Here I am… walking side-by-side with my dad. I love this image. It makes me hopeful. We are walking forward together. It can’t get any better than this. 2018 has been a year of change… and anticipating more. Every moment is a learning experience. I am getting a lot of clarity, that leads to my alignment and my 2018 One-Word: CREATE. Last week, I engaged in a couple of learning experiences that fuelled my fire for education. First, I went to a parent meeting with Yong Zhao in School District No. 38 (Richmond) and second, I went to the BC Teacher Education Roundtable at Simon Fraser University (SFU).
Professional learning is both formal and informal. I appreciated how Yong Zhao catered his message about the paradigm shift in education and 21st century learning to parents. At the #SFUroundtable18, we discussed the DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE in the context of student teachers. My eyes were wide open to this topic and how we need to be inclusive to all students. Whereas, my informal learning included meeting new people, reconnecting to those in my PLN, and RE-meeting people. From these interactions, I was reminded of my why… TO ENHANCE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS. There are many ways to fulfill my purpose. What feels right at one moment might change in another.
I’ve been thinking about this slide (see below) of Dr. Reiss’s 16 basic human motivators from Yong Zhao’s presentation. What motivator resonated with me the most was CURIOSITY. My object of desire is knowledge. This makes sense. I always thought that I wanted to influence, but I am not motivated by power. I have tried several times to be the #1 position… but failed. It’s not my role and I’m not sad about it. Now, I understand why. My role is to contribute knowledge. I am driven to learn something new. I felt that way at the #SFUroundtable18. I was having serendipitous conversations. I was meeting the right people at the right time. I loved listening to their stories and asking them questions.
What I am most proud about is asking for and receiving formative feedback from experts in the field. I will provide not context here, but accepting formative feedback from others and doing something about it is humbling, enlightening, and integral to my learning. Right now, I am in the midst of rebranding and re-envisioning. I am an educator at heart and I can’t wait to teach EDUC454: Quantitative Approaches to Environmental Education this summer at SFU. I am stoked about teaching this course again. Last year, I taught EDUC454 at Burnaby campus as a morning course. This year, I am at the Surrey campus as an evening course. I love the challenge and creativity required to make this course meaningful, purposeful, and fun. Look forward to weekly blogs starting this week.
I’m excited about what’s next. I create what I see. I look forward to continuing my post-doctoral experience as an affiliated scholar at the Centre for the Study of Educational Leadership and Policy. I am in the middle of publishing a couple of papers with my research partner (and former senior supervisor) Dan Laitsch, and I am in the middle of writing a book about my mom. I love that I stay connected with BC educators as one of the #bcedchat co-moderators on Twitter and I would love to pursue teaching and research at the university, but also pursue teaching and learning at the K-12 level if the opportunity arises. In the end, it’s all about student learning and finding ways to make their learning experiences better so they can thrive. I want to be part of that story.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, May 07th, 2018 | Comments Off on Rebranding and Re-envisioning
The day after… the BCSTA AGM… and I am feeling great. I have no regrets running for president and I am so proud of SD46 for passing 3 motions on student voice. What should I be disappointed about? Nothing.
Putting my name forward as BCSTA president was one of the best things I have done for myself. First, it was unfinished work from last year. Second, I wanted to be what I wanted to see. Third, I had something to learn.
The assembly had spoken. A clear majority voted for the incumbent and I can understand that. It keeps continuity, he’s done the job as expected, and the directors to be elected were subject to change. I am led by the assembly. That said, I was not willing to put my name forward for VP or director as part of a strategy. The assembly made a decision about leadership and I wanted them to make a decision. I knew the outcome of the election well before the vote when trustees asked me to put my name forward as VP throughout the AGM. Thank you for your confidence of having my voice on the board.
To follow through with my campaign was a test of my character but also a test for others. I appreciated the authentic connections I had with trustees throughout the weekend who supported my campaign, gave me tips and suggestions for my campaign, and connected with me as a person. I loved that. Running for election is not personal. It was interesting to observe others who were not willing to chat with me or give eye contact. I got plenty of courtesy hello’s or smiles. I was awakened. But, I did appreciate the post-election compliments for my campaign and speech. This is politics. The best part of the campaign experience was the unconditional respect and support I got from others. It was the best I could do and I could not have performed as well without their formative feedback.
I don’t feel that I have failed. I feel like I have won. I am satisfied. I am confident that this board of directors will lead the BCSTA as best as they can, that is guided by the membership. The leadership team of the P/VP remained the same and 3 new directors joined the board. This will be the fresh voice the board of directors need and will benefit from. For me, running for president was about modelling what I want to see for BCSTA. Put your name forward, have your voice, and let the assembly choose. I wanted to offer choice for leadership, but also challenge the assembly to make a decision and feel good about it. My work is done and I am filled with gratitude. Now, I am set onto a different direction. I am finding my place and the outcome of the BCSTA election was a gift.
I am driven by three principles:
You never know unless you try. (take a risk, don’t assume)
You can’t tell a drunk they are a drunk. (self-actualization)
You don’t know what you don’t know. (be open to learning)
I know that Principle 2 needs revision. It’s not the best saying, but it’s meaning resonates with me. I have satisfied all three principles, hence my satisfaction. Thank you members of the BCSTA. Continue to do the great work that you do. An extra special thank you to those who are choosing to not to run in the upcoming municipal election as school trustee. And best of luck to those who are planning to run. Make this role attractive to others. Boards of Education do make a difference to BC public education and student learning. Don’t forget that. You are change agents. You are Educational Leaders!!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 29th, 2018 | Comments Off on No Regrets
Yes… I am having one of those days. I LOVE PEOPLE. Do you ever get those kind of days? I do. The feeling overwhelms me. Sometimes it fills me up with joy, while other times I am filled of gratitude. This time, it was the latter. I feel so fortunate that I have people in my life who I can lean on but also help me rise.
There is not one incident or person that made me feel the way I do. As much as I would love to point my finger at one cause or event, there were a few things on the go that needed addressing. And, that’s ok. I started to believe that things were not working out, like it’s a sign from the universe and I couldn’t quite figure out the message… so it relents.
I almost felt like that hamster running in a wheel. Run faster or run slower… It didn’t matter. I felt like I was running in a circle and going nowhere. Although I may be exaggerating at bit, I started to think… “Really? Is this a test?” Life is based on what you focus on. I had to make decisions, take a stand, and commit. For a long while, I was focused the “wrong” things. Ok… they weren’t “wrong”… hence the quotation marks… but I was entranced by what was happening and avoiding particular outcomes versus thinking about what I could do. As a result, I could not see an end to my perceived misery.
Again, as vague as my blog is (on purpose)… what was happening overall was mind boggling. I had a choice… wallow in the struggle or reach out for help. With one conversation, one text message, and one email… I started to see my situation from a different point of view. All of a sudden, I was looking at something that was completely transformed into an opportunity for empowerment, choices, and possibilities. I am so grateful to those in my tribe who are there for me unconditionally to lend me a hand, listen, and enlighten me with their wisdom, kindness, and love. It feels good to know that someone has my back. The least I can do is have your back too. Thank you!!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 18th, 2018 | Comments Off on Having My Back
Christine Younghusband
School District No.46 (Sunshine Coast)
I am proud to be running for the position of President of the BCSTA Board of Directors. I have 24 years of experience in BC education as an educator, researcher, curriculum developer, sessional instructor, and school trustee. I am deeply invested in BC public education and passionate about teaching and learning. I believe that boards of education are integral to the success of students in BC. We can influence the learning experiences of students while we advocate for quality public education in our communities and province. We are, collectively, educational leaders. Our role as boards of education is to effectively connect community values and identity to the operations of our schools to help students learn and thrive.
“Our task is to educate their (our students) whole being so they can face the future. We may not see the future, but they will and our job is to help them make something of it.” – Sir Ken Robinson
Returning back to the BCSTA Board of Directors as President would be an honour and privilege. I am able to effectively connect with others, listen to the concerns of others, and critically look at and question BC public education through multiple lenses. These are essential competencies as we move forward together as a provincial organization in terms of decision-making, policy-making, and building our collective efficacy. Although I took last year off from the Board of Directors to complete my dissertation and doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, upon completion I took the time to reflect and consider what was important to me. Boards of education make a difference in the lives of students and student learning. Being a school trustee is a leadership role I value in education. Boards of education have voice, choice, and agency. What we want for our students should be what we want for ourselves. My desire is to lead BCSTA with a common purpose focused on student learning. Thank you for considering my candidacy as president.
BCSTA Board of Directors, 3-years (2014-2017)
Liaison with the BCSTA Legislative Committee
Liaison with the (former) BCSTA Education Committee
Liaison with the Metro Branch, Northwest Branch, and VISTA Branch
Member of the BCSTA Trustee Learning Guide Ad Hoc Committee
Metro Branch New Trustee Mentor
School Trustee with the SD46 (Sunshine Coast) Board of Education (2011-present)
Chair of the SD46 Policy Committee
Chair of the SD46 Education Committee
Represented BCSTA on the Standing Committee on Provincial Curriculum
South Coast Branch Representative on the BCSTA Education Committee
I am pretty proud of this publication. I would say it’s my first official publication as “Dr. Younghusband.” It’s a Canadian Education magazine and this edition was about the “Signals of Change.” I was fortunate to participate in this Canada-wide discussion on the signals of change in Canadian Education. I had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Hurley at Rose Point School in Vancouver and enjoyed the group discussion. I also enjoyed our phone conversation prior to this meeting. We spoke about ourselves and my dissertation. I was still in the writing process. Stephen gave me some insight on the direction of K-12 math education in Ontario and educational reform, which made it into my dissertation. For that, I am very thankful for the conversation and this experience.
Participants of the “Signals of Change” had the opportunity to write a brief submission on one signal we are observing. With many submissions, only five were going to be chosen to be published and the others available electronically. At the time, I was inspired to write about student voice and student agency. Students desire agency and empowerment. I was enlightened by students in the writing of this article. It was based on listening to secondary students and observing what I see. Students are QUESTIONING PEDAGOGY and I wonder if we are listening. How things are taught, assessed, and evaluated are important to students. Are we listening? If so, what are we doing about it? In the end, students realize they just have to get through, so compliance and silence prevails.
Thank you Education Canada for selecting my article as one of the five and publishing it as the first of five in the magazine in the section “A Slew of Change.” Students need their voice heard, but also we are also called to action: to listen and respond accordingly. Aside from the fact that I have learned that being published takes time and writing from the heart matters, my writing was verified by a conversation I had the other day with a student. I am always curious about teaching and learning. As a result, I like to ask questions. I was chatting with a student and wondered about how this student felt about a certain initiative that was happening at school. I loved what this student had to say. The way this student articulated their thoughts, beliefs, and point of view resonated with my EdCan article. Who can they tell? Where does student voice go? Do we even ask?
Students have a lot to say and what they have to say can be insightful, thoughtful, and worthwhile listening too. At one level, we have to give students “the space” to have their voice as critical thinkers and agents of their learning, but we have to take what was heard and take it to a different level. It’s an opportunity for reflection, professional development, or contribution to decision making. This is a power-shift, but also a paradigm shift. We need to give up a little power to empower students. Is this what we are hoping for, for students? Are we doing what it takes to make this happen for (and with) students? I wonder if we are aware of what students think and if we are tokenizing student voice. Students have something to say and getting their point of view is the best formative feedback education systems can receive. Are we prepared to listen? Ask yourself.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 11th, 2018 | Comments Off on Questioning Pedagogy
That was super fun… and unexpected. I am so glad to be asked to guest blog for McGraw-Hill Education for the Art of Teaching section. I wrote about a collaborative and competitive summative review game I used to play with my Math 12 students (in preparation for the provincial exams) and other math courses as we approached the end of the school year. It was a great way to learn more about what students know and understand but also learn about what I have done well and what I need to do to bridge any math-gaps. I wanted to provide some photos (from the CYH Archives) to depict how fun and how awesome this learning experience was for students… and for me. What a great way to build a learning community and celebrate mathematics. This is definitely one of my career highlights as a secondary mathematics teacher. Learning math is FUN.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 09th, 2018 | Comments Off on Making Math Fun
This is one of my favourite images… a tree growing from another tree. A friendly reminder that we have to keep growing and growth can come from anything and anywhere. Growth is not always a straight line. Yesterday, I spent time updating my LinkedIN page and resume. I attended a few alumni workshops held at SFU and wanted to apply what I had learned. Updating took some time and it’s still in progress. My friend took a look at what I had written and said…
“Your path is so untraditional, for someone like me and yet we have so much in common.”
I take this as a compliment. I am thankful that my friend could see this. Sometimes it’s not all about going the traditional route from A to B. I could have “climbed the ladder” to move through or up the system, but opted to take my own route… a personalized route that filled my heart and mind. I left teaching to pursue doctoral studies. In the meantime, I started a business as sole proprietor and called myself an educational consultant. Is this how it works? I was soon find out. At the time, I didn’t know what I wanted but I loved the freedom and flexibility to create and learn. I had to go beyond the status quo.
Much like my dissertation, I want to get under the problem. Sometimes “problems” in education seem cyclic thus difficult to see its starting point. To make a long story short, I had to take a different route to see what I wanted to and needed to see. Leaving K-12 helped me to complete my dissertation and make the recommendations to practice and research I did, so that we could create system change in the context of professional learning and subject matter acquisition. I know that I would not have accomplished this had I stayed in the system as a teacher. I was able to see and understand the system, as a whole, in a deeper and broader way as a school trustee. For this, I am grateful.
The other part of my friend’s comment… “yet we have so much in common”… raises my spirit. On the one hand, it surprises me and on the other hand, it pleases me. I am surprised because I did not move up the rungs of the education system to understand what my friend understands about the system… what’s working… what’s not working… and what needs improvement. I will say that I have not done some of the super awesome things my friend has done or the super awful things my friend had to do… vice versa in terms of research and politics… but happy to know that the BIG IDEAS are the same.
It’s time for new growth. I love being the learner. My goal is to follow the path of learning. I think about returning back to the system often. I love teaching at the university and I would love to teach high school mathematics again… particularly in BC’s New Curriculum. But I wonder about the kind of freedom that exists in the system. I also wonder about what I have to contribute. I think that I have a lot to contribute but it has to be aligned to the direction of the school district. I would love to see some of my recommendations from my dissertation to come to practice, but I am also excited about doing more research to bring meaningful information back to practice. Right now, I am writing a book. It’s fun.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 08th, 2018 | Comments Off on Keep Growing
School District No.46 (Sunshine Coast) was one of two school districts out of 60 to first have a student trustee and policy that supports having a student trustee as part of the Board of Education. Although the student trustee does not vote or participate in closed meetings, the student trustee represents the voice of students and the District Student Leadership Team (DSLT). The DSLT is composed of two student representatives from each of the 4 secondary schools: Pender Harbour Secondary, Chatelech Secondary, Elphinstone Secondary, and Alternative Schools. The student trustee has the opportunity to have his or her voice at the table, share ideas from the DSLT, and ask questions.
Pearl Deasey from Chatelech Secondary is our fifth student trustee. A student trustee is elected by the DSLT annually. Soon after her election, Pearl presented with former Board Chair Betty Baxter, Superintendent Patrick Bocking, and Early Learning Coordinator Kirsten Deasey at the 2017 BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA) Academy. She spoke about her experience as a student trustee and fielded questions on her role on the board and how other school districts could adopt a similar model of student leadership.
To connect with students, members of this year’s DSLT decided to moderate a closed Facebook Page for students to access and share their thoughts with the DSLT. Other DSLT initiatives include the district-wide talent show and North vs. South hockey game. Both events are well attended and very successful. The DSLT also facilitates a student leadership forum where several secondary students from each school meet with the DSLT, senior management, and school trustees to discuss important topics identified by the DSLT.
Student leadership is not isolated to the DSLT, student trustee, or student forums. Schools offer leadership classes, extra curricular sports and clubs, WEday experiences, student councils, and exchange opportunities. The Board of Education is proud of our students and student leadership in our school district. Student can and do make a difference. Next month, the Board of Education will be moving three motions regarding student leadership, supported by our student trustee and DSLT, at the BCSTA Annual General Meeting.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 03rd, 2018 | Comments Off on Student Leadership
Today has been an amazing day. I have no words to describe my gratitude for those who are in my life. Look at these flowers… GORGEOUS… and unsolicited. It comes from people I care deeply about and I feel that they care deeply about me. I am blessed. The day continues with moments of inspiration from those I was working with. From their learning experiences, I was inspired to write an article to question what I see. In the meantime, I am connecting to those on Twitter and found the courage to ask for help via email. This nice part is, my tribe are always willing to help. They support me in so many ways. I feel very lucky. I struggled with Finding My Tribe. At one time, I believed finding my tribe meant belonging to a group, but surrendered knowing that members of my tribe come from many groups, they share a similar mindset of disruption, and they lift me up. After today, I am redefining TRIBE as wholehearted kinship. There is deep trust, respect, and love. Feelings are reciprocated. There is no second guessing or self-doubt, only clarity.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, March 29th, 2018 | Comments Off on Redefining Tribe
Here we go… there are a few days left of the nomination period and I have decided to run in the upcoming municipal election in October and run in the BC Association of School Trustees Association (BCSTA) for the position of president in April. Left on a cliffhanger from my previous blog entry, Gaining Perspective, I was undecided for quite some time. I loved the encouraging words from colleagues throughout the year, but I had to make this decision for the right reasons and my decision to run was not taken lightly.
Last year, I stepped down from the BCSTA Board of Directors and did not run. When I look back at my blog entry, Trajectory, it was not an easy decision then. I took the year off from the BCSTA Board of Directors and took other things off my plate so that I could finish my dissertation and deliberate what would be next for me. I needed to create some space for me to complete my doctoral work and make space for what’s next. I am proud to have completed my dissertation. I successfully defended my research on August 17, 2017 (while teaching EDUC 454 that term) and walked across the stage at convocation on Friday, October 6, 2017 (after I taught my morning class of EDUC 471) at SFU. I ended the fall term by starting the new year with a trip to Honolulu, HI to present my dissertation and two other studies at the Hawaii International Conference on Education. It was a memorable experience and excellent capstone to my academic achievements.
After Hawaii, the spring term started slow. I was not teaching at the university and I had not established full-time employment as an academic. I had considered returning to K-12 but did not feel that it was the right fit for me. That said, I am very thankful to continue my research and academic writing as an affiliate scholar at the Centre for the Study of Educational Leadership and Policy (CSELP) as part of my post-doctoral experience. I am currently working with a school district looking at communicating student learning and effective reporting practices, I am working on being published with my research partner Dr. Daniel Laitsch, and I am also working on some independent writing. With this work, I am reminded of my 5 core values: (1) integrity and truth; (2) self-respect and pride in my work; (3) having a positive impact on society and others; (4) using creativity, imagination, and being innovative; and (5) autonomy, independence, and freedom. I am aligned.
I believe in serendipity where things happen for a reason. Last month, my mom passed away. I believe that it was suppose to be a “light term” for better or worse so that I could spend time with my mom in her final days. I had the luxury of being by her side almost full-time along with my brother, sister, and dad. I have no words to express my gratitude that I was able to spend this time with her, to take care of her, and to love her. I miss her deeply. I have no regrets of not running for BCSTA last year. Everything happened as it was suppose to be. Now that I have turned the page on my dissertation and looking forward to what’s next, I am following my intuition, my heart, and my passion in BC public education. I am an educator, researcher, and school trustee. I am an advocate of BC public education and believe that boards of education are integral to the success of students in BC public schools. I am announcing that I am running for BCSTA president.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, March 24th, 2018 | Comments Off on Running for President
