My speech to the Elphinstone Secondary Graduating Class of 2016 (revised) on behalf of the SD46 Board of Education
Good evening parents, guardians, staff, family, friends, and Graduating Class of 2016.
I am proud to be here tonight to share WITH YOU a few words on behalf of School District No.46 (Sunshine Coast) Board of Education.
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2016!!!
It’s been 13 years of schooling and here you are…
I cannot believe how fast TIME has flown by. It was not that long ago when you were just 5-years old getting ready your first day of school. Do you remember that??? Who was YOUR first teacher?
Can you remember that very moment when you were about 12 or 13 years old and you were DONE with elementary school?
I remember a time, about 5-years ago… when I WAS TALLER than Chris Norman (your valedictorian). Can you believe that??? I was taller!!!
Now, YOU are mature, young adults… and finished your Grade 12 year.
I had the privilege of working with Wyatt Henley at the board table this school year. He is one of TWO student trustees in the province.
It makes me proud to know that students like Wyatt and District Student Leadership Team represent SD46 students and student voice at the board table. I thank you ALL for your leadership and service.
So, what’s after high school graduation??? Some of you might travel… some might go to work… while others might go back to school.
One thing is for sure… you can say GOODBYE to block rotations, locker combinations, and slushie runs… and say HELLO to your future.
Tonight, I leave you with three of my favourite quotes:
The first quote is from Brene Brown: “Vulnerability is about having the courage to show up and be seen.”
The second quote is from Maya Angelou: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
The third quote is from Steve Jobs: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to TRUST that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
To summarize… Be yourself. Don’t be shy. Don’t second-guess. Just love what you do. You are the learner. There are no mistakes. Try and DO your best. Listen to yourself and your intuition. Don’t over plan or over think. And, take the first step… You never know unless you try.
On behalf of SD46 Board of Education… we honour you… we celebrate you… and, we congratulate you on your accomplishments.
We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
You make us PROUD!!!
Thank you.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, June 27th, 2016 | Comments Off on Elphinstone Grad 2016
It is so easy to focus on what went wrong or what needs to be done. Rarely do we take a moment to celebrate the little things. For example, I am absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of editing I am doing on my dissertation. I spent hours with my editor a few days ago discussing what needed to be changed and spent hours last night making revisions. I have underestimated the time it will take to get my work done. I have two more chapters to go. FYI: My dissertation is not a blog. Surprise!!! This seems obvious. I do not want to belittle my progress, but there is soooo much to do. As you can see, this blog has taken a quick spiral into the BLAH.
The brighter side of things… my course outline is posted on the SFU website. This tickles me pink. I also found my headshot as one of the faculty members at Saint Mark’s College. Moreover, I am facilitating summer institute workshops on BC’s New Curriculum at St. Mark’s College in July and with the Central Okanagan Teachers Association in August. Hmm… come to think of it… I am also presenting at the Canadian School Boards Association Congress in Winnipeg in a couple of weeks on a study that I am the research assistant of at SFU. Wow!!! That took a bit of effort to reflect and synthesize, but it’s the little things that matter. I am proud of my work.
Tonight, I am delivering a short speech to the graduating class of Elphinstone Secondary on behalf of the school board. It’s about HOPE. It’s about DREAMS. It’s about following your PASSION. To accomplish this, sometimes you have to take RISKS, question the STATUS QUO, and delve into the UNKNOWN to realize what’s really important to you. It’s a bumpy ride. Focus on the little things. They’ll guide you.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, June 27th, 2016 | Comments Off on The Little Things
“We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.” – Brene Brown
I was scrolling through pictures of myself on Facebook to find a photo when I felt like my “best self.” Here is one picture (I think). Look how young my daughter is. She was four years old, I was teaching at the high school, and I was at my ideal weight. Love the colour pink, and still do.
Of course… at 40-years old… I created a disruption. My daughter was 7 years old, I quit teaching, and I was not at my ideal weight. Not to rehash the past, but I was misaligned. I was not well, mentally and physically. I loved my job and students, but something had to change. I broke free and embarked on my pedagogical journey.
Teaching is a vulnerable occupation. I was reminded of this when I had a special opportunity to teach at SFU for one class. I wrote about this learning experience in my last blog entry, Identity and Integrity. I realized that teaching was what I was meant to do. I love teaching and learning. My purpose is finding ways to improve student learning and student success. I have done this as a teacher, school trustee, curriculum developer, workshop facilitator, math tutor, and parent volunteer.
This week, I have turned a corner. I am waking up. I am not sure what happened or is happening. My daughter is 13-years old (her last day of Grade 7 is today!!!), I will be teaching at SFU in the fall, and I am at my heaviest weight. Something is so right… and something is so wrong. I am awakened. I am meant to teach. I am a role model for my daughter. I am disconnected with myself. Something has to change… again.
Brene Brown’s quote resonates with me. Numbing. I would not change the last five years of my life. I have met some incredible people, and I have many mentors. I experienced things I would not have experienced had I stayed in the classroom. I continue to work on my dissertation (hopefully ending soon), and I am learning a tonne about myself, my learning, and my research. I have much to be grateful for, and I am. I can only imagine how I would feel if I was not numbing my emotions.
I cannot hide anymore. I am protecting myself from the pain and I am unable to fully experience the joy in my life to maximize my potential. I have to let go of my false beliefs, my stories, and my fear of judgement. I am done with pretending, procrastinating, and preventing. It’s time to jump in and accept the consequences. This is about Identity and Integrity… The Courage to Teach… the courage to be me.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, June 24th, 2016 | Comments Off on Reconnecting
SFU Educ 471 Class, Summer 2016, Small Group Discussion
After reading Chapter 1 of The Courage to Teach, the two words of “identity” and “integrity” repeatedly swirled in my brain for hours during my sleep. Why was this so important? I was preparing for a class I was going to teach at SFU. It was Education 471. Dr. Michelle Nilson asked me if I would be interested. I’ve never taught at SFU before, why not? I started to over think the lesson plan. It’s challenging to prepare a lesson for a crowd of strangers. It’s much like preparing for a workshop for teachers and nothing like teaching a Math 12 class. I had no context, no relationship with these students, and never subbed for an undergraduate class before.
After getting acquainted with SFU’s Canvas and Michelle’s course outline, I created my PowerPoint presentation. It looks very much like Michelle’s but I used a different template (oh snap). I did not want to disrupt Michelle’s momentum in the class, but I also wanted to make the most of my experience. With much thought and deliberation, I created the PowerPoint presentation that met my satisfaction but I was stuck on one slide… the Mini-Lesson. Was I suppose to WOW these undergrads with a list of citations about curriculum and teaching? I deliberated and thought that I should stay true to myself. I opted to give a few examples from my teaching practice and how it related to the reading and my research. Seemed appropriate.
Driving up to SFU, I had a few more moments to contemplate what and how I was going to teach. I thought about “pretending to be a professor” or “try to teach the class like Michelle.” Both options were misaligned to who I was and what the reading was all about. So once I found my parking spot, I changed one part of that PowerPoint slide to read “My Pedagogical Journey.” This is my story. I did not intend to tell the whole story, but I wanted to make myself vulnerable to the class and try to model what Chapter 1 – Identity and Integrity in Teaching was all about. I had to be myself.
First of all, the Educ 471 class was awesome. What a receptive group of students. Some are in the Faculty of Education and some are not. Michelle had nicely organized the class in such a short time that the students all knew what groups they were in, who was reporting out, and what was expected of them. For a substitute instructor, this was a DREAM. Second, I loved how the reading indicated that great mentors are not great mentors. There is something about us that made them great mentors. The reading delved into the appropriateness of the inner self in academia. Thus, the class was constructed that way. We delved in. Third, for great teachers to be great, they have to be vulnerable and relatable. They are connected with themselves, with others, and their subject area. Guess what? The same thing goes for the student.
We got to that aha. It opened my eyes in terms of my readiness as a learner. When am I ready to hear things? When am I ready to learn? What was it in me that makes mentors so great? I understand now. Thank you to Michelle’s Educ 471 students who showed me that. I loved listening to their stories and I hope they felt the same way about mine. The students were engaging, wholehearted, and honest. I realized at that moment I was meant to teach. I love teaching. Teaching Educ 471 was a serendipitous moment. I also realized that teaching comes in many forms. It could be in a K-12 classroom, a one-day workshop with teachers, an undergraduate or graduate class, a lecture, a presentation, a speech, a meeting, or in my writing. I am teaching.
Synonymous with teaching is learning. The terms are interchangeable. You cannot do one without the other. I feel that I am learning so much when I teach. Educ 471 was an excellent exemplar of that. When students said, “that teacher changed my trajectory”… “that teacher taught me that dreams are not meant to be dreams”… and “that teacher made me realize that I am creative… I am not alone.” Powerful words from these students. I did the reflection activities with the students as well and realized that great teachers are great because I was vulnerable, ready for change, and needed to be nudged by someone who was willing to do so. This was verified by Educ 471 with their stories. Thank you Educ 471. We shared a common experience.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, June 03rd, 2016 | 1 Comment »
I am so fortunate to win two FREE tickets to TEDxWestVancouverED. Check out the website. What an incredible line up of speakers who are RETHINKING EDUCATION. I cannot wait to hear how each of them “see the forest beyond the trees.” Right now, I am looking at the trees. There are a lot of trees and I’m stuck.
Yes, I am talking about my dissertation. I am ready to move forward but there is some unfinished business… like COMPLETION. At this point in time, I am working with an editor and waiting for some feedback. I am ready to revisit Chapter 1 (again) and I am reading some articles to substantiate my upcoming revisions.
What’s my PURPOSE? Hmm… It’s been so long, I need to revisit this. I am back to the SO WHAT of my dissertation. Wow. It is obviously a question I am not answering well and it’s an answer that I have been resisting for years. I am so invested in what I am researching, I have spent many hours separating myself from it. Now, I am called to question to answer this fateful question. Who cares? Why does this matter?
I am not sure how this is for others completing their doctorate, but I am not one to assume. The dissertation is digging deep into my psyche and heart to tell a story that I want to share. I struggle between what I want to share and what I think others want me to share. My mission right now is to find literature that support my views.
The writing process has always been a mystery to me. The more I know about it, the more complex it gets. I am never satisfied. I appreciated those who are willing to question and provoke me. Formative feedback is the only way to move forward. What is going well? What needs improvement? How can I get to the next step?
What I am loving the most about engaging in my dissertation are the lessons learned. What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses? What am I going to do about it? I am not worried about the oral defence. That is my strength. Another strength is data analysis. I enjoyed that process more than I had thought. I am more acquainted with Excel and descriptive statistics. I see the narrative through numbers. Data analysis was my favourite part. My mountain to climb is the academic writing process.
It’s going to happen. I am learning how to write academically so that I can get this dissertation done and move onto the next step. I am not alone on this journey. I will seek help where I can get it. I am so grateful I have good friends, a patient committee, and determined editor to help me out. I will see the forest again.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, May 24th, 2016 | Comments Off on Looking at the Trees
Awe. I love this photo. This is the first picture of our daughter on the day that she was born. She’s absolutely beautiful. I love her to bits. Let’s not talk about everything that led up to this special day. Morning sickness, excessive weight gain, and pre-diabetes symptoms are a few unexpected joys of my pregnancy. This is not to mention all of the wonderful experiences during childbirth.
I went to prenatal classes with my husband, but I had no idea what to expect when my water broke. What I can say is, it was messy, painful, and took longer than expected. My favourite memory of giving birth was… “you’re not trying”… “you have to go around the corner”… and “one more time.” Translation… I was not pushing hard enough, I did not pay attention to lesson 3 of pre-natal, and I had to endure many rounds of contractions without pushing. Furthermore, she was born one day later than I expected. So why am I telling you this? Giving birth was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. Writing my dissertation is a very close second. The learning experience is feeling ironically familiar and it might take longer than expected.
I have induced labor… on my dissertation. My first draft was completed, but I have recently learned that I have to “kick it up a notch” to get it to a place where it is defensible. Deep down inside, I knew that it needed a bit of work but having someone tell you that it needs editing, updating, and a bit more grit is much like the nurse who said to me, “you’re not trying (hard enough).” She had a good point. Mind you, when I did push harder, I felt like I made progress and bursted multiple blood vessels in both eyes. It was not a pretty scene, but the baby was born. I am willing to push… harder. Second realization, I do have a team of people supporting me to make my dissertation happen, but much like child birth, the only person who can make this happen is ME. No one else is pushing… but me. I have moments of wanting to give up and keep this ‘baby’ inside but that would be unreasonable. It’s gotta come out!
What will have I have to do to get this done? I have to endure some pain. I have to be vulnerable. And, I have to accept help from others. Giving birth to my dissertation, I will have to undergo several revisions. I am ready. Next, I have to be OK with the idea that I’m not the best academic writer. Reading and writing has been a lifelong fear, weakness, and personal limitation. The dissertation is calling this to question and I must face this deficit wholeheartedly and ‘get around the corner.’ I have made progress with my reading and writing, but I have to take blog writing into academic writing. In order to achieve this, I need to ask for help. The university has several services to offer and my supervising team can give some guidance, but I need to hire an editor: one to get me to my next draft and another to my final draft.
You can visit me in the maternity ward while I am in dissertation labour. I might be busy and don’t expect it to be pretty. It will be messy and painful. I am expecting plenty of rounds of contractions, lots of screaming, and multiple positions experienced to get this baby out. BTW: I did not have an epidural when I gave birth to my daughter. It was all natural with the help and support of many experts in the field. The dissertation will be the same. Giving birth will be a relief, an accomplishment, and joyful… knowing that this is not the end, but a new beginning. I look forward to life with my ‘new baby’ as Dr. Younghusband, but until then, let the labour begin.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, May 14th, 2016 | Comments Off on Giving Birth
As a parent, it is so easy to raise the bar high for your child with the intention of wanting the best for them. I think about my daughter Zoe. She is almost 13-years old and concluding her grade 7 year at elementary school. In no time, she will transform from a tweenager to TEENAGER and heading into high school in the fall. In preparation for this state of change in my child’s life, my husband and I have been scrolling through thousands of pictures of her so that we can send 4 to one of the parents as we embark on preparing for the Grade 7 School Leaving Ceremony.
Thank goodness for digital. We have so many fun pictures of Zoe from when she was a baby-bub, tumbly-toddler, and testy-tween. There are so many parts of her that has changed and will continue to change. There is so much of her that is the same. I love how we NAG her to do her homework, pick up their dishes and clothes, and take a bath (please). This is a right of passage for all parents… and not my favourite part. We also NAG her to do her best. We realize that she may not be the best volleyball player, the best basketball player, the best mountain biker, the best swimmer, the best softball player, or the best WHATEVER… but look at what she has done!!! She has done way more than me… and easily surpassed my husband and I by the age of 12.
I am so proud of my daughter. It’s not the time to dwell about how many A’s and B’s she got, the wins or losses, or number of ribbons she collects. She continues to try, she has fun with what she is doing, and she is able to put things into perspective. Yes, I still think that she is a tornado whirling around making a mess of my house and loses homework (and clothing) here and there. That’s besides the point. She is always willing to jump in. She is her toughest critic. Personally, I am her biggest fan and advocate. In my eyes, she’s a superstar and I can only hope to be just like her.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, May 05th, 2016 | Comments Off on Expectations
Yup. It’s my third blog of the day. There is nothing I like more than a HAT-TRICK of blogs. Blogging is a great way for me to get back into the writing mode. It’s also an excellent opportunity for me to reflect (in essence, “journal” with the world). Anyway, I also blog to engage in the practice of writing and hope that some of what I have to say resonates with someone out there who have the same lessons to learn as I do.
Today was a beautiful sunny day on the Sunshine Coast. It almost felt like summer but it’s only April. 1/3 of the “new year” is now complete. Where did the time go? Oh man… it’s time for a 2016 WORD REFRESHER. When I was in Prince Rupert on my 2-week spring break with my ‘little family’ in March… I totally forgot my 2016 word. I had to look it up. Thank goodness for blogs. Scroll back… ahhh yes, it’s ALIGNMENT.
What does the word ALIGNMENT mean to me? It means authenticity, feeling good, wholeheartedness, and being vulnerable. It also means doing what’s right for me. This would entail saying YES to some things and NO to others. Normally, I am a YES person. Unfortunately, I would have too much only my plate (some may not aligned to my purpose) and very little accomplished. This was a tough lesson to learn.
My purpose is education related… but what about education? I’m still figuring this out. Yes, I am a math educator, school trustee, and doctoral student. What do all of these things have in common? STUDENT LEARNING and STUDENT SUCCESS. That has always been my primary focus. Some may call this advocacy, others may call this teaching. For me, it’s finding a way to promote this in the best way I can.
For now, I am focused on my dissertation. It’s been an 8-year journey. Wow. I even hate saying that, but I know I’m not alone in saying this. I have always struggled with my reading and writing skills ever since I was a small child. I hate reading and writing. There. I said it. Admittedly, it’s not my favourite thing to do and I’m terrible at it. Can you hear my inside voice? So why not write a dissertation? Am I right?
Isn’t that what’s life is suppose to be about? Facing adversity… Learning life’s lessons… and doing something about it. Well, I never thought I would pass English 100… and I did. I never thought I would complete my degree in Chemistry… and I did. I never thought I would get into the Faculty of Education… and I did. I never thought I could complete a Master of Education degree… and I did. Do you see a pattern?
We can be so consumed by self-doubt and uncertainty that we can never realize what we are able to do. I never thought I would be accepted into the EdD program… and I was. I never thought I would pass the coursework… and I did. I never thought I would pass the comprehensive exam… and I did. It took me a whole year after I completed my comprehensive exam for me to say to others that I am an EdD candidate.
The pattern continues… I never thought that I would get my research question… I never thought that I would do quantitative research… and I never thought that I would find anything interesting in my research that would add anything to the discipline. Boy, was I wrong AGAIN. Maybe my pedagogical journey is about proving myself wrong. That seems purposeful. Apparently, I am doing a great job at it.
Each day I am reminded of my 2016 word and my job is to recognize it and seize the opportunity. What I know for sure is… I have to believe in myself. I was reminded of this at #Edvent2016 with the last speaker. His story was absolutely amazing and all it took was the words of one individual (his daughter) who believed in him. That’s all it took. “Yes you can, Dad” motivated him to move forward and do the impossible.
I really get that. Right now, my supervisor is my cheerleader. I know that I have many cheerleaders and I am grateful, but for some reason the encouragement and patience from my supervisor seems to make all the difference for me. “Awesome”… “great job”… and “excellent” add fuel to my fire. Also, working with him as his research assistant also boosts my self-confidence and sense of self-efficacy. I can do it.
Now, I am at Chapter 5. I never thought this was possible, yet here I am. One step at a time… the willingness to try… accepting feedback… and feeling validated moves me forward. I am thankful for where I am. I never thought that I would be where I am today. ALIGNMENT. I am on the right track. I love what I am doing. And, I trust that I will finish my dissertation and defend this summer in preparation for what’s next.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 18th, 2016 | Comments Off on Word Refresher
Wow… the BCSTA (BC School Trustees’ Association) AGM has ended and it’s time for me to get back to writing mode, parenting, and all that I do that is edu-related. THANK YOU to all those who had supported me at the BCSTA AGM. I am so honoured to represent you all again as BCSTA Board of Director. And, thank you to all those who put their names forward. This is not an easy thing to do… putting yourself out there amongst your peers with hopes of appealing to them and representing them at the provincial table. I have a high regard for those who have the will, love, and intention to advocate for BC public education… and even more so for those who put their names forward for the Board of Directors annual election. I look forward to working with the 2016/17 BCSTA Board of Directors as we head towards the provincial election next year in May and making BC Public Education a priority.
The BCSTA AGM 2016 was a success. The opening keynote with Samantha Nutt and ending with deliberation at the AGM. BCSTA is a member-driven organization and the Board of Directors seek direction from it’s members from motions from AGM and Provincial Council, but also from its members directly. I love the diversity of our 2016/17 board but also continuity of many of the board members returning from the 2015/16 board. I was absolutely surprised that the board of directors were elected with only ONE BALLOT. Normally, this would take 3 to 7 rounds of ballots. This sent a message to me that it was very clear to the assembly who they had wanted on the 2016/17 board of directors. However, this blog is about SUCCESS STORIES.
First I would like to mention Gloria Jackson who topped the polls this weekend. She was nominated from the floor by her colleagues from the BCSTA Aboriginal Education Committee. She is the outgoing chair of the Aboriginal Education Committee. I loved how her colleagues from this committee nominated her, supported her, and introduced her to everyone in their network during AGM. It was amazing to see how membership can wield a particular outcome. Coming from the floor, Gloria handled the Candidates Forum and 3-minute speech beautifully. I appreciated the support from her family (AKA. BCSTA Aboriginal Education Committee), I enjoyed working with her as a member from the BCSTA Education Committee, and I look forward to working with her this coming year on the 2016/17 board of directors.
Second, I would like to mention Stephanie Higginson who placed a close second in the polls. She too was nominated from the floor last year at AGM. She is a grassroots advocate and has been an excellent addition to the 2015/16 board of directors. I much enjoy her passion and motivation to activate. Stephanie is also an educator and academic who has invested her time as school trustee, public education advocate, and parent of her two little boys. She did exceptional at the AGM as well and delighted to see that members welcomed her return. To follow up, Alan Chell is a stable pillar to BCSTA and I appreciate his knowledge, expertise, and clarity. Both Stephanie and Alan are a pleasure to work with on the board. Then, Donna Sargent and myself round out the 2016/17 board of directors. Thank you to all those who provided me with feedback and encouragement. It’s going to be a great year.
Third, I would like to mention school trustees. Admittedly, I was not campaigning as much as I should have during the AGM as I would rather connect with individual trustees, to get to know them better, and gain a deeper understanding of what is. There is always a story behind what we see and sometimes this cannot be established without taking a moment to get to know person and figure out what is motivating a person (or board) to do what they do. I am also curious as to why people become school trustees. Some trustees are former educators while others come from PAC (parent advisory councils). After the election and AGM, I took the opportunity to hang out with some trustees after hours at the pub. This is a great way to connect with trustees without worrying about speeches, campaigning, or making an impression on others. I am grateful that some trustees are willing to chat about their school districts with pride, but also share some personal stories about themselves.
There are two trustees I would like to mention without mentioning their names. I feel connected to these two and wanted to know more about them. I have great respect for both of these trustees. They have so much to bring to their boards of education. They are both parents, but not former educators or PAC members. They are community members with a vested interest in public education. I love their authentic nature, expertise and knowledge of their communities and work, and contribution to public education. They are both kind and generous… and apolitical. They are just fun to be around with. I feel very fortunate that they shared a few stories about themselves. They talked about their childhood, schooling, and where they are today.
As much as I thought I had much in common with these two, after listening to some of their stories I felt that I had nothing in common. I felt uneasy about sharing my stories because they are nothing like their lived experiences. These two had vulnerable home lives as children, a grade 12 education, and few fond memories of their K-12 experience. Yet, these two are the nicest people, extremely successful professionally, family-oriented, and wholehearted in the truest sense. And, they think that I am much younger than I truly am. This is a good thing. What we do have in common is our love and devotion to BC public education, governance, and doing what’s best for our students. I am aligned to these two, as well as many others.
I appreciate these success stories. We all want to make a difference in BC public education. Thank you for the time together… as well to all those I had the chance to HUG and converse with during AGM. We’re doing great work. Keep it up!!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 18th, 2016 | Comments Off on Success Stories
Professional learning is taking a new direction for educators. It’s going beyond professional development days and conferences to find inspiration from our peers. The first one I would like to mention are Edcamps. Edcamps are grassroots professional learning opportunities where where participants vote with their two feet, topics are derived from those who are attending the event, and topics chosen that morning are led by those who propose them. The host helps facilitate this professional learning with conference structure, facilities, and technological & pedagogical expertise. For example, I just missed Edcamp35 this weekend. Edcamps are usually held on Saturdays and a great way to meet your PLN face-to-face (F2F).
Another avenue of professional learning is IGNITE. This is where presenters tell a story in 20 slides and 5 minutes. It’s much like a Pecha Kucha. Here’s a Storify documenting a recent IGNITE session held in New Westminster, #SD40IGNITE. I totally missed this one. It SOLD OUT before I even found out about it on Twitter. This is a good problem to have. I would encourage anyone who has a story to share to inspire others to apply to speak… or facilitate an IGNITE session. This is an awesome opportunity for educators to share their stories, make connections, and meet your PLN F2F (once again). Lots of cheering, celebrating, and collaborating. These events are held in the comforts of a pub or restaurant on a weekday during the evening. If you hear of one, sign up for one and check out an IGNITE in your area.
The last type of professional learning I would like to mention is Edvent… it’s much like IGNITE, but no slides. Using a PowerPoint was optional, but this Edvent emphasized the storytelling aspect of sharing stories versus powering through 20 slides in 5 minutes. Last week, I attended #Edvent2016 in Burnaby. Here, I was soooooo inspired. First, I met Craig Mah (@craigmah) whom I co-moderate #bcedchat with 8 others. We have never met F2F but love working with this guy. It tells you how technology can bring people together. Second, I loved listening to people’s stories and their message. I was so inspired by the final speaker who shared his edu-journey of being embarrassed in school as a young child and hating it, to succeeding as a rugby player, injuring oneself to never run again, and rebuilding oneself to be a extreme marathon runner. Wow. There are no limitations when someone believes in you and YOU believe in yourself. Finally, Edvent also served as a reunion where I can meet my PLN F2F. Loved reconnecting with @KLirenman, @RosePillay1, @JKwasnicki, @GabrielPillay1, and @CraigMah to name a few… but also meeting new people.
Any opportunity where we can CELEBRATE EDUCATION, share our stories, and celebrate each other is a great way to inspire others as a way to motivate professional learning. Preparing for these events offer educators an exceptional opportunity to reflect on their practice and think about ways to convey one or two ideas about their practice to inspire others or validate them. For those facilitating the events, it’s an excellent opportunity to create a framework of possibilities for educators to connect and learn from each other. For participants, it’s just super fun to learn. Thank you to all those who are participating, facilitating, or presenting at these events. It is super awesome and YOU ARE EDU-AWESOME. #professionallearning
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, April 18th, 2016 | 1 Comment »
It is so easy to focus on what went wrong or what needs to be done. Rarely do we take a moment to celebrate the little things. For example, I am absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of editing I am doing on my dissertation. I spent hours with my editor a few days ago discussing what needed to be changed and spent hours last night making revisions. I have underestimated the time it will take to get my work done. I have two more chapters to go. FYI: My dissertation is not a blog. Surprise!!! This seems obvious. I do not want to belittle my progress, but there is soooo much to do. As you can see, this blog has taken a quick spiral into the BLAH.
“We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.” – Brene Brown
Awe. I love this photo. This is the first picture of our daughter on the day that she was born. She’s absolutely beautiful. I love her to bits. Let’s not talk about everything that led up to this special day. Morning sickness, excessive weight gain, and pre-diabetes symptoms are a few unexpected joys of my pregnancy. This is not to mention all of the wonderful experiences during childbirth.
