enjoyed the veggie fried rice. I thought she would not have any of the fried rice, and I would be left with days of having this veggie fried rice. Apparently, it’s not the case. She enjoyed the lemon chicken, but was not a fan of the frozen veggies. Two out of three is not bad. I felt like tonight’s dinner was a WIN!!
As we delve into the new year, I am having second thoughts of my #OneWord2026. Initially, it was PRACTICE, but I’ve been feeling that it should be JOY, instead. Maybe it can be PRACTICE-JOY… a hyphenated word. That seems reasonable. It makes the word “practice” a bit more specific and intentional. Hmm… I like that. There is nothing I like more than a reflective practice. Blogging for me forces me to practice writing, but really, writing is thinking. Getting to a place where I can elaborate on my #OneWord2026 has turned out way better than I expected. I feel “joyful” and happy with this adaptation.
YES… practice-joy. I can do that!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, March 01st, 2026 | Comments Off on Changing My One-Word
Just returned home from my trip to Winnipeg. I went to present at the WestCAST 2026 conference at the University of Winnipeg, but also support and mentor 3 teacher candidates from the UNBC Teacher Education program to present as well. What an amazing job the conference organizers have done to make this event possible, memorable, and incredible. I had a wonderful time, and I believe that this event will be one that the teacher candidates will never forget. The kind of thoughtfulness, organization, and orchestration were outstanding and I was so impressed by the number of attendees and quality of the presentations as well. The UNBC teacher candidates all did an amazing job in preparing for and presenting at the conference. I loved how personalized each inquiry was and how they were able to present their work that was meaningful to them and reflective of who they are. I am so proud of them. As for me, I did A LOT of OVER THINKING and preparing for my session… and I have no idea why???
I was definitely noticing that I was pouring a significant of time in this presentation and I approached my presentation like I did when I was a school trustee and I was writing a speech. It was so important to stay on time, but there was so much to say. Unfortunately, in speech writing, I lost the “pragmatic” or personal approach to my presentation. I tried to blend a bit of ad libbing during my presentation, but I went a bit overtime so I quickly rushed the end. Anyway, all went well and the group that was following my paper presentation would really see what I was trying to say… so much so, they were able to ad lib their work and incorporated what I was saying into their presentation. That was a true compliment and I loved what they had to say with a student led initiative in Indigenous Education at the University of Calgary at Werklund. I feel very lucky. The photo below was a posed picture taken after the conference. Sad, I know. I did not take a good photo when I was presenting, so I wanted to take one posed. What was amazing about this photo was, the teacher candidates I was working with made it possible. Very grateful.
I did not know what to expect from Winnipeg or from the conference, but overall, I am very thankful for everything that Winnipeg had to offer. Not only did I have the pleasure to coach and mentor three amazing teacher candidates from the UNBC teacher education program who volunteered / expressed an interest in presenting at WestCAST 2026 (see images below), but also for all of the fun things we got to do together while at the conference. We went to the Forks, a beading shop, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, and Festival de Voyageur. The keynote speaker, David Robertson, resonated with all of us, and I think we each did a bit more shopping than we had anticipated. I think what surprised me the most, was reconnecting with folks in teacher education (i.e., from UBC, UVic, and SFU) but also folks who are from Winnipeg. I loved connecting with members of the WestCAST 2026 organizing team, and I got to bump on to a friend and former school trustee colleague who is currently the president of CSBA (no photos). I love my career in education, and the teacher candidates made it known that they were impressed with folks who know me. I said, you have to make your teaching career what you want it to be. For me, human connection was important to me… as a K-12 educator, school trustee, and now academic. Connecting and networking with people make my work fulfilling, FUN, and fruitful. PS. love conferencing!! I’ll be back in May, Winnipeg.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, February 21st, 2026 | Comments Off on Returning from WestCAST 2026
Here is a beautiful picture of my family… from the archives. I remember this day. I love this photo and I believe that I am taking the selfie, even though my dad’s head is right in front of mine… LOL. Obviously, my siblings and I are all adults, my mom did not quite yet turn the corner with her illness at the time, and my dad still had his memory. We all look a little younger, which is nice, and we are at some restaurant in Burnaby, BC. I think we are at the Chinese restaurant on Kingsway between my parents’ place and the Metrotown mall. It’s likely a Saturday and I commuted from the Sunshine Coast. We are having dim sum (except for my sister who is vegan and thus, she gets a mushroom dish).
Anyway, today is FAMILY DAY in BC and the first day of the mid-semester break. Normally, I would be teaching today, but I have the day off. Sadly, the truth is, I’m working and trying to catch up with work. It’s not that I am not getting things done, but rather, everything is taking way more time than I am anticipating it to take. For example, I was writing a draft copy of a chapter for a book and I was not going to make the deadline. I tried, but it was not going to happen. Luckily, the co-editors provided a weeklong extension. I thought that was generous because I thought I was close. NOPE. I have a full teaching week with 4 courses and no shortage of meetings, I ended up taking the whole week to complete. What helped was asking for help. For that, I am so grateful.
A long story made short, one thing at a time, one deadline after another, I have landed on this long weekend with some work (well, lots of work) to do on Monday. What I am proud about is, I prioritized sleep (as best I could), eating, and rest. To have this work somewhat sustainable, I need to take care of myself. Over time, I hope to add walking into the mix too. Anyway, I am just making each deadline and acknowledging that I can only do one thing at a time. That’s it. Everything (well, most things) so that I can get something done. I am pleased that I got the chapter done, and I also got my PAR (professional activity report) done on time (barely), as well as a task for one committee completed this morning. Again, I’m so grateful for help and time. It’s never planned.
I’m not disappointed, but rather grateful. I even took my “be a person day” this Saturday because I missed at least the last 2 Saturdays with hopes of getting things done. Honestly, rest is an excellent way to improve one’s productivity. I know, it sounds counter intuitive, but I just find that I can email, blog, and respond to what I need to do in a clear-headed, restful, and mindful way. I feel that way right now because I tried to start my blogs yesterday, but I was not ready do. I even missed last week’s blog and I just have to be ok with that. Anyway, when I am rested, things get done. The one-thing-at-a-time approach seems to be working in my favour as well as being kind to myself too.
As I get older, I have so much more gratitude for my family. I feel that my growing pains and perceived positionality in my family have taken a step back and I know my agency and my self-worth. Having lots to do is a good problem and I love everything that I am doing too. Every day is a gift and I will not take that for granted. Also this week is Chinese New Year and Saturday it was Valentine’s Day. These 3 particular days remind me of a pivotal week for my mom when she was in the hospital during her last “20 days.” She was admitted to the hospital on Family Day long weekend, she decided on Valentine’s Day to stop any intervention, and on Chinese New Year, we spoke to the palliative care doctor. It was a big week and my mom ultimately decided on MAID. That was 8 years ago.
I will not lose sight on the sacrifices my mom (and dad) took to give me and my siblings the good life of which we reap the benefits from. I am also grateful for the relationships I have with my brother and sister. We are so different from one another but we manage to connect and support one another that is enduring, loving, and caring. Right now, we are supporting my dad in his final chapter and I am grateful for my siblings and mom and dad for making me the person that I am today. I am also thankful for my kid and my cat. They make my life full. And, I am very happy to be doing work today because I love the work that I do. I was meant to be here and slowly but surely, I am learning what’s important to me, and having voice in expressing why it’s important. My mom would be proud of me.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, February 16th, 2026 | Comments Off on Catching Up on Family Day
It’s been a few years since I have been teaching in teacher education. I will say that returning back to teaching has been a calling. I stepped away from teaching high school mathematics in 2010. I did not return to teaching until 2018 at the university. During my 8-year hiatus, there has been many changes and transitions from where I was and where I am today. I would not consider myself an outdoorsy person, nor would I consider myself adventurous. I would say, I am somewhat curious and I am in constant exploration of who I am and my identity. I will admit, I often feel combobulated most times and will engage in reflective practice to wonder, question, and reflect. When I moved to Prince George in 2018, my sense of self was seriously disrupted. I lived in small communities by the ocean for most of my life, in Prince Rupert and Sechelt, with exception to Vancouver where I had completed my post-secondary degrees at UBC and SFU. Being by the ocean was an integral part of who I am and how I identified. Moving to the central interior of BC was very dramatic, along with the weather and river. I was starting all over again.
For the first couple of years, I was essentially coping. I lived in my apartment, from which I commuted to the university and back. Nothing out of the ordinary until we had a faculty association strike in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In both instances, we were walking the picket line outside in subzero temperatures and then trapped in isolation from others during the pandemic. Going outside and taking a walk seemed like the only normal thing we could do when we were in lockdown. Also, walking around my neighbourhood helped to to understand place and space. I did not feel as isolated or lonely when I was walking outside. Being outside felt like freedom during the pandemic and I was grateful to be forced to get outside as something to do, but also acquaint myself to this new place. Upon returning back to the university in-person from remote learning, going outside seemed aligned to the signature pedagogy of the redesigned BEd program that was first implemented in 2020. Going outside was an opportunity to take my classes and learn more about this place and the land and who I am in this place.
My friend took me out to a place called West Lake Provincial Park. I was asking her of possible places to take my class and learn outside. We drove out to the lake and walked around. It was the perfect place, even though when we were there, there was a bear strolling along the waterline. As we were drinking our coffees, she held my arm and said, “don’t panic, there’s a bear.” Good thing she said that because, I would have panicked. We slowly got up from where we were sitting and quietly left. As you can see in the photo, I love West Lake and I brought one of my classes that year to West Lake to learn about land-based learning, the walking curriculum, “land as teacher,” and being intentional using curriculum to be outside. It was an amazing experience and I feel that it brought us together. Although many of the students are from the local area, it was an opportunity to reconnect to a place with a different intention, but also for those who are not from the area to acquaint oneself to the beauty and awe of the land and place. For me, it was also an opportunity to learn more about this place, with this place.
I have also taken my class to Cottonwood Park as an introduction to curriculum and lesson planning, and to other places in Prince George such as the Prince George Public Library and Two Rivers Art Gallery. I have also taken classes to the Forest of the World near campus to walk to the pit house to learn more about the First Peoples Principles of Learning, the Ceremonial Fire Circle at the university to acknowledge the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Wabooz Garden to facilitate the Blanket Exercise, and Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park in the middle of winter to explore teaching and learning at different places and different times of year. The weather can be tricky in the fall and winter, of which the terms I teach in the teacher education program, but also also going to places, as mentioned, also embodies the School of Education signature pedagogy of People, Place, and Land. In the winter term when I have been teaching the elementary cohort only, we have held classes in schools via in-situ learning and numeracy night with families. Teaching and learning in schools alongside with the school community is powerful, meaningful, and impactful. There is a reciprocity present, but also learning in context and community through experiential learning help deepen one’s understanding.
I do get some comments from students saying that being outside was their most favourite part of the course or learning in-situ. These comments are reinforcing and I am also aware that my colleagues are also taking students outside by going to Barkerville in the spring, going canoeing in the fall (near the end of their program), and going on nature walks with knowledge holders to learn the Dakelh language. Language and land informs one’s identity and connects them to their history, culture, and place. I am also aware (and have observed) students on practicum taking their students outside to learn, to wonder, and to be well. Working with one group of students who’s inquiry involved the sit-spot and student wellness. They hypothesized that going outside was good for student wellness and would help them to self-regulate and enjoy learning more through engagement with the land and with others. I recall one of these students saying that during the summer term of the program, they could not wait to go outside during the break because both of their classes were held inside. They needed to go outside to self-regulate and reconnect themselves to land and place. For me, going out on the land helps me to understand myself. It challenges me to embrace the new and the unknown.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, January 29th, 2026 | Comments Off on Land-Based Learning
