Christine Ho Younghusband

Say What You Mean

I have great admiration of those who have the courage to stand on stage to talk to a crowd about what they are passionate about. This was my third TEDxLangleyED and it never disappoints. It was a great opportunity to see old friends, meet my PLN face-to-face, and listen an exceptional group of speakers. This year’s TEDxLangleyEd was carefully orchestrated. The first set of speakers inspired me to be myself. The second set of speakers made me think deeply about teaching and learning. And the third set of speakers rounded out the conversation of what’s truly important.

Back to back professional learning opportunities… first with Sir Ken Robinson then TEDxLangleyED… I appreciate these professional learning opportunities to ponder and reflect about my professional learning and my professional growth. I go to these events because I am genuinely interested in education and teaching & learning. Yet, I think about my dissertation and professional learning and wonder how my research can contribute to the field but also how it reflects on me to understand myself.

I had a interesting conversation with a university student today about mathematics, mathematics education, and mathematics inquiry. In talking to this person, I found myself looking at myself, my practice, my research, and my professional learning. I left the conversation uneasy. On the one hand, I was not sure if I answered the student’s questions adequately. On the other hand, I wanted to take some of what I said back. Interesting… Why would I want to take anything that I said back?

What I like about those who speak at TED events is that they say what they mean. There is nothing to hide. They speak from the heart… and it’s about something that’s important to them, which automatically resonates with the audience. I think that’s what makes TED talks so effective. The presenters care deeply about what they are speaking about. I have always been intrigued by those who find their JAM. In one blog, I claimed that I found my jam and my jam is teaching and learning.

The context of my jam depends on what I am doing. It looks different from when I am tutoring, being a school trustee, or facilitating workshops for teachers. I love teaching mathematics, but after my conversation today with the university student, my love continues to be about teaching and learning and high school mathematics is the vehicle for me to learn and understand more about it. I am also intrigued by policy and how that influences the teaching and learning environment, but also I am interested in teachers as learners and how that effects student learning.

I am not apologetic for what I said during my conversation today and I have no regrets. I said what I know and understand, but also I come with much curiosity about teaching and learning. I am so excited to learn that there are MATH-NERDS out there who want to make a difference in mathematics education and student engagement. It brings me great hope for the next generation of innovative mathematicians who wish to educate and reignite the MATH-SPIRIT. I am always refining my jam. Teaching mathematics has taught me much about teaching and learning and I look forward to what I will learn next. Thank you TEDxLangleyED for another great event.

System Change

I cannot believe I almost missed this event. Sir Ken Robinson at Christian Academy in Abbotsford. #weareallbced #learnrevabby. Welcome to the Learning Revolution!!! THANK YOU TWITTER, @RosePillay1 and @MegUnger for the notifications and encouragement. I bought my ticket a few months ago and forgot all about it. That morning I cancelled my appointments and caught the ferry to fill my edu-cup.

Sir Ken Robinson is best known for his TED Talk Do Schools Kill Creativity? I’ve watched other TED Talks by How to Escape Education’s Death Valley and Bring on the Learning Revolution. Thank you to @BrianKoning and everyone from his learning community for making this professional learning event happen for BC educators. I was completely inspired and happy to walk away feeling validated and affirmed.

The BIG IDEA behind Sir Ken Robinson’s presentation was that “the system creates the problem.” The system creates constraints therefore the system creates problems. Yet, he also said that we all have the power to change the conditions of teaching and learning. Yeeeeessssss… I totally agree. Looking Back at 2016, I thought about a pebble in the pond and the ripple effect. Now I understand that it’s our circle of influence. We can all create a system change within our circle of influence.

You can change how you assess and evaluate students in your classroom. You can redesign the school timetable to incorporate cross-curricular, competency-based, personalized learning. You can change policies and practices so that student learning is at the heart of schools and school systems. I am convinced that we can all change the system to foster student learning and success… if we really, really want to. I loved that BC’s Curriculum was mentioned a few times during the presentation and held with high regard by Sir Ken Robinson that we’re heading in the RIGHT direction.

Sir Ken Robinson outlines 3 principles: Conformity, linearity, and compliance. 1. We are not the same. Schools need to honour and celebrate diversity. 2. We do not have a linear narrative. It’s messy and unpredictable. Learning is organic. 3. We need to focus on the relationship between the student and teacher. Standardized testing is a $16 billion business with no real improvement. The photo above was taken in 2015 showing parents hanging off the walls passing cheat sheets to their children.

The event concludes with Sir Ken Robinson participating in Q&A. Loved it. The best question posed was about BC’s Curriculum and focus on competencies. The person asked if letter grades were still necessary. His answer was NO. Yeeeesssss!!! I totally agree. I also agree with his comments of still needing ongoing assessment and standards. We need to rethink about what this could look like… and WHY.

Let’s shift our culture… let’s change the system. Oh wait, it’s already happening in BC.

Deep Sadness

Yes… another stock photo from the “YH Archives.” I’m sure that my former students (who are adults now) will enjoy and appreciate this immensely. You’re welcome!!!

Of course it’s January 11th and I’m posting a blog on DEEP SADNESS. This is ironic when my one-word for 2017 is JOY. When I left teaching in public schools six years ago, I would cry spontaneously looking at old photos of my former students. Admittedly, it was a strange to me. I did not expect to cry while scrolling through my Facebook photos or my photo library. But, I did… and for quite some time.

Since leaving the classroom, I’ve been on a pedagogical journey to find my purpose. I’ve continued to work with students privately but also facilitate teacher professional development workshops. I was also involved with curriculum development, sessional instruction, and school trusteeship. I am clearer than ever about my purpose and passion, and now I’m in the midst of figuring out how to best implement it.

I am heartened by what I am hearing from those around me. My husband makes jokes about me saving the world and why does my passion have to be my work and not a hobby. My friend the other day inferred that I am clear about my purpose, thus it is easy to move forward because I know my why (but this took years to figure out). And, the people I work with remind me that what I do is meaningful.

Yet today… I felt like I was going to cry again (almost did). I feel great pain when we are not serving students in the best way that best serves student learning. I hear plenty of messages, the good and not so good, as a school trustee, teacher educator, and math tutor. All I can say is, the chapter is changing. My dissertation is almost complete and deep sadness is a sign. It’s time. It’s time to serve and empower.

Guest Blogging

An honour and privileged to guest blog for Dr. Gillian Judson, PhD from SFU IERG program. “Math Embedded – A Tribute to Susan Point” was one of my proudest moments in my public school teaching career where I had to opportunity to integrate indigenous education, art education, and mathematics education into one project. It was a unique opportunity that I had the great fortune to seize. I only had that one school year to teach two classes of Math 8 at 150 hours and this was the product of that peculiar circumstance. I took my interest as a learner, my expertise as a senior mathematics teacher, and my passion for student learning into the context of education reform and curriculum implementation to create change.

Thank you Gillian (Twitter handle: @perfinker) for this blogging opportunity. #indigenouseducation #secondarymath #imaginationeducation #SFU To Read my blog entry, go to this link below and I hope that you too will be inspired to create, integrate, and innovate. http://www.educationthatinspires.ca/2017/01/09/integrating-indigenous-worldviews-into-secondary-math-teaching/ 

ENTP or ESTJ

Started the new year spending a bit of time on myself… getting to know myself… and reacquainting myself to what I have already known. Yup. It was “check my personality type” kind of day. I engaged in numerous survey questionnaires online to see how data banks would describe my strengths, personality type, and colour. I’ve taken the Discover Your Strengths questionnaire a few times over the last 10 years. My results have changed over time. At this point in time, my strengths are strategic, futuristic, arrangement, belief, and command. My colour… depending on test… is yellow/red, orange, and red. And, my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) type is ENTP.

The first time I was introduced to MBTI was during my master degree program in 1999. My instructor Dr. Carolyn Mamchur was passionate about MBTI and got everyone in our cohort to complete the survey questionnaire. The course was about teaching and learning styles. She connected the course content to Myers-Briggs. This made a lot of sense to me. When I was teaching, I would see a colleague of mine sitting on the couch with her students crying over a paper. I thought I was broken. I never cried. I thought something was wrong with me. Nope. We were different teachers. I was an ESTJ. My colleague must have been an ENFJ. She was good. I was not her. Understanding my preferences helped me to understand my practice.

I’ve held onto MBTI to help me understand myself and others. Since leaving teaching, my focus and values shifted. My goal was to complete my dissertation and learn more about BC education. When I was teaching, I valued structure, security, and predictability. As a writer, researcher, and edu-explorer… I value innovation, creativity, and flexibility. It took some time to shift my preferences. I’m about 50-50 with intuition (N) and sensing (S) and 60-40 perceiving (P) to judging (J). I need to be creative but practical as a workshop facilitator and I need to go with the flow being self-employed. What hasn’t changed is my extroversion (E) and my thinking (T) preferences. Yup. I love being around people and I’m always using my noggin. Expressing my feelings (F) and being introverted (I) are not my strengths.

According to MTBI, we do change preferences over time… much like my top five strengths did in Discovering Your Strengths. This could be a sign of growth, but also could be a means to an end. When I was in the classroom, I needed to be organized, structured, and predictable. Now, I am a researcher, writer, curriculum developer, and school trustee. Yes, I still value and need structure, process, and goals… but I also need to be a problem solver, creator, and innovator. I’m on the fence with N/S and P/J with my Myers-Briggs that I’m sure that the other will be a preference once again if the circumstances require it to be. It’s nice to know that I am evolving and I love how these tests can give me some indication as to why things are the way they are.

Looking Back at 2016

Wow. Where has the year gone? I must admit that time does fly by much faster the older you get. Hmm… I must be getting old. Huh. Let’s not talk about that. What I do want to talk about is 2016. Why not? It’s new year’s eve, it’s snowing, and my kid is at a sleepover. Hello? This is perfect timing. Let’s reflect and look back at 2016.

What can I say about 2016? It was very busy and there can always be room for improvement. My one-word for 2016 was ALIGNMENT. For the last 6 years I’ve been on a pedagogical journey. On the one hand, I am learning more about myself, my learning, and my profession from completing my dissertation, which is currently in the hands of my committee. On the other hand, I am on an edu-quest.

In recent years, I’ve engaged in BC education in various ways. I participated in research, curriculum development, sessional instruction, conference presentations, committee work, workshop facilitation, #bcedchat co-moderating, math tutoring, and school trusteeship. My quest was becoming divergent. For years I believed that my dissertation would resolve my discontent, but after my findings… not so much.

As I approach the end of 2016… I have been working towards alignment. I know that I love teaching, there are some incredible people out there making a difference in education and creating change, and governance plays an important role in education reform and its operations. I am deeply driven by student learning and student voice. I believe in process and democracy. I am motivated to create a system that best serves students and student learning such that we are all learners in the system.

I cannot do this alone. As I try to create alignment within myself, everyone in education seems to be going in different directions. This could be because we all have diverse interests and varying levels of expertise to contribute, but do we have common purpose? I wonder about how someone effects the system like a ripple in a pond. What ripple do I create? What do I want to create in the future? How do you create a ripple that persists? We all making a difference, but to what end?

I will ponder these questions in 2017. I have much gratitude for 2016. It was a bit chaotic at times but I am grateful for the wonderful people I’ve met and the learning experiences I had the great fortune to be a part of. I feel more aligned and look forward to 2017. I’ve learned so much and I am awed and humbled by all those out there making a difference in education. Thank you and Happy New Year!!!

One Word 2017

It’s approaching that time again. ONE WORD. I have done this for a few years. “Completion” was my one-word in 2015 and “alignment” in 2016. I suspect that those words will always be in the back of my mind but it’s time to get away from the rainbow spin and select a word that will resonate with 2017. The one-word that first came to mind was ABUNDANCE. I hesitate with this word because I don’t want to have an “abundance” of any “bad things” (whatever that means). I’m more focussed on the “good things” like opportunities, income, and professional/personal growth.

I would also like to focus on my passion (like teaching), do things that bring me JOY (like curling), and complete my dissertation and successfully defend (that would be super nice). I would also like to maintain a gratitude journal as well as get back on the health-train where I make myself a priority. I believe that you cannot take care of others if you are not taking care of yourself. As my friend had once said to me, it’s like emergency air masks that drop from the airplane. The air mask must go on yourself first before you can help others. You can’t help others if you’re dead. Makes sense.

So if I look at myself authentically and wholeheartedly… I may not have been following my own mantra. I have been so curious as to what life in education could look like outside of the Math 8-12 classroom that I lost sight of myself and my role in creating my own success and happiness. That said, I loved all of the things I have experienced and learned since leaving the classroom. I have met so many wonderful people who are like-minded and equally passionate about education and student learning. I am very grateful and heartened to meet and know these people.

However, I’ve been feeling like it’s time to turn the page in my story and start a new chapter. I know that my dissertation and oral defence will finish this year, in 2017, as well as the school trustee study I’m co-writing with Dr. Dan Laitsch. Those will be done. I am not teaching at the universities this term so that I can commit my time and energy to complete my doctoral work. It is also an opportunity to focus on my professional learning to become a better sessional instructor but also become a better researcher and writer. Moreover, it’s time to focus on me and my well-being.

As I am writing, reflecting, and contemplating at the same time to determine my 2017 one-word, which in essence is my form of making a new year’s resolution in a conceptual way, I am more drawn to the word JOY rather than ABUNDANCE. As much as I want abundance in my life, JOY enables me to self-assess and make decisions on what is worthwhile doing or not. If it does not bring me joy, then it needs reconsideration or revision. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do” – Steve Jobs. I am ready for this. I look forward to the new year and my one-word.

Student Stocking

Welcome back to the Sunshine Coast. This is our first Christmas holidays in many years that we have decided to stay home for the holidays. My kid is totally stoked about staying home and waking up in her own bed on Christmas Day. I completely understand this. I feel the same way. I love the idea of staying home and “laying low” to gather my thoughts and get my house back in order. I’m often zooming in and out of the Coast and it’s nice to slow down and stay home. Many others are coming home too. As you can see, there is no snow in Sechelt (and hopefully no rain too).

Soooo it’s time for student stalking. What do I mean by this? To be seasonal, I should have said “student stocking” but let’s call a spade a spade. Teaching in small town not only do you become a local celebrity but you start to know a lot of people in your community. It’s been 6 years since I left teaching but I do see many of my former students in town or online. I love seeing how they are doing. From what I gather, many of my students are thriving in their careers, becoming parents, or travelling the world. It’s so much fun to see how their lives are unfolding and evolving.

In my week of slowing down, house cleaning, and Christmas shopping… I have had the great fortune of seeing, bumping into, and chatting with former Math 11/12 students. I don’t mean to be student stalking but many of them are coming home to visit family or have already moved back to the Coast to start their careers and raise their families. Lately, I feel bombarded by former students this holiday season. I am flooded with memories and good feelings. I can remember each student as they were in high school like it just happened yesterday. That is too fun and too trippy.

I’ve been wanting to write the journal for a few days because I was noticing so many former students returning home and roaming around the Sechelt area. For example, this morning I bumped into a former student at the grocery store. She’s home for the holidays. She is also a teacher and has been teaching for 8 years in the Lower Mainland. Many of my former students became teachers. That aside, she told my daughter that I was her most favourite math teacher who got her through high school mathematics. Thank you!!! That was super nice to hear… and I wasn’t fishing for it.

Bumping into this student and so many others… I realize that my work as a teacher (along with sooooo many other teachers) had a long lasting effect on students. I don’t think that I would have acknowledge this when I was teaching as I do now away from teaching. I am totally humbled and honoured. I’ve always wondered where one would have the greatest effect on student learning. In the last 6 years, I have taken on various roles in education to figure this out. I’ve been a workshop facilitator, tutor, sessional instructor, researcher, curriculum developer, school trustee, and mom.

Admittedly, I have not done every role in education but what I do know is, we all have a part in a student’s future and the trajectory he or she takes. I don’t want to underestimate that. We are gifted with a great responsibility as educators and I am deeply invested. Another thing I know for sure is success in education relies heavily on relationships and sharing a common goal. Relationships grow and develop over time. Trust and respect are the underpinnings to a successful relationship. Finally, I realize my effect on student learning as a teacher. It makes me proud. TY.

Feeling Validated

It’s been 2-weeks since Learning Forward 2016 in Vancouver and I am grateful to have the opportunity to start my winter break with a edu-blog of gratitude. I must admit, I was kind of a grump during the first bits of the conference. I missed the pre-conference and read awesome things about the first two days before the conference of professional learning on Twitter. Thank you all in my PLN for tweeting. I was totally jelly during the 2-days and totally happy for you and your professional learning.

I started the conference weekend with driving into downtown Vancouver during the Rogers Santa Clause Parade. I was trying get to the other side of the Granville Street Bridge for a meeting and got there 15 minutes early (versus 1.5-hours early). Lucky. Post meeting, we were off to our hotel and about to embark on the start of the Learning Forward conference. I opted to part ways with my cohort to experience the welcome appie gathering at the Vancouver Conference Centre. A live band of retired superintendents, BC school trustees, and delicious food, it made for a fun evening.

The next day was the first day of the conference. Sadly, I had two Pecha Kucha presentations to give that afternoon that I was frantically trying to prepare for. I wanted to memorize both presentations. Who is crazy enough to memorize TWO 6+ minute presentations? Me. I opted to stay in my hotel room after the morning breakfast and meeting with the Minister to practice. Over and over again… I tried to memorize TWO presentations on research. Long story made short, I read my script… wholeheartedly. I was personally disappointed but my edu-fans said I did just fine. Thank you!!! Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.

Now onto day two of the conference and the start of my professional learning. I loved the workshop I was attending. It was about formative assessment but I much enjoyed being the learner and looking at formative assessment from a different point of view. I met folks from Texas and loved the presenter’s enthusiasm and authenticity. It was something I could strive for as a presenter, but also I had learned much more about formative assessment in connection to summative assessment. If anything, the workshop was a gentle way to shift gears in my thinking for the weekend.

Mid-workshop was lunch and another keynote presentation. I opted out of the catered lunch (again) and met up with my dissertation supervisor for lunch. We had a great conversation and I gained a greater perspective of higher education, professional learning, and my dissertation process. I can see the end or at least the 11th and 12th month of the dissertation process. Right now, my dissertation is in my committee’s hands and look forward to their feedback. After lunch, I made it back just in time to hear the student band perform and see the keynote presentation from Pasi Sahlberg. It might be a future blog entry… but I loved his presentation.

I walked away so inspired by Pasi and the day ends with #InnovationIGNITEbc at Science World. I abducted my fellow school trustee to be part of this learning experience. My bad. But it was sooooo good. I connected and reconnected with people from my PLN but also I was inspired by the innovation of BC educators. When we think it’s impossible, the truth is, it is possible if we want it to be possible. One after the other, we saw presentations from BC educators who were making it happen… for students!!! How can you not be inspired? Hats off to all of the IGNITE presenters. I respect and grateful for you, your presentation, and your work.

The final day of Learning Forward Conference included two more workshops and brunch. I learned a tonne about professional learning from my morning workshop. From the presentation, planning and purpose matters with professional learning. The primary focus is student learning, thus professional learning plans start from here. Made 100% sense to me, but the narratives from each presenter revealed real challenges but also real success. I appreciated their presentation and lovely takeways. Thank you. You have given me several ideas on professional learning and planning.

The conference ends with brunch with my edu-buddy Rose Pillay, selfies with BC educators (and friends), and my last workshop with Douglas Reeves on “Finishing the Dissertation.” What can I say? I feel validated. In this workshop, each participant had to speak about their research, methodology, and post-dissertation intentions. Most of the participants were still in the conceptual beginnings of the dissertation process. Hello? I’ve been there and did that (many times over). Douglas provided some valuable formative feedback to each participant. Wise words. Loved it immensely. When I spoke, he said very little about mine (meaning, I think I’m on track).

Douglas: “Leave future research for later.” ME: Got it. Left it. Feeling validated.

Burning Question

I feel a blog coming on. This is so interesting. Now that I am not doing reflective journals for Educ 471 on my blog, I have the niggling feeling from within that motivates me to write. Of course inspiration comes when I am sitting in my car and on the ferry heading home. Classic. So what’s today’s blog topic? My dissertation.

I am returning home from being at a meeting in Vancouver and IGNITE35 session in Langley. I love hanging out with friends and I enjoy the pecha kucha style presentations at IGNITE. Go figure… all of my Educ 471 students had to do an IGNITE to demonstrate their learning. IGNITE35 presents speakers from the Langley School District and messages they want to share with us. Yes, IGNITE is “PD in a pub.”

At IGNITE35, there were three rounds of speakers. Between each round there is an opportunity to chat with others. I often think this informal chatter is the best professional learning. I have to opportunity to catch up with friends, discuss IGNITE presentations, and meet new people. I often learn the best things from people when the conversation is unplanned, informal, and strangely serendipitous.

Between one of the breaks, I was talking to my friend’s friend. She congratulated me on submitting my dissertation to my committee and asked me what my study was about. I hate talking about  my study. I get a little self-conscious. Who would be interested in what I’m interested in? To my surprise, when I do share, I find more often than not that people are engaged and interested. And yes, the question prompted another opportunity to practice my 2-minute edu-elevator pitch.

My friend’s friend follows up with a second question. “Why are you doing this? Are you doing it for fun?” Hmm… for fun? I would not say that the dissertation process has been “fun.” I guess on some level I have finally found some intrinsic satisfaction from engaging in my research and realized that the “goods external” has its limitations. So, my initial response was… “I believe I started the program for the wrong reasons.” She responded by saying that this was common.

Now nearing the end, I appreciate the process and understand the struggles and small victories serve a purpose. My supervisor asked me the same question a few years ago. At that time, I was stumped. He said that I could do this for the intrinsic good of it, but do I have goals such as continuing research, getting a job, or something like that. Sadly, I think the only way I can get through this process right now is for the “goods internal.” I trust that the goods external will come.

My dissertation has been an exceptional vehicle for me to understand myself more as a researcher, learner, and educational leader. The research and writing process has been a meta-experience, connecting my professional learning with what I was researching. THE BIG AHA. If I dig a little deeper, I had a question to answer. A burning question… It’s a question that I wanted to answer for almost 20 years.

It took time to disembed myself from my own beliefs and hurt feelings to see the problem from a researcher’s point of view. I sorted out my thoughts, had the right conversations and experiences, and allowed the data to speak to me. First, I am so surprised how much I enjoyed the data analysis process. The numbers tell a story… the story I’ve always wanted to tell as a narrative. I am happy and satisfied with my findings. Second, I hired an editor to help me with my grammar, flow, and clarity.

The best part about my editor, Audrey Owen, she is a friend and colleague. She is frank, candid, and to the point. She is also kind, generous, and detail oriented. I love all of these qualities. Furthermore, I trust her with my study. Many years ago, we completed our master degrees together on the Sunshine Coast in 2001. After our editing session, she reminded me that she remembered that this was a burning question for me during our program. She caught me off guard. I didn’t realize this.

Looking back further, I remember going to a principals meeting in my school district (in the 90s pre-masters) as a young mathematics teacher proposing to this group that elementary school teachers should learn more about mathematics before teaching mathematics. One principal piped up after my presentation and said, “Who would want to do that? Nobody.” That was a deal breaker and the conversation ended. Obviously, this is a burning question I continue to have. I’m not the only one. I found other people “out there” with similar questions, interests, and concerns.

So I guess if I had to answer my friend’s friend’s question again… “Why are you doing this?”… The answer is not for fun and I’m not doing it to get a job… even though they might be outcomes of this learning process. I have a question to answer. I’ve put many things aside (i.e. career, financial security, family life, etc.) to get this done. What is worth it? Yes it was. Would I do it again? Yes I would. I learned so much with the dissertation process and all of the experiences I have been fortunate to be a part of to build perspective and insight on professional learning, mathematics education, and the BC education system. I am very grateful. #ontheroadtocompletion