Christine Ho Younghusband

Expressing Gratitude

Ahh yes… it’s Labour Day… aka. the last day of summer and it’s back to school tomorrow for my daughter… and back to a weekly routine for me. Well, I say that. I’m not sure what this will look like. It’s been 2.5 weeks since I’ve defended my dissertation and 2-weeks since my final draft of my dissertation as approved and submitted into the SFU Library. For the past 7-years, I have not had a “regular weekly schedule.” My husband would say… it was UNPREDICTABLE. I should have gone on holidays or camping post-dissertation, but I spent the last 2-weeks mulling over what’s next and transitioning back into regular life.

I am left with a lot of questions post-dissertation. I wrote The Other Side and Put In My Place in the past 2-weeks to reflect on where I came from to figure out where I am going. I did find a clue. I started to get “organized” for the new school year. I spent time on my September 2017 calendar and what I need to do and accomplish. I was overwhelmed with gratitude when I spent some time preparing for my first class at SFU. I’m teaching EDUC471 (Curriculum Development: Theory and Practice) again in the fall. I taught this course last year and feel very fortunate to returning back to SFU as a sessional instructor. I love imagining what this class could look like and getting the chance to facilitate it. I love the creativity and what I will learn en route. Also, I can make the course better.

Another clue came in an email. Someone read my #EDUC454D100 tweets and contacted me to see if I would present to her class in the SFU PDP program. I taught EDUC454 (Quantitative Approaches to Environmental Education) last term and LOVED IT. I loved it so much that I blogged about it every week, just like I did with EDUC471. What I am asked to present about is how I taught the course, which included place-based learning, Indigenous Education, and mathematics. I feel honoured, but truth… I wanted to play with the principles of BC’s New Curriculum and EDUC454 gave me the opportunity to learn about the curriculum’s potential. Now, I am asked to share what I have learned.

I am so happy to be back in the classroom, albeit at the university, but I love connecting with students and learning something new. I love the challenge of teaching content in a comprehensible way and provoking students to ask good questions about what they are learning. It’s way too fun for me. I love that I have the chance to learn with my students during the course and they are willing to learn with me. Moreover, I love that I get to continue my relationships after the course ends. Thank goodness for social media.

I believe in serendipity and things happen for a reason. Here’s an opportunity. Instead of feeling burdened by what’s next, I can reframe the question to what do I want to learn. First, I want to learn how to complete a research study that is not a dissertation. Second, I want to learn how to make a research poster and present it. Third, I want to learn how to write an academic article and publish it. Finally, I want to learn how to write a book. I love learning and I love learning from what I want to learn. Hmm… this is telling.

Put In My Place

A couple of weeks between post-dissertation and start of the school year, I had some time to reflect on where I came from, where I am, and where I want to go. What I have realized is, I have not skewed too far from where I’ve come from and I fully intend to move forward accordingly. I am reminded of a few memories from my teaching career that paved the road ahead of me, whether if I knew it or not. Looking back, the vision is clear.

I was put in my place early in my teaching career. I was teaching a few years in the math department and part of the curriculum implementation team. At the time, I was deeply concerned about math education and students coming into Grade 8. I was given an opportunity to talk to the school principals during one of their monthly meetings as a guest speaker. Let’s talk math, right? Wrong! I suggested to this group that one way to improve student achievement in mathematics was to teach elementary teachers mathematics. One school principal quickly responded by saying, “Who would want to do that? Nobody.” That was a quick end to that conversation and I was put in my place. Who in their right mind would want to learn more about mathematics? <<rhetorical question>>

As a result, I thought I was wrong. Who am I to think that elementary school teachers would benefit from learning mathematics? Shall we assume that all teachers are prepared to teach what they are assigned to teach? I know for me, that was not the case. I was not prepared to teach Keyboarding 9, but taught it anyway. I was not prepared to teach Biology 8 or Earth Science 11 even though I am a trained secondary science and mathematics teacher. Yes, you just get by and hope for the best, but was I prepared? Of course not… but I had to learn the subject matter on the job and develop subject specific pedagogy that would/could reach all students.

If you are a pattern seeker like me, I wondered how often I was put in my place. I recall another defining moment when I was taking my Masters Degree more than 15 years ago. At the time, I was feeling overwhelmed because I was doing coursework, teaching full-time, and sponsor teacher of the yearbook club. There were other events happening during that time that may have affected my performance but I was pulled aside by the school principal who basically told me that I was underperforming and I should drop out of my Masters program. I was devastated. Later, the school principal did say (with my staff rep present) that I was performing at a “satisfactory” level. I consulted with my Masters cohort instructors and cohort about the situation and they said to quit yearbook club instead. I hated doing it but that’s what I did.

I am so thankful that I completed my Masters degree. It helped me to dig deeper into my practice, question my practice, and make sense of teaching and learning. I was reminded by a former classmate, colleague, and friend… but also one of my editors for my dissertation… that I had always wanted to improve mathematics education. After she read my early, early draft of my dissertation, she said that she remembered me talking about this topic during our Masters program. In my MEd comprehensive paper, I wanted to create a learning community where students, teachers, and subject specialists could gather together to talk about math. I am so very grateful that my friend reminded me of this. She brought my purpose back to consciousness.

I had always felt like I was putting my job on the line when I wanted to “step out of the box” to benefit student learning and make mathematics exciting. I remember later in my teaching career in public schools that I used to do a collaborative, summative review game for Math 12 and we played in the foyer of the school. I wanted everyone in the school to get involved and get excited about mathematics. We had math-teams, daily updates, and created a lot of hype for the summative review game. Why not? Math is fun. Math is for everybody. Math is everywhere. Well… I was put in my place again. The white wall in the foyer transformed into something else and I was put back into my classroom to play. Regardless of advocacy or approach, I was told by my school principal, “You don’t have the big picture. I do.” Well, it just wasn’t the same.

A long story made short, I left teaching in public schools 7-years ago. My classes were going great at the time and I loved my students, but I opted to leave to complete my dissertation. So, I end this blog entry with my dissertation defence. Looking back now, every action I took has been in light of my purpose. My writing, my teaching, and my learning have all been designed to take me to the next step. I realize now, for example, that my interest in assessment had nothing to do with assessment itself, but had everything to do with the teaching and learning of mathematics. My purpose continues with my dissertation and at the end of my oral defence I was put in my place again. In short, I was told not be be limited by my perceived role(s). I have an important message to share. Change will occur one person at a time. So, do it.

How can you not be inspired? 20-years later I feel validated. My purpose is clear. I am reminded of it when I see articles on line like these (see below) on social media and when I work with students. Things need to change and it’s bigger than ‘new math’ pedagogy. If we really want to see change in mathematics education and want our students to succeed in mathematics as life-long learners, then we need to get to the heart of the problem… and dig deep. What I know for sure is, I can’t teach something I know very little about… at least not well. Try imagining what it would be like to learn from someone who knows very little about what they are teaching. It’s a struggle.

From the CBC: Just fix the bloody math curriculum

From the Globe and Mail: In the battle of old versus new ways of teaching math

My dissertation/abstract

For those who are interested in reading my dissertation, please see link below.

The Professional Learning Experiences of Non-Mathematics Subject
Specialist Teachers: A Descriptive Study (Ho Younghusband, 2017)

https://theses.lib.sfu.ca/thesis/etd10292

The Other Side

I believe I have posted this photo before. I’ve just cleaned out my office… post-dissertation. Not a lot of garbage, but lots of recycling. It took me all day to sort through my stuff, dust, and move the furniture around. I was trying to keep with the ideals of KonMari… to create a working and learning space that would foster JOY. Many things remained the same in my office, but I definitely made room for my “new” degree to go on the wall and there is less clutter on my desk, shelves, and floor.

This feels good to have my office in working order. Clear the clutter and clear the mind. It was an excellent process and I would highly encourage others to do the same, particularly if/when you have completed a dissertation. You don’t realized where you were until you see and hold artifacts of where you were. It’s weird because I believe my dissertation is straightforward. What I realized post-purge is, it was not.

That’s why I think this picture is perfect for this blog post. It’s messy, but this “artifact” was a turning point in my doctoral journey. At this time, I had collected my data and done some analysis, but had to put it all together. It was that day when I found out that my father-in-law passed away. I was out of town in Vancouver at a conference and my husband was back in my hometown with his family. That night, I stayed in my hotel room and doodled my dissertation together… although it may not seem like it.

I am grateful for artifacts like this. It keeps me humble. I may have purged much of what I had that led up to my final draft of my dissertation, but I did keep a few artifacts around to remind me of the journey to get where I am. Now, I am faced with another mess… “So, what are you going to do now, Christine?” There is no end point to any journey. If you’re done one thing, it’s common to here… so what’s next?

It’s been 9-years since I was working on my dissertation. 2-years of course work, 3-years of figuring out my WHY and my research question, and 4-years to complete my dissertation. It’s shocking to think about how long I was working on this, but it’s also amazing to think about what I have learned. I would not trade that in for anything. My dissertation brought me solace, my Oral Defence was validating, and my desire to write a book on Math Stories is aligned to my purpose and part of my next steps.

Thinking about what I would do next was a distractor for me during the dissertation process. I had to come to terms with my purpose at the time, which was to answer my research question. Now that I am on the other side, I need to consider my options and opportunities. I did apply to several places prior to my oral defence. At that time, I was looking at opportunity. What I should be looking for is ALIGNMENT… which is ironically the title of my upcoming TEDxWestVancouverEd talk this September.

I definitely want to teach. I love the creative process in teaching and orchestrating ways to facilitate learning. I definitely want to write and publish articles to hone my writing skills but also honour my research and share some of my findings with others. I definitely want freedom and flexibility. I would love to continue with research and how it connects to practice. I have a few tasks to complete this fall and would love to partake in research and implement recommendations as it relates to my research.

So, I’m back in the mess again… what will I do next? I did not know it, but when I look at the direction I am heading towards… it’s research, public speaking, and teaching. There is no question that EDUCATION is at the heart of what I do, but I have to true to myself. When I left teaching almost 7-years ago, that was my first inkling that I did not want to be a school principal anymore. I wanted to be a school principal for many years. It’s was a turning point in my career in public schools and future trajectory.

Truth, I don’t need to be the leader in name or position. I have no desire to, as proven in previous experiences and decisions. Being the president, the head of something, or organizational leader is not my main motivator. Teaching and learning motivate me. Enhancing student learning experiences (and my own) captures my attention. Asking questions, creating something new, and playing are the best aspects of what I do. I lead from within and I know things can be better for students. We just have to try.

I will end my blog entry today with a serendipitous experience I had not too long ago. I had posted my “dissertation completion” on my Facebook account (again) and one of my former Math 12 students liked my post. Classic cyberstalking, I checked his Facebook account to see what he was up to. He’s an engineer working in Alaska. Wow. I was touched that he liked my post (as I am when any of my former students reconnect with me on social media). That same day, I was heading into Vancouver via transit to visit my parents. Who do I see on the bus? This student. Soooo crazy!!!

I’m thinking he’s in Alaska… not on the West Vancouver Blue Bus. He tapped me on the shoulder and said hello… “I thought it was you… your bookmark gave you away.” I was re-reading George Couros’s “The Innovator’s Mindset” with a geometry set 60-30 right triangle ruler as my bookmark. We chatted about my dissertation, former students, and what he was up to. Of course, we ended our conversation with… “So, what are you going to do next?” I said, I’m not sure… maybe this, maybe that.

He said, “You have better ways to spend your time. You’re a doctor now. You should be screaming on top of the mountain.” I like that metaphor and I was so inspired that my former student can see the potential in me and my work. He we so supportive of me writing and publishing. I’m sure that he will hold me to task on getting published. That is my short term plan… complete another study, write some articles to publish, and present at conferences. I hope my long term plan is aligned to this as well.

Math Stories

What does inspired action look like? I have always wondered, but now I have come to understand that it’s exactly what it says, INSPIRED ACTION. Here is a photo of me and my Senior Supervisor Dr. Daniel Laitsch from the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. This photo was taken of us soon after my oral examination for my Doctor of Education degree (August 17, 2017). I passed with minor revisions and submitted those revisions the day after my defence (August 18, 2017). Only a few days later, my revisions were approved by the senior supervisor and I submitted my dissertation to the SFU library on the day of the solar eclipse (August 21, 2017). Coincidence? I think not.

I realize that I am “building the plane in the air” with this blog entry or STORY, but that’s what this page of my website is all about. I was taken aback at the end of my oral defence when Dan said to me… that it’s my job to “speak truth to power” and not be limited by what I perceive as my role or roles to be in education. The examining committee concurred and emphasized that I have an important message to share with others. Wow. If that was not a pivotal moment in my PEDAGOGICAL JOURNEY, then I don’t know what is. My dissertation brought me SOLACE. I answered a research question I pondered about for more than 20 years. My oral defence brought me VALIDATION. I did not realize the importance of my research until after my oral defence and my colleagues in the audience called me to action. It’s time for the next chapter of my pedagogical journey… I have decided to write a book (aka. PURPOSE).

This will be a compliment to my Doctor of Education dissertation research, “The Professional Learning Experiences of Non-Mathematics Subject Specialist Teachers: A Descriptive Study.” It will take the qualitative approach to descriptive research where I want you hear YOUR MATH STORY. What’s your math story? It’s something that you remember so vividly in your formative years (aka. Grades K to 12… or possibly university) about mathematics, mathematics instruction, and your math efficacy. I’ve heard many stories as a mathematics educator ranging from “I was born that way” and “I can’t do it” to chatting with a clerk in a clothing store who purges her Grade 4 math experience to me and a colleague after you disclose that you’re a math teacher. Many of these “math stories” are not positive ones and often they guide our future decisions on what we can or cannot do. If you would like to participate, then email me YOUR MATH STORY to mathstories888@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

Submitting your math story:

1. Tell me a little about yourself. This may be embedded in your story.
2. Describe YOUR MATH STORY. Take as long as you need to write this.
3. Send your story to mathstories888@gmail.com. I will follow up after.

Oral Defence

Good grief. Look at those tan lines!!! That was one thing I did not plan out that well… and I expected that the room would have been a bit cooler with air conditioning. I was soooo warm that day. I could not wear my purple scarf, as you see below, to HIDE my freaking tan lines. I digress. Photo creds to my sister (top photo) and husband (bottom photo). Thank goodness someone was taking pictures. I missed a few selfie opportunities. DAMN. I did not realize it until well after my oral defence. I guess I had my mind on something else. Oh ya… my oral examination and degree completion.

What was sooooo exciting for me was who attended my oral defence. Two of my classmates, Carey and Marian, were there. They have been by my side right until this day. A former Chatelech student, Sabrina, was there. That was super nice and unexpected. My friend and former trustee colleague Wendy was there (and asked a killer “call to action” question at the end of my defence… thank you!). My friend and #bcedchat co-mod Kat was there with her friend (who are both in the EdD program now at SFU and Kat asked a follow up killer “call to action” question too… thank you!). My former instructor Fred was there (his brother was my external examiner). And, my sister, dad, and husband were there. Yes… they were representing the family.

As you can see in the photo above… it’s me, my tan lines, and my examining committee. From left to right it’s Dr. Bruce Beairsto (Chair), Dr. Robin Brayne (Member), Dr. Daniel Laitsch (Senior Supervisor), and Dr. Patrick Renihan (External Examiner). At the last minute my Internal Examiner, Dr. Michael Ling, was unable to attend the oral defence but sent in his comments and questions for the chair to read. That was super nice… Michael taught me in the summer of my Master of Education program at SFU in 2000. Wow. That’s awhile ago… sheesh. Anyway, an awesome examining committee and it was important for me to set the tone for the oral examination. I did not want to be TOO serious because that would make me TOO nervous. I was me… and it you know me… it was light, succinct, and FUN.

I practiced my oral presentation the night before… alone… in my hotel room. My husband insisted that I get a hotel room for a couple of nights… to prepare and to celebrate. I was reluctant at first but it was the best thing I did in preparation for my defence. I rehearsed my oral presentation until I had it memorized and under 20 minutes. That was a lot of ME listening to ME. I had notes to refer to, if needed, but the goal was to have it memorized. I did not get my oral presentation memorized and under 20 minutes until the next morning at 8am. I got it to 18.5 minutes… with very little pausing or breathing. My exam was at 9:30am and I had to get a Starbucks.

Ha, ha. You can see my Starbucks (triple grande non-fat latte) on the table. I like that. I made it to the University and found parking, no problem. I had a tonne of stuff to carry but managed to get my latte and make it to my room with plenty of time to set up. Thank goodness for Carey and Kat for helping me set up the tech and my sister and Irene (from SFU) to set up the tables. One by one, members of the examining committee came in and sat down… and we were ready to go at 9:29 am. So, we started early. With a quick introduction by the chair regarding process and outcomes, I delved into my oral presentation. It was going pretty well. A few stumbles here and there, but I referred to my notes. When I started to read, I stumbled more… and stopped that ASAP so that I can meet my time limit. The chair informed me after my presentation that I finished it under 18.5 minutes. BOOM. A great start to the exam…

I stood for my oral presentation… and sat down for questions. I distributed handouts for the audience and had my note pad in front of me, just in case I needed it. I wished that I had recorded the oral examination to hear their comments again. They were all good… but sometimes when you are in a certain headspace, you can’t receive all of the messages that were given to you. That’s why I am so glad to have Michael Ling’s notes as a keepsake. It’s about as close to a record to the event that I have. Post-presentation, the candidate fields two rounds of questions from the examining committee. It was sooooo strange… great questions… few I had anticipated… but I answered them all to the best of my ability. I was totally authentic. I gave answers that reflected my research but also my professional experience. IT WAS AMAZING.

I loved my questions… and I believe they liked my answers. I did not hesitate on any of the questions… and it really felt like more of a conversation about my research rather than an examination. I LOVED IT. It took many days and hours to prepare for the oral examination… an UNDERESTIMATION (again) on what it took to get it “just right” but I’m so glad that I figured that out and invested the time. You never feel quite prepared but I absolutely enjoyed the question period. It got me thinking… conceptual framework, what does it feel like to be an NMSST, what brought me to my research, possible policy changes, type of mentoring, recommendations I would make, being a knowledge contributor, learning communities and vulnerability, etc.

I know that I’ve worked hard for this. I found solace in my dissertation when I completed it. During my oral examination, I found validation. As my senior supervisor said to me at the end of my defence was… it’s my job to “speak truth to power.” I loved that. This was supported by the rest of the examining committee who said that I had an important message to share (how was I going to do this) and it is likely to start as a grassroots movement with one person at a time (to create a momentum for policy change). I LOVED THIS SOOOO MUCH. My work has been a 20+ pedagogical journey, which has underwent doctoral research and the rigour of a defence with colleagues. I heard and received their support, encouragement, and calls to action.

The revisions were relatively minor… but they were not joking about verb tenses. I was getting annoyed changing them. I can only imagine being them having to read it. I had to change a few sections based on the external’s feedback, which was also discussed during the oral examination. I had to change a few terms and voila. COMPLETION. I’ve submitted my final, final, final draft to my Senior Supervisor for him to approve. Once approved, it will go into the library (which is a process I’m about to embark on). This is it. I’m done. I am “Dr. Christine Younghusband, EdD,” graduating in the Faculty of Education in Educational Leadership. Feels great!!!

Learning from Inquiry

Final Assignment Due – EDUC454D100 – August 8, 2017

Today is the last, last day of EDUC454D100… meaning, it was the first day in 14 weeks I did not commute out to SFU to teach this class… and, it’s the last day for my students to hand in their final assignment (aka. their quantitative inquiry project or unit plan). I took a break from my oral defence preparation today to commit my time and headspace to read and evaluate these assignments. One by one, they are being submitted. They had until midnight to hand it in… well, the results surprised me.

Admittedly, this was a tricky assignment. Best results would have come from those who started this assignment early in the course… and they were encouraged to. Last minute inquiries or those who opted for no consultation lent itself to a difficult situation for my students such that they would not achieve what I would like them to learn or engage in the assignment because they themselves have not engaged in inquiry before. I wanted to personalized their learning, not a cookie-cutter assignment for my students to complete. Why would I want to read 26 papers of the same thing? I would not. As anticipated, I received a wide variety of inquiry projects.

Project topics ranged from plastic in oceans, measuring light, a vegan diet, to community gardens. My initial thought with the final project stemmed from my understanding of experiential learning. You can’t teach something you’ve never experienced. If we are asking pre-service teachers to teach with inquiry-based learning with BC’s New Curriculum, then they should engage in inquiry based learning. I started this class with Stage 4 Inquiry; they could study any topic they would like with an inquiry question they composed. As we moved forward with the assignment, I would scaffold when needed. From this learning experience, I hoped that my students would glean on some ideas and transfer them to their teaching practice.

As time went on, I realized that many of my students were not comfortable with the idea of inquiry because they have never experienced it before, some were asking questions that were TOO BIG for the length of the course, and some required ethics approval to use human participants for their inquiries of minimal risk. Furthermore, I had several students who wanted to investigate Indigenous worldviews and ways and that had stricter limitations. I had to make adaptations. So instead of a personal inquiry, some students could choose to do a unit plan. Personally, I thought that the unit plan would be more difficult to achieve but I wanted to give an option.

Final assessments ache me… truly. As much as I want everyone to personalize their learning and every project that submitted have been very different from each other… the level of inquiry varied… and what was learned varied. Moreover, the clock struck midnight and not all of my students handed something in. Truth be told, all of them had passed the course before the final assignment but I had hoped that all would be willing to accept the challenge of inquiry as a learner to inform their practice as a teacher. Some students rose to the challenge while others fell short. Not only did I get a diverse set of final assignments, I also had a diverse set of outcomes.

Some assignments made me giggle (in a good way)… some made me wonder… and others just wowed me. I have to remind myself that we all have strengths. Some of us are better face-to-face in discussion. Some of us are better at reading and reflection. Some like to perform while others can synthesize their thoughts eloquently as a final paper or exam. I will admit, it agonizes me to differentiate my students by grading. A part of me wants them to be all the same, but I understand that this is the end of the course and the final assignment was a an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in the course and from inquiry. In the end, I am happy to hear my students enjoyed the course. Many of them shared that with me. For that, I am grateful.

Two Weeks

Oh my goodness… I am having heart palpitations writing this blog entry. I have 2-weeks until my oral examination to defend my dissertation for my Doctor of Education degree. My 9-year journey is coming to an end. 2-weeks does not seem that far away anymore… IT’S COMING. Ahh… Such a funny place to be considering I thought it would never end. It took so much time to get to the question never mind about getting the data and research done. It seems so crazy to me. I invested everything into this degree and research study. Was it worth it? I would say YES.

Where to start? I wanted to get into the doctorate program in 2006. Back then, my daughter was only 3-years old and I was back to work. I had my dream job of teaching secondary mathematics and calculus, why not add something else to my plate? Well, that start date was never meant to be. I got undecided and withdrew from the program before it even started. LAME. My decision not to pursue the degree wained on me so I applied again in 2008. I was accepted and wanted to follow-through.

I completed my coursework and comprehensive exam while teaching full-time and being a mom with my daughter just entering the K-12 school system. It was a crazy time trying to manage everything in addition to being the mathematics department head and staff representative. Classic teacher. I just kept on doing more and not considered the consequences of work-life balance. Moreover, our school was appointed a new school administrator. With a change to my assignment and feeling like I was putting my career on the line to advocate for students… I had to leave.

Admittedly, quitting my job was not the best career move but in hindsight it was the best academic move I could make. When I was teaching, I could not get past the problem from which my research question was derived from. What I love about my degree is, I can take a question from practice, go into research, then bring back recommendations to practice. I could not have completed my degree had I stayed in the practice. Sounds crazy, I know… and becoming a school trustee and independent educational consultant opened my eyes such that I could see “the big picture.”

As a result, leaving the practice forced me to change my reason why I was pursuing a doctorate degree. That took some time… and I am so glad it did because now I can say that my primary reason for completing my doctorate degree is to answer my research question. It’s as simple as that. The root of my research question has been something that I had pondered and wrestled with for about 20+ years. I know, that’s so crazy (again)… but the problem continues to exist so my findings and recommendations are still relevant. Best of all, my research gave me solace.

Although completing my dissertation took 5-years longer than I had anticipated, I would not have it any other way. Mentioned many times in previous blog entries, I have met so many wonder people, experienced so many learning opportunities, and regained my love for education once again. Looking back, I know that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time such that I had to make some key decisions to be where I am today. I am so grateful. Deepest gratitude to my EdD supervisor, family, friends, colleagues, and editors who stuck it out with me. I have no words.

No more looking back. No more self-doubt. No more perceived limitations. I have accomplished what I’ve set out to do. I’ve answered my research question. I am satisfied with my findings and recommendations. I am no longer hung up on reading and writing. I am a lifelong learner and I will persevere. I had a brief meeting with my EdD supervisor last week about preparing for my oral examination. I was looking for words of advice, hidden secrets, or gaps I need to bridge in preparation for my defence. It spooked me out when the meeting was brief and there were no surprises. What did surprise me though was him acknowledging me and my transformation during this academic process. <<mind blown>> Agreed. I am not the same person.

This will be my last blog reflection regarding my dissertation until after my oral defence. I hope to “getter done” and get my final version of my dissertation published and submitted into the SFU library ON TIME and graduate during the Fall Convocation. My kid is now 14-years old and 4 inches taller than me. It will be a time to celebrate. I can’t wait. However, the work is not done until it’s done. Soon after I publish this blog entry, I will be writing my script to my 6-slide PowerPoint (well, it’s 8… one for the title page, one for acknowledgements, and one for each chapter of my dissertation). I’m getting stoked about this and looking forward to COMPLETION.

Final Reflections

Week 13 – EDUC454D100 – August 1, 2017

We did it. We finally made it to the end of the course (with exception to your final quantitative inquiry project/paper that is due on August 8th). Wow. Not a bad way to end the course. Thank you Candace Campo for taking our class on the Talking Trees Tour in Stanley Park. It was a beautiful way to end the course (even though a few of us were unable to attend). You captured many of the learning intentions discussed in EDUC454 such as place-based learning, Indigenous education, and strength-based learning. Some of my curiosities and take-aways from the tour included oral history and knowledge of local Indigenous and non-Indigenous plants, oral history and knowledge of one’s ancestry and lineage, and the role of potlatches and communal living. I think that my biggest take-away, which was reiterated during the tour but also in EDUC454, was the importance of RELATIONSHIPS. This is so true in education and integral to Indigenous ways, knowing, and being. You had shared so many great stories and knowledge that my class and I are truly grateful. Thank you Candace!!!

It’s been my deepest pleasure this term to teach EDUC454 at SFU. This was my first time teaching EDUC454 and my second time teaching at SFU as a sessional instructor. It was an incredible teaching and learning experience. THANK YOU EDUC454D100 for being so open and willing to participate in my inquiry, or shall I say “social experiment,” to realize the potential of BC’s New Curriculum. You had given me the opportunity to PLAY, experiment, and learn with you. I am deeply honoured. To do what we have achieved takes vulnerability, courage, and creativity. WE KILLED IT. I cannot express enough my gratitude and pride. As a collective, you have exceeded my expectations over and over again. Collaboration, facilitation, and reflection… we were a stellar class. Best of all, we had the opportunity to dispel some of your beliefs about mathematics (and expose others who were closet math-nerds). I am convinced that teaching outdoors and embedding environmental education into our practice will help us make connections, be inclusive, and create cross-curricular opportunities to co-construct knowledge and develop the Core Competencies.

Thank you all for your final reflections of EDUC454D100. A reflective practice is key to teaching and learning. Your final journal reflection was also an exemplar of personalized learning. You can have one framework that is designed by you… the teacher… and get varying results, which would be expected because we all come with different prior knowledge, perspectives, and Zone of Proximal Development. We also accomplished this with our Philosophy presentations and hopefully with our Inquiry Projects. What I have realized (after reading a few inquiry project/papers prior to this blog entry) that we have walked away from EDUC454 with the same learning intentions and conclusions… but how we got there was different. This is the beauty of teaching. Thank you everyone for this exceptional teaching/learning experience.

Don’t Be Boring

Week 12 – EDUC454D100 – July 25, 2017

Wow. What a way to end a course. Well… we do have a field trip planned for Stanley Park on August 1st with Candace Campo from Talaysay Tours. I cannot wait to participate in the “Talking Trees” Tour and have the opportunity to look at some culturally modified trees. This will conclude my cedar inquiry, for now. I travelled to Squamish soon after our class (and meeting with my EdD supervisor) to the Sea-to-Sky Gondola, but I was unsuccessful… meaning, I did not see any culturally modified trees (or walk on the suspension bridge). Now I can say, I’m not a big fan of extreme heights. There… I said it. The views were beautiful but I was happy to look at it from afar (holding onto something). OK. That’s enough about that… now let’s get back to my EDUC454 reflection. It’s “unofficial,” but I like reflecting (unlike my students).

DON’T BE BORING. Words to live by. Thank you Carlo. Over two classes, we embarked on listening and providing peer feedback to 26 Philosophy Presentations as IGNITE presentations. In 20 slides and 5 minutes, students were asked to share their educational philosophy in light of this course. The BIG IDEA was: Environmental Education and Quantitative Approaches are embedded in my teaching practice. What I loved about the presentations was that not one was the same. Yet, they all had the same PowerPoint framework, the same co-constructed curricular competencies to satisfy, and the same content to cover (i.e. environmental education/studies, quantitative approaches/math, their subject specialty/specialities, and teaching & learning). The presentations were not boring. I love listening to their learning. I would like to share some themes I heard over the last two weeks that warm my heart.

THEME ONE:
Not the greatest math efficacy before entering the course… but math ain’t so bad…
MATH IS EVERYWHERE.

THEME TWO:
Gotta go outside… it makes learning inclusive, accessible, mobile, and worthwhile…
I can do this with my classes.

THEME THREE:
Enjoyed the course… “Christine opened my eyes…” (meh, something like that)…
Learning is FUN. 🙂

I wanted to take a class photo… which would be impossible because I never had full attendance during my 13-weeks of teaching EDUC454. This was interesting to me. I’m drawn to looking at some statistics and making some inferences, but I will restrain. HOLD BACK ON THE MATH. I made some assumptions… but I was wrong. This has been my BIG LEARNING in this course. When you are teaching… you are never the expert… although it seems to be. Initially, I thought that this blog would be titled “Don’t Make Assumptions” or “Not Meeting Expectations.” The truth is, that’s my junk. Ironically, this was one of my messages to my EDUC454 students… don’t assume.

I don’t know why I was wrapped around the whole concept of attendance. I guess it is a measurable way of knowing that students are possibly interested in your class, particularly if it’s an elective. What I have learned is, even though this is a group who has completed a degree (or two) and have been vetted by the PDP program at SFU… they are a diverse group of learners… with unique lives. That’s it. This was not a homogenized group and I’m not sure why I expected that, but I did. They are diverse and wonderful like all other classes out there… and life got in the way for some of them. For others, I’m not sure… but I was also reminded that students are putting on a show for us, as teachers. Generally, students are trying to make an impression…

Well… here’s my impression, which you can also read in previous blog entries about EDUC454D100. I’m excited for this group of pre-service teachers. They are an exciting group with a wonderful personality. I’m excited for the students they will teach. They have the love and passion for teaching & learning and I appreciate their diversity and NEW LOVE for learning mathematics/quantitative approaches and environmental education. I share this same love. They guided me throughout the course. I was led by them. From their inquiries, group discussion, and group facilitation, I was learning. In fact, I feel TRANSFORMED. I too had learned more about mathematics. I too want to bring my classes outside. And, I too had a lot of fun teaching and learning.

So, like any good teacher… I adapted the class photo with a EDUC454D100 collage made on Pixlr Express of my class during their Philosophy Presentation… sans Carlo. BTW: He was the “feature image” but also a 5×5 grid (aka. 25 students) worked much nicer than a 2×13 (aka. 26 = actual number of students). Sorry Carlo. It’s not personal… it’s math. 🙂 Thank you all for having me as your sessional instructor this summer session. I wish all of my student a happy practicum, a happy convocation, and/or happy future employment as secondary teachers. Until we meet again… C

PS. Oh wait… that made for a dramatic close, but I will see some of you next week at Stanley Park at our Talking Trees Field Trip (Week 13). What was I thinking? #lol

Teaching and Learning

Here’s a tip… don’t drink a latte at 9pm at night. Resist. Even though it goes beautifully with your baklava and ice cream… DON’T DO IT. Learning from experience… you could be blogging at 4am wishing that you didn’t have that latte. I can’t sleep. At first I thought it was because I finished my (draft) PowerPoint presentation for my dissertation oral examination, but nope… I’m wrong. It was definitely the latte.

Moving on… I thought that this would be an excellent opportunity to share some of my thoughts on the POWER OF TEACHING AND LEARNING. I am in a wonderful and unique position. Not only am I teaching pre-service teachers at the university as a sessional instructor, I am also learning at the university as a doctoral student. I have always been enamoured by the wonders of teaching and learning. On the one hand, it seems almost magical. On the other hand, it’s more about technique, strategies, and rigour. I would like to focus on the MAGIC OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.

In my EDUC454 course, we are approaching the end with only a couple classes to go. I’m hoping that all I have constructed, designed, and orchestrated is starting to make sense to the students. Initially, the course feels like a conceptual mess. I build my courses on a concept and get to the details later. Now, we’re in “the later” and students are asking questions on how to complete some of the tasks they are asked to do for the course. I encourage them to ask questions and I will happily answer them. As a student, I’m not so forthcoming. I need to model what I want to see.

For the last few days, I’ve been stewing on my EdD Oral Examination PowerPoint presentation. I sent out an email to my supervisor last week indicating to him that I would like to meet with him some time soon. He replied by saying when he could meet and where we could meet. He also indicated to me that LESS IS MORE and recommended that I do 6 SLIDES FOR 6 CHAPTERS of my dissertation. Whoa. I was stumped. I was planning for 20. This is a slight deviation from what I intended.

It took the few days to ask my supervisor for a room number even though I knew that he wanted to preview my PowerPoint before our meeting. I was running out of time. What was I thinking??? Or not thinking. Nonetheless, my supervisor promptly replied with a room number while I was composing and posting a tweet on 6 SLIDES FOR 6 CHAPTERS. Moments later, he sent an unsolicited follow up email with the intentions of minimizing my stress regarding 6 slides for 6 chapters. He said 6 slides are great, 12 slides are fine, and 24 slides are too many. OMG. He must have read my Tweet!!! Not. He looked for my tweet after I asked him if he read it or not… and he LIKED it. This was a very serendipitous moment. He helped me on something I needed help on.

I needed to hear a few encouraging words… or words of advice… to change my lens on how I was approaching my PowerPoint presentation. Trust me. I have watched several YouTube videos, searched many webpages on preparing for the oral examination, and previewed some sample PowerPoint presentations online. I had an idea of what I needed to do but my supervisor (aka. teacher) quickly set me on the right path… or trajectory, shall I say… to get this task done. Oh… and I’m done. A handful of hours soon after our last email, I completed the task. It feels good.

This is the power of teaching and learning… I’m not sure if I’ve described it well or not, but it’s THE RELATIONSHIP. It’s more than liking or respecting each other… although, that helps. It’s about connecting at a cognitive level but almost intuitively where one is willing and able to help and the other is willing and able to receive. When this connection occurs at the right time, right place… MAGIC HAPPENS. I love this about teaching and learning. Without this relationship, magic would not happen.