Christine Ho Younghusband

Dreaded Question

Oh my gosh… the dreaded question… HOW DO YOU CREATE THIS KIND OF CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT, CHRISTINE? I think that students in higher education ask me this question because things are going well, so I do take it as a compliment. On the other hand, the course is not over yet and “this classroom environment” can radically change if we start getting too focussed on the outcome of GRADES or achievement. That’s when my “learning environment” erodes and likely to result in poor course evaluations because there is a clear incongruence to what I have designed and intended in my courses versus what the university designed and intended with final marks, transcripts, and ranking.

I will also admit, I don’t like this question. WHY? I don’t have an answer. I don’t have any explicit strategies that help me to implement or create a class that is collegial, community minded, and cohesive. Part of that involves the students and their willingness to participate. Why I hate answering this question is because I AM LEARNING. I am playing around to figure out what works and doesn’t work. I try to be explicit with my intentions but sometimes I forget some details, sometimes I don’t follow through on some of my intentions, and sometimes things just don’t work. I get fearful of that. I’ll own that because I do not intend on not landing the dismount perfectly, but learning involves trying, making mistakes, and recognizing my mistakes and doing something about it.

When I entered into higher education, I was guided by my curiosity of BC’s New Curriculum and it’s intentions. I taught in BC public schools for 16 years and left it due to misalignment in pedagogy and purpose. I pursued a doctoral degree in leadership and served as a school trustee for two terms. I believed that K-12 schools could have been different. Something had to change. During my doctoral studies, I feel privileged to have worked on BC’s New Curriculum on the Math K-9 Curriculum Development Team and I am wholehearted about what this curriculum intends and hope for. I love the ideas of competency based learning, personalized learning, ongoing formative assessment, First Peoples Principles of Learning, and Indigenous Education in every course and every grade. I wanted to try out some of these ideas in higher education as a sessional.

Ever since teaching in higher education in three different institutions in teacher education and leadership, I have designed my courses around three principles or core beliefs:

1. LEARNING IS FORMATIVE
   • I am focused on learning, not grading. This is a pedagogical shift for me in my 25-year career in education. Learning is ongoing and continuous. My job is to support, guide, and woo students to engage in learning to take agency and ownership of their own learning. Students can take or leave what I say. Everything we do in class leads up to the summative (or demonstration of learning). Nothing is final until its final (aka. the end of the course).
2. LEARNING IS COLLABORATIVE
   • “Sense-making is not a solo affair.” I love that quote that came from one of my leadership books by Spillane, et al. From the constructivist point of view, learning is constructed and co-constructed with others. I love that learning can be dialogical, cooperative, and collaborative. I love saying, “sharing is caring” because there is no cheating when we are sense-making.
3. LEARNING IS EXPERIENTIAL
   • I think that I like this approach to learning because this is what I do as a learner. I learn experientially. Learning by doing. I also like Kolb’s experiential learning style theory (1974) where you start with a concrete experience, take a moment to reflect, reconceptualize with a new idea or approach, engage in active experimentation, then you’re back at the beginning of the cycle. I love reflection, I love action, and I love revising and trying again.

This may or may not be what students experience in other higher education course, but this framework is what BC’s New Curriculum hopes and looks for. I fantasize that I would be in a secondary math class again and have the joy and opportunity to try this framework with Grade 8-12 students. It would be super fun and I know that it works because I had many of these ideas and pedagogical approaches when I left teaching in public schools. What I love about implementing this framework in addition to delving into First Peoples Principles of Learning and Indigenous Education is, “there is no back row in this classroom.” That’s a quote from one of my online classes. This feedback tells me that this approach is not just a face-to-face phenomenon. This year, I am driven to learn more about culture in mathematics, decolonizing education, and unpacking my biases. I think in the end, I am guided by my own learning and my willingness to try and experiment. I am open to student input and I am steering my practice to be student-centred and student-led. And finally, I cannot get too engulfed or persuaded by the summative. The final grade is the demonstration of learning and if we did our job well, students should be able to achieve an “A” if we focus on their learning and progress.

Happy

It’s been a strange day… a tough weekend… and yet, I feel like I’ve landed a perfect dismount. How is this possible? I’ve been wanting to write a blog entry for the past few weeks. I tried a few times, but never finished them. I’ve blogged for my #UNBCed #EDUC431 e-portfolio but that was more about reflecting on our class’s guest speaker rather than writing about what’s inspiring me or what I have learned. For the past couple of months, life has been up and down to say the least, personally and professionally. I am so grateful to take the time to heal and invest in my self-care. I have no regrets, but wonder about the “life events” I have recently experienced and ones that are on the horizon. I could feel depressed, alone, or angry. Instead, I feel happy and joyful.

I noticed over the last few weeks the word HAPPY or happiness. It didn’t matter what I was looking at… a book, a sign… the word “happy” would pop into my psyche, which left me curious. Was I desperate to feel happy? Admittedly, I was in some sort of shallow way, but feeling happy doesn’t happen because we will it to be. It’s a mindset. When I think of it, over the last 2-years, life has been turning upside down with major life events. I have the list of events rattling in my head. It’s shocking to think that all of these life defining events happened in such a short time and my trajectory in life has radically changed.

Today is a special day. I received some news that should have been devastating, ego-crushing, or just simply disappointing. When I heard the news… I was soooooo HAPPY. I was relieved, but also joyful. I could not believe that this defining moment could have damaged my sense of self, to rethink about who I am and who I would like to be. Instead, the news was reassuring, reaffirming, and rejuvenating. I could not believe it. I was stressed anticipating the news, but in the end IT WAS THE BEST NEWS EVER!!!

I’ve been pondering my next steps and now it’s clear. I am overwhelmed with happiness that even when I am bombarded with more “bad news,” I can see the good. On the one hand, it’s easy to dwell on the “bad things” like leaving campus at 8:15pm after a 10-hour day. On the other hand, you can look at the “good things” like being fed dinner at your fourth meeting of the day. And yes, I choose to post this photo to represent happy. It’s dark. I saw no moose or other animals. I am leaving campus and going home. Yay me!!!

THE MAKING COMES FROM THE BREAKING. I love that saying. It makes so much sense to me. I leave campus feeling happy. Today was a moment of clarity and solace. I often wonder why some things happen. Most times, I believe it’s serendipity… and it is. Some times there is a lesson to be learned. Other times I think that the “bad things” are the breaking and something good is about to happen. I’ve experienced a lot of crappy things in my life lately that I would not wish on anyone. That said, some of the outcomes to some of these things have been wonderful, surprising, and revolutionary. I am happy.

Giving Thanks 2019

This is not quite a turkey dinner. Instead of turkey, it’s chicken. Instead of mashed potatoes, it’s steamed white rice. It’s a stir fry. But, it does have broccoli and brussel sprouts so I figured it possessed some qualities of a Thanksgiving dinner. In the end, my dinner tonight was very delicious and satisfying. Tonight is about being thankful… and I am. Whenever you think a door is shut or closed, one is just about to open. Just wait…

Being optimistic has generally been my mindset over the past 25-years in education. Sometimes it shocks me to say that… A QUARTER OF A CENTURY. Geez. That’s a long time and some of my teacher candidates are younger than 25 (but I don’t want to talk about that right now). I still think that I’m 25… but better. Ok… maybe 35 (but I didn’t start this career at 10). Sigh, the math on this age-thing is shocking sometimes.

I’ve had a fruitful career in education… so far. I taught secondary math, science, and chemistry in public schools. I served as school trustee for two terms, holding local and provincial roles. I was part of the Math K-9 Curriculum Development Team. I worked with the First Nations Education Steering Committee and First Nations Schools Association’s Math Teacher Resource Guide revisions. I’ve also been a part of the B.C. Association of Math Teachers Executive Committee and presented in various events such as TEDxWestVancouverED, EdVent, and IGNITE35. This is just the surface of my CV.

I can’t forget about co-moderating with #BCEdChat on Twitter and my consulting business where I led professional development workshops and tutored math. Now, I am an Assistant Professor in Teacher Education where I am a part of the B.Ed. and M.Ed. Redesign Committees, member of Senate, and faculty sponsor of Education Club. I have incredible people at the university and school district who support and collaborate with me. And, I can’t forget all of the people in my PLN who are helping me out with my EdTech course. AMAZING!!! This just reveals a few things I do and hope to do. Given all of these CV bullets or edu-opportunities, the BEST part of my career are the PEOPLE.

I have many moments where I say, “I love people.” People are so amazing to me!!! I love their kindness, their knowledge, and their BEING. I’ve said this in previous blogs, but I’ve met some pretty AMAZING people in my edu-career. Some are students, some are educators, and some are administrators. I’m quite drawn to those who are generous with their time, wholehearted, and well-intentioned. Don’t get me wrong… there are some people in my pedagogical journey whom I wished I never met. Maybe my trajectory would have been different or maybe I was meant to meet these people to change my trajectory. The latter is highly probable. What I like the most is, people who come back to my life or educational psyche. I find their return even more intriguing and meaningful.

I am sooooooo thankful to all those who have helped me along the way on my pedagogical journey. I would not be where I am without you. Help came from everyone who has entered my career path. There was always something to learn… about education and myself. This pedagogical journey is not over. I might have another 25-years in me. It’s possible in higher education. I guess we will see how this goes over time. In the meantime, I know that what lies ahead will be exciting, interesting, and unpredictable (like my bowl of chicken stir fry). It was suppose to be turkey, but hey… not everything is what it’s suppose to be. Embrace the moment. Be thankful. Happy Thanksgiving.

Not in Sync – Time Lag

The irony does not escape me. Here I sit at the Service BC office in downtown Prince George waiting to renew my drivers licence. It’s OVERDUE… expired… and I was notified months ago but opened my friendly reminder letter this weekend. I’m experiencing a TIME LAG in many ways and this is just one example. I was rudely reminded of this TIME LAG after the second segment of TEDxUNBC on Saturday. First of all, what an amazing event!!! Kudos to the executive team, volunteers, and #TEDxUNBC2019 speakers. It was exceptional and I loved the theme “Past the Future.” In the end, I was captured by the INCOHERENCE with respect to time in terms of what we want to do from what we are doing. IDEAS WORTH SHARING ranged from education, the spruce tree, housing, data collection, governance, Indigenous language, dance, philanthropy, water resources, fear of science, and mental health. What an incredible array of topics and local speakers. I was wowed by their willingness to be bold, to share their passions, and to make a point of this TIME LAG. Each speaker clearly spoke to what we know is good but we are unable to realize this potential or possibilities because of due to economics, policy, or mindsets. These are limitations. I am provoked by the idea of moving forward with any of these ideas and I appreciated what each speaker is doing in terms of advocacy, awareness, and change. I was so inspired. Thank you to everyone who made TEDxUNBC possible.

In Constant Motion

Here is a photo of me being in one of my most favourite places to be. I love how you can stand so close to the water to listen to the waves and take a moment to wonder… to think… and to reflect. I am reminded of one of the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL), “learning requires exploration of one’s identity.” It’s something that we teach at the School of Education… “you teach who you are” (Palmer, 1989). So understanding who you are as a person will shed some light on who you will be as a teacher. What are your values? What are your strengths? What is your teaching philosophy? I asked some of my students to reflect on this FPPL. I loved what they had to say. It’s in constant motion. It depends on who is in your life and where you are. It’s something that is difficult to define. I would totally agree. Even when you think you know who you are, it changes. That change creates a disruption with self and it takes time to re-establish a new equilibrium.

Every opportunity is a learning opportunity. We have to seize those opportunities as gifts. We can grow, be stronger, and take a different direction. Strangely, I think we are guided in many ways whether if we know it or not. Sometimes we make “mistakes” but I am a strong believer that we don’t make mistakes but we are meant to try again or realize that this isn’t the right path so try something else. I’ve always wondered about some of the career moves I have made in education and wondered many times what it would be like if I just stayed the course. I also think about why I was compelled to take a different path and I think about how much I have learned on my pedagogical journey and all of the wonderful people I’ve met. I’ve often imagined life had I took the pension route and continued teaching mathematics. I’ve also imagined what it would be like in different positions and in different places. Truth… I have no regrets. I am meant to be where I am but also learn what I am suppose to learn. I am confident if I did not get it the first time, the lesson will come my way again. This is the fun part about learning. It’s iterative.

I am grateful for my kid, my family, my friends, my colleagues, and my students. It’s the people around me that make my pedagogical journey rewarding, challenging, and somewhat adventurous. The journey is not easy at times. It’s in constant motion and I’m ok with that. I am curious where the tide will take me next. Learning is about keeping the mind open, being vulnerable to new information, and taking risks with hopes of being on the right path. Be kind to yourself. Find your people. Keep learning. And, have fun!

Tears in my Ears

The last few weeks have been extremely difficult for me. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. Spiritually. Some might call it the 5-stages of grief. I’m calling it a rollercoaster ride and I can’t get off. I didn’t choose to be here but here I am. I am very grateful for those who know me well to give me the space and kindness I need to get through the day. I am also grateful for those who don’t know me well and give me very little patience and call me out on my bad behaviour. At least they care enough about me to tell me. I really appreciate that. Admittedly, it’s been challenging to keep a straight face and positive attitude at work, with my kid, or at home alone watching TV given the circumstances.

The conversation on #bcedchat on “Teacher Wellness: Early in the School Year” resonates with me deeply as well as the possibilities of joining a dance group or running group with my teacher candidates to “get moving” as part of my self care. I also appreciated a student presentation on Indigenous Education today and their message was about taking care of self because your wellness is connected to the family, community, and land. How can I make myself stronger? It was true serendipity to hear that today. I reached a moment of saturation and I felt that I just needed something more… right NOW!!!

I have a long term plan and a short term plan for wellness so that I can be authentic and wholehearted in my classes and be the teacher who I want to be. This is always a moving target and there are ups and downs. The goal is to NOTICE AND LISTEN. Once you hear it, you have to act. And, so I did. I need to heal from the inside to be whole on the outside. We ironically discussed educating the whole student and holistic education tonight in my evening online synchronous leadership course at St. Mark’s College at UBC.

We also need to take care of ourselves as whole people as educators so that we can help others. So I went to Reiki this afternoon. I’ve been to Reiki before (during another difficult time in my life) and that Reiki master helped me a lot. I am in a new town but felt that I needed to go to Reiki once again with hopes of feeling calm, peace, and clarity. What was so interesting, the technique of Reiki was different with this Reiki practitioner. I was so intrigued and some of the experience felt familiar but the approach was so different.

The whole time I was curious about her process and methodology in addition to the messages she shared with me. It was so powerful. The “massage” was AMAZING and I left the session feeling calm, peace, and clarity. I am so grateful. Tears were rolling into my ears during this process. I needed the emotional release and spiritual guidance. This may seem like an odd edu-blog entry to submit and share but this is about self care in one of the toughest professions IMHO. If we are not whole, then we cannot teach well. My job right now is to find the joy in what I do, laugh as often as I can, and have fun. I feel great after my Reiki session and truth… you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

PS. One of my edu-besties sent me this picture today!!! See below. It’s one of my favourite places to be. Today has been an incredible day and I am super thankful.

Notice and Listen

Wow. I’m looking through my phone to see if I have an appropriate photo in my MASSIVE collection (you can only imagine) and VOILA… a “pocket photo”… an accidental snapshot makes the cut. I love how this captures NOTHING and yet, it captures everything. We just finished a #bcedchat on Twitter and some of my EDUC 431 students are participating and I hope that all of my students are at least lurking and seeing some benefits of using Twitter as a professional development tool. I love giving students a minimum expectation with plenty of room to explore and extend themselves. For some of these students, this was their second edu-chat and many of them are new to Twitter. So far, many students are exceeding my minimum expectations for EDUC 431 and THIS excites me.

The topic last night was “Teacher Wellness: Early in the School Year.” I was co-modding / mentoring our two newest #bcedchat co-moderators and showing them the ropes from behind the scenes. They were also exceeding expectations as they were learning while they were doing. NO FEAR. Loved it… so fun to work with educators who are learners!!! During this chat, it was so wonderful to read and connect with so many educators who wanted to discuss self-care. I appreciated the tips and tricks #bcedchat participants were willing to offer, but also I also appreciated those who revealed some vulnerability by admitting that maintaining balance and prioritizing “things to do” can be very difficult. What caught my attention during last night’s chat was “checking in” or self-assessment.

Self-assessing oneself and critically looking at what’s happening around you and how you are feeling. It’s so easy to get distracted with all the things that educators can do. Often, it feels infinite or limitless… so how does one say NO? How does one know that they have reached the tipping point and can pull themselves back so that they don’t experience burnout or a sense of hopelessness. Teaching is a helping profession… and as someone said last night, you cannot help others if you are not helping yourself? This is so true. I also loved the idea of having a CRITICAL FRIEND or mentor who can pull you aside to have that fireside chat and check in with you if you can’t do it yourself.

What can happen when you are so immersed in the work that you do (life included), is that we NUMB what’s actually happening to us and NUMB how we are feeling. We just say to ourselves, “just one more thing, then I can…” However, over time… we don’t even acknowledge that we are doing this and the stress escalates. We put ourselves second, third, fourth or less and all of a sudden… the subtle signals of “hey, slow down”… “hey, I’m feeling tired”… “hey, take a break.” When those subtle signals are ignored or misinterpreted, the signals escalate in amplitude. Sometimes we get sick, overtired, or overwhelmed. Before you know it, you’re on your way to TEACHER BURNOUT.

I was so happy that we were able to discuss TEACHER WELLNESS: Early in the School Year. Our minds are still fresh, start-up should be over, and we are capable of being MINDFUL of checking in to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others. I loved the WORD OF WISDOM for question 8 on last night’s #bcedchat. I also loved how people out there on Twitterverse are willing to help out and have each other’s backs. I LOVE MY PLN!!! Teaching is not for the faint of hearts. It is challenging, rigorous, and extremely rewarding. In someways, it’s a lifestyle so you have to find ways to embed it into your life and find balance. Thank you to all those who participated last night. Here’s a few Words of Wisdom I would like to share. Be good to yourself. Be kind. And, LISTEN.

• Don’t check your email on the weekend. Take your breaks when you can and give yourself some space and breathing room.
• There will ALWAYS be more work… ALWAYS something else to mark….ALWAYS another meeting… you CAN take time for you.
• Ask for help when you need it. Don’t get lost in the overwhelming and remember to see the amazing.
• Laugh! There is always something you can laugh about even when things go sideways.
• Remember no matter what you think you messed up… or how badly you think you did it… it can turn into a teachable moment.
• Don’t HAVE a good day but MAKE a good day. Be intentional.
• It’s okay to make mistakes — don’t beat yourself up when things go sideways.
• There are times when you feel like you can’t do it anymore. This isn’t a reflection on you, it’s the job. A
• There is only so much you can do. Pace yourself.
• Never forget to be present.
• Take your time! Don’t feel like you have to do it all! Have fun with your class!
• Find your marigolds cultofpedagogy.com/marigolds/

My Research Triad

What can I say? Yay for my PLN. I would not be who I am without them. I am so grateful for these people. So caring, loving, and supportive. It goes to one of my core beliefs… We are better together than apart. I was reminded of that during my meeting this morning with Nina Pak Lui from Trinity Western University (TWU) and Dr. Gillian Judson from Simon Fraser University (SFU). We want to be transparent with our study and one way to collect data is blogging. They won’t mind me mentioning them in my blog. We are embarking on a unique research study where we will be the principal investigator at our universities and we will collaborate mid-process to compare our findings and interpret results. We are moving forward together on three (makes one) research project that is looking at Assessment for Learning (AFL), Imaginative Education, and Higher Education.

I love how we are all able to meet from three different areas of the province via video conferences. We talk about where we are in our careers and how we are doing. Then we discuss what we are doing with respect to AFL, Imaginative Education, and Higher Education. I love how we can share ideas, be curious together, and discuss what we are observing and experiencing. It’s a different world in higher education when research and publishing is a fierce endeavour. What I am enjoying about our RESEARCH TRIAD is that we are mutually supporting each other. We are simultaneously working on our own research. And, we will collaborate throughout and at a later time mutually agreeing on timelines, action plans, and regular check-ins. I like how we are learning together. I also like each of us walked away with ideas such as using the single point rubric, using objects as metaphors of self/teaching/learning, and using hashtags to pre-and post-assess.

We also talked about not putting any percentages on our course syllabus. I did it. One got permission. And the other wished she had. It’s a bold move in higher education not to put percentages for each assignment or percentages next to letter grades. We are trying to shift a mindset with AFL from grade acquisition to learning and meeting an expectations. This is a specific set of criteria that can be made into a SINGLE POINT RUBRIC. From “getting it” and reflecting and self-assessing what one has to work on next… to “got it,” they have mastered the intended learning outcome and the student has evidence of their learning to substantiate their academic achievement. The student becomes part of the assessing and evaluating process. We do this at the UNBC School of Education during practicum where students self-assess their “ability to teach” and “be a teaching professional” by referring to the standards. What are they working on or what have they achieved, they need to provide evidence to track their learning and growth.

I really like the single point rubric but it’s pretty difficult to translate this framework back into a letter grade. We get back into the competition and acquisition of grades versus learning and achieving high standards, knowing why they met expectations, and/or know what they have to work on next (and why). Isn’t that what learning is all about?

Get Inspired

Welcome back to school… and it’s been INCREDIBLE. How can one not be INSPIRED. We are going outside with our learning. I loved being a part of the UNBC School of Education Teacher Candidate Orientation 2019 and we were learning IN PLACE. I really appreciated that we were able to learn at the UNBC Wood Innovation and Design Centre (WIDC) in downtown Prince George, the Two River Gallery near the Civic Centre, and the Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Students from all 4-cohorts had the opportunity to connect with Prince George as place and as teacher. We had several guest speakers for School District No. 57 (Prince George) and UNBC. I had fun meeting some of teacher candidates and reuniting with others. We are tinkering this year with different ideas in anticipation of our NEW Teacher Education Program at UNBC that focusses on People, Place, and Land.

I loved how responsive the students were and how open they are about Teacher Education. This is going to be an AMAZING school year at UNBC School of Education. I look forward to digging deep into different pedagogies, places, and experiences as learner and teacher. Thank you to Deb Koehn, the UNBC BEd Coordinator, for making this happen and thank you to all those from SD57 and UNBC who helped to make this happen. Teacher Candidate Orientation sets the stage for the program and I think we made a good impression. I can’t wait to get inspired at the UNBC School of Education. I am constantly working on my practice and I am always learning. This year will be my year to jump in. I am really happy about returning back to UNBC. It feels different. I am not familiarizing myself with my workplace, I am now embedded into it. I love my professional learning community. TRANSFORMATION is on the horizon. It’s going to be super fun!!!

Rejection

What a way to end the summer and start the new school year with an inspiring blog entry about REJECTION. I’ve been meaning to write this for some time but it’s been a whirlwind leaving the Sunshine Coast and returning back to Prince George. Why I want to write about REJECTION is that it is often perceived as negative. From what I have been blogging in previous entries, the “making is in the breaking.” We are wanders and sometimes you have to put yourself out there to realize if something was meant to happen or not. Whether it be an application for a job or program… a relationship… or the stomach flu, you invite something in with hopes of it working out (or not).

I may sound indifferent, but really I’m grateful. What REJECTION means to me is, this is the WRONG way. Thanks for trying, but try again. It’s not so say that you couldn’t try again and depending on context that might be the most appropriate thing to do. It reminds me of Assessment for Learning and Formative Feedback. Try. Get feedback. What are you going to do about it. Try again. But “trying again” can also mean in another context to try something else. This is not the direction to take. The universe is talking, shall we say… or serendipity. You are meant to be somewhere else. I embrace that thinking. Don’t define yourself by REJECTION but rather, ask yourself what’s next?

I am brought to the First Peoples Principles of Learning: LEARNING TAKES PATIENCE AND TIME. It’s more than just the western/euro point of view of giving time and being patient. It’s more about being on a journey and you are learning certain things at certain times and you might not be totally aware as to why you are learning something at a particular time or at a particular place, but you are meant to learn it in preparation for something else. There is a bigger picture or intention meant for all of us and each of us know what that is, whether if we can admit it to ourselves or not. We need to trust the process and deeply engage in the present with the understanding it will help us in the future.

I just came back from a professional learning experience in the Nechako Lakes School District at the Nadleh Whut’En First Nations at the Nautley River with KOH-Learning. It was an amazing experience and I had realized the importance of connecting oneself to the land because LAND IS IDENTITY. I have a deeper understanding of that, as I am a visitor to this territory, but also as someone who lives in two places. It is incredibly challenging and diverse. For me, it’s not to reject where I am but to embrace and invite where I am to understand who I am. And when I look around the Central Interior of BC (compared the the Coast), it is equally spectacular and beautiful here as it is at my other home. CONNECTION. PASSION. IDENTITY. We were asked to think of 3 words after our learning experience and this is what I’ve come to learn. Love where you are.

Being on the land that day and being next to the river helped me to rebuild my relationship with WATER. I love the water. I’ve always felt connected to it as a child and as an adult. This is not to say I swim or like to be in a boat, but I love listening to and watching the ripples form in water. I was born and raised by the ocean and my adult years living near the ocean. I remember noticing when returning to the Sunshine Coast from Prince George was the sound of the ocean waves and the smell of the salt air. It’s incredible. The water speaks to me. But being at Nautley River, I realized that the water rippling through the river was equally amazing and wonderful. She is speaking to me.

My biggest take-away from the KOH-Learning experience was “What is the watershed/waterways teaching us?” We engaged in a World Cafe activity and I was facilitating this table. We are all connected and interconnected. The river is resilient. THE SALMON ARE RESILIENT. Yes!!! They are. They will always know how to swim upstream when the conditions have changed. The river will continue to flow even if it’s been traumatized by a damn or landslide. We will find a way. Therefore, there is no such thing as REJECTION. We are resilient. We are meant to take a different path.

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL. ENJOY AND EMBRACE THE LEARNING JOURNEY.