Christine Ho Younghusband

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

Saying Goodbye – Week 12

Aw… saying goodbye is not easy to do. We just had our last class together. The summative journals are rolling in and they still have a curriculum project to write and send. Aside from that, all of the participation activities are complete and all IGNITE presentations done. The course is complete… with a mound of marking to do soon. I look forward to reading what each of them had to say. We personalized learning in this class in light of BC’s New Curriculum. We focused on curricular and core competencies and used curriculum development as course content. Brilliant.

What an incredible group of students. We had accomplished what I had hoped to accomplish and more. These students exceeded my expectations time and time again. They explored what was important to them in the context of curriculum development. They reflected on their lived experiences as learners and shared those experiences as teachers. I walk away from this class richer and wiser. They have enlightened me and taught me what is possible. I said to many of my students tonight, us coming together in Educ 471 was serendipitous. We were all interconnected and co-contributors to this course. How lucky am I?

Even the photo was inspired by my students. They thought I should be in the picture as well and one of my students started asking me technology questions and why wasn’t I doing it. Hmm… Why not a selfie? That seemed more inline with my current understandings. It turned out pretty good, I must say… unlike the “crazy” photo I asked them to take. If you follow me on Twitter @ChristineYH, I posted a “before and after” photo. We took a serious planned pose and a “crazy” pose. Well, after weeks of talking about creativity and critical thinking… we were not that crazy after all.

All I can say is… thank you, thank you, thank you. I wanted to hug everybody. It got weird sometimes. Some students seemed like he/she wanted to hug, but didn’t. I hugged some students that did really seem to want to be hugged. And, I hugged many where it was definitely mutual. I wished I could have had this class all school year. I was just starting to get to know each of them, their strengths, and their interests. I wish them all the best in their future endeavours. Not all of these students are education bound. Many are in economics and the humanities. Nonetheless, I hope they have a better understanding of education and curriculum development.

This will be my last blog in this series. Not only am I say goodbye to my students, but I am saying goodbye to this blog series and teaching up at SFU (for now). I did not post the 13 week blog reflections of Educ 471. I might post this one. You can certainly read the rest of them by scrolling back. Sigh… I guess that’s it. I had wanted to tell my students that I had finished my final draft of my dissertation before class started today. I had a few unexpected hiccups (as I was working my car in the parking lot), but I did manage to finish the current draft of my dissertation, which I just sent to my committee to review less than an hour ago. Woohoo!!! Yay, I did it. If any of my students read my blog (and I know some of you do)… it’s done!!!

ULTIMATE REFLECTION: One of the best teaching/learning experiences ever!!!

Numbers Dropping – Week 11

One week left of classes and attendance is noticeably down. I mean, there are a handful to students absent due to various reasons, but it is a bit disappointing. I understand that students have to make choices. Students who were in my class candidly shared that information with me. Reassuring on the one hand but aggravating on the other. It’s the end of the term and students budgeting their time to get papers done and study for tests. I get that. If grades are driving the learning-train, then students are going to act accordingly to get the grades.

Stepping away from this rain cloud was the awesome IGNITE presentations and this final reading reflection. This student was signed up to do her reading reflection today and she was late to class because she got a flat tire on the way to school. Instead of giving up or postponing her reading reflection, she sent me an email to reassure me that she was still coming to class and that she might be late. During our break, she arrived. Wow. I was so impressed by her determination to come to class and readiness to present. She opted to present after the IGNITE presentations.

I would call her “the closer.” That was so bold to want to end the class with her reading reflection. What surprised me more was that she made a PowerPoint presentation for her reading reflection (she was one of two in my class of 35). What made the presentation more impressive was that the article was nothing like what she had expected (based on the title). She was disappointed and expressed that disappointment during her presentation. As a result, she delved into the article with additional research to gain a deeper understanding of “Leading from the Middle.”

She held the class for about 20 minutes. I was engaged.  She pretty much hit the major points of the public education system and roles of each level of governance or government had in curriculum development. She found examples of top-down curriculum development and bottom-up examples. She got it. Her presentation was compelling and she ends her presentation/reading reflection questioning whether or not if it would be appropriate to lead from the middle in the context of curriculum development. Wow. She left me speechless. Good question. Great presentation.

Yes… I can dwell on a few missing students… or I can relish in the awesome work students are doing in this class. The student presentations were excellent and students are already handing in assignments early (even though they asked for an extension for another assignment that’s due). I appreciate student voice and advocacy. Yes, I completely understand their situation and yes, I gave an extension. I am so grateful that my students are willing to ask. I am truly honoured.

Going Meta – Week 10

A deep sigh… only a few more weeks left of Educ 471 and I am stoked about how these students receive feedback, respond to feedback, and provide feedback. We have been working on developing and selecting curricular competencies to be evaluated on. We spend class time discussing assessment and their assessment to ensure that we all have a shared understanding but also ensure that there are no surprises. They have a lot of say in their assessment and evaluation process as we had embedded it as part of our curriculum development in our curriculum development course. We’re thinking about our thinking. We’re going meta.

One conversation caught my attention… and yes, it was about assessment and evaluation. We are fast approaching the end of our course and it is of great importance to me and my students that we are clear about expectations and evaluation framework. One of the final assignments is called the SUMMATIVE JOURNAL ENTRY. We’ve been journalling each week through out the course and from our entries, which reflect what we have learned and thought, we would write a final journal entry to conclude the course and their big ideas from the course.

One student had their computer ‘destroyed’ during the course and lost all of their journal entries to date. This is devistating as I love listening to the 10 minutes of click-clacking during the class when we have a moment to reflect on our learning. This student’s intentin was to rewrite all the the journal entries lost becaused I had asked the students at the beginning of the course to hand in their draft journal entries along with their Summative Journal Entry. This student was going to comply but last class seemed overwhelmed by the task. I would be too.

The most interesting part of this conversation for me was that this Summative Journal Entry was the only document I was going to assess and evaluate. The draft journal entries was only for accountability. I know that this student lost their journal entries in their ‘destroyed’ computer and this person had to buy another one. Then, this student had full-intentions of rewriting them so that they could “comply to the rules,” which in hindsight made no sense when I was only going to mark the Summative Journal. I had to rethink about what I was doing.

Luckily, there was another student listening in to the conversation. Here comes student voice… this student offers a solution. Why not cite date, source, thought as part of the Summative Journal instead of handing in all 10-12 weeks of entries? Why not. Great idea. Not everyone in the class was click-clacking away during class and everyone has a different way of processing their thoughts and reflecting. This was a win-win solution. Remember (to self) we only evaluate what we value. It was the big ideas or “take aways” from the course that mattered to me, not the compliance of journal writing, even though this is an integral part of the assignment.

I love how this class gets me thinking about my thinking and I love how they are spending their time thinking about their thinking. There are parts of this course I would redo or improve on for the next time… no question. This is my first time teaching at SFU as a sessional and I appreciate the students’ insight on what works and doesn’t work. They have come a long way and I’m so proud of the work they are accomplishing. Students keep me humble. BTW: they did great on the third round of curricular competency development. #thumbsup