Christine Ho Younghusband

Policy Dilemma

I am not sure why I chose this photo for tonight’s blog entry. Maybe I’m tickled pink? Maybe not? Anyway, this is a picture of my kid when she was just a bub. Now, she is a full-fledged tween and has revamped her bedroom recently to reflect that. She did a great job on her room BTW. Never thought it would be possible, but obviously I’ve been proven wrong. I like that.

What’s my blog about tonight? I’ve been wrestling with marking some papers for a course I am teaching and I am struggling with the assessment and evaluation expectations of the course when I am teaching about assessment and evaluation as it relates to the new BC curriculum. I am fascinated with this pedagogical and philosophical struggle I am facing right now as it reminds me of one I had about 10 years ago implementing Assessment for Learning (AFL) in my secondary mathematics classroom. It is different. It is not aligned to current policies and practices. Thus, I am faced with a dilemma. To grade or not to grade?

Back then, I grappled with the notion of NOT writing an interim report for all of my classes. It’s one of our required documents to report out to parents and students. I had nothing. With AFL, it’s about formative assessment practices, not summative. As a result, I had no GRADES accumulated for my classes yet. Nothing. What was I to report out? Make something up? Grade work habits? Give marks while students were in the middle of the learning process? It just didn’t seem right, hence the dilemma. At the time, I was so turned around with AFL. Years before, I would mark everything. So much so that students did not believe I was “on their side.” I was more like the EDU-POLICE, spending my time collecting grades. I did not feel good about that and neither did the students. It’s about relationships and learning. In the end, I opted to send a letter home to parents about AFL and what I was doing in class. Students understood the process as well. Things really transformed for me back then.

So, I blog… still procrastinating the marking of these papers. These individuals have already transformed since the submission of these papers. Their excitement for the new BC curriculum and it’s possibilities have been heightened. Their practice is shifting. These learners are just beginning their transformation and I am absolutely stoked for them. But what about these papers? Will grading them now help them? Can I provide a holistic mark that reflects their understanding and learning as demonstrated in 10 pages or less? This is only a snapshot of where they were… and I wonder if “grades” should be reserved until the end. Maybe I would have felt better about this if they had handed in their papers for formative feedback only. My brain could rest a bit more easier then. It’s these “traditions” that require questioning. Not to be defiant, but what would best serve the student and his or her learning?

I am only thinking out loud with respect to my current work as an educator. The assessment and evaluation process is another form of teaching and learning. Even during the course, it was in my curious making when I asked the students to re-design, re-construct, or re-develop a new evaluation framework for the course that would best fit them in their learning. This was an uncomfortable and difficult question to answer. Responses ranged from YOU DECIDE (as the teacher) to let the STUDENTS DECIDE who are being graded (it’s not our problem). Tough topic… why? It’s deeply connected to our values, beliefs, and pedagogy. Next Sunday I will be co-moderating with @MsSallySong on #bcedchat ASSESSMENT and the New BC Curriculum. It will likely be a heated yet animated Twitter Chat, much like any other assessment and evaluation topic we have hosted before. To review it, question it, or possibly CHANGE IT seems almost deviant, defiant, or disrespectful. I would disagree.

This needs to be questioned. We need to look at ourselves and ask how we are serving students and their learning as we assess and evaluate. Are we helping them grow, learn, and thrive? Or are we managing, belittling, or (shall I say) harming them? What is the purpose of assessment and evaluation? Are we doing it? And, are we doing it well? What needs improvement? What could be done differently? This is where teachers in BC are struggling the most. Other questions like… How do we grade competencies? What will communicating student learning look like? What about provincial assessments? ... are on the forefront of teachers’ minds (generally). We are so deeply embedded in our TRADITIONAL reporting rituals and practices because that’s what we know, which in turn heavily influences how we teach and how students learn. Sigh. I will continue this deliberation and I have papers to mark. I still question, is it 20%, 30%, or 5% of their final mark? Does it really matter? What does that really reflect? And, will it be an A+, A, A-, B+, B, or B-? This is such intuitive work and I wonder if I am accurately “judging” their work with a number or letter.

Love What You Do

I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time; about where I am today… and I look around and wonder (sometimes) if I’m suppose to be somewhere else. I just went to a workshop on “productive workplace conversations” and I was a little spooked. The workshop was not like what I expected, yet I walked away understanding that much of it has to do with me. I’m hearing this message over and over again. It resonates with the idea that “you create what you see.” Now, I’m beginning to understand this. It’s the lens that we see out of that defines what we understand, perceive, and interact with. The same event could be happening for two people, yet interpreted in two different ways. This makes sense to me. My take away from the workshop was the notion of TRIGGERS. I had written some possibilities during the workshop activity, but it wasn’t until we role played that I was TRIGGERED… twice, to my surprise!

I guess I could say I was triggered three times in three different ways, but this is what I need to pay attention to and understand. Originally, I had thought of situations that would make me angry, annoyed, or frustrated. WRONG. My triggers provoked fear, sadness, and anxiety. This would be a problem when trying to achieve a productive conversation in the workplace. Crying, avoidance, or completely being FREAKED OUT are not “productive” emotions to have when dealing with conflict resolution. This was an AHA. Disappointing, but enlightening. Understanding my triggers will help me in my professional work, public service, and the home. In the end, I loved this professional learning and highly recommend it to others. I would not have understood this otherwise and I am thankful. Which makes me think about my past, what brings me here today, and my original reflection… Am I suppose to be here?

Big picture… I’m exactly where I am suppose to be. I would be kidding myself (and you) if I said I didn’t miss the classroom. I do. Today, I understand more than ever the power of being a teacher and the influence we have on children’s lives, mindset, and future. It’s HUGE. I don’t want to underestimate that. However, I do mention in previous blogs about alignment and my learning. This is where I believe that I was suppose to take a different path. I could get jealous or envious of former colleagues and where they are today. In fact, I am grateful and genuinely happy for them. No bad feelings. None. I feel the opposite. The truth is, I just love what I am doing and would not trade the last 5-years to become something else. I have learned more about education in my roles today and know I have much more to learn. This excites me. I love the work that WE all do in education. It’s absolutely incredible and I believe that I would not have this appreciation or gratitude had I not taken this new path.

On some level, I’m trying to validate my decisions. This is my pedagogical journey, yet know that my practice is interrelated and interconnected with everyone else’s. I don’t want to get sappy or lame about these moments of reflection, but I am just honoured to do the work that I do. It’s aligned to who I am and who I want to be. I have a voice. I am engaged. I am creating educational change. What more could I ask for? This is not to say that I am satisfied, nor am I saying that my work is done. I just feel absolutely ____________. Well, there are no words. I love connecting with adult learners at SMC, I love my PLN on Twitter, I love my entrepreneurial work as a tutor and workshop facilitator, I love being a part of curriculum development, I love my role in governance as a school trustee and Board of Directors, and I love my academic work at SFU. In every situation, I AM LEARNING… and I can’t ask for anything more.

Hat-Trick of Change

Instead of a follow-up of several mini-blog entries on “what’s happening,” I have opted for one BIG blog entry to be posted TODAY. I just want to share a few initiatives the BCSTA (BC School Trustees’ Association) has embarked on last month in response to membership to increase communication, professional learning, and sense-making. The initiatives were crammed into a short time period and I missed few professional opportunities to make this happen. It was well worth my time. So, what did we do?

First, we had our FIRST ANNUAL LIAISON MEETING with the Ministry of Education and school boards. Staff from the Ministry and School Board Chairs, Superintendents, and Secretary-Treasurers gathered together in Richmond to learn about and discuss emergent topics in BC Education on October 21st. This session was led by the Ministry of Education. I appreciated that the Deputy Minister Dave Byng and his staff were there to connect with school districts about issues that are pertinent and important to school districts to gather a better understanding of what’s happening in the field, be open to questions from the field to bridge gaps between school boards and government, and work together as we move forward with co-governance.

Second, the BCSTA held a BOARD CHAIRS MEETING on October 22nd for member boards; a session facilitated by the BCSTA. The BCSTA staff and guest speakers did an excellent job orchestrating this professional learning event for board chairs. The room was filled with seasoned board chairs, new board chairs, and board chair designates. Topics included conflict of interest, the BC Auditor General report, and conflict resolution. This was a welcomed opportunity for board chairs to connect, problem-solve, and learn together. Conversations were candid and real; a worthwhile event for BCSTA Board Chairs. I look forward to our next meeting together.

Finally, the BCSTA held an ISSUES FORUM on the last day of BCSTA Provincial Council on October 24th in Vancouver. Some trustees were attending the BCPSEA Symposium, while others were at BCSTA Committee Meetings on the day of October 23rd, the DM Dave Byng presented to the BCSTA Provincial Councillors in the evening with a welcoming and introduction from the new Minister of Education, Hon. Mike Bernier. This evening ends with an opportunity for Provincial Councillors to ask questions, share concerns, or clarify topics or issues with the DM. On the 24th, Provincial Council was dynamic and dialogical in the morning, to be followed up to the Issues Forum after lunch. The topic was BCPSEA. Our BCSTA-BCPSEA Advisory Committee Members attending this event as well as Deborah Stewart and Renzo Del Negro from BCPSEA. It was another worthwhile event for BC School Trustees.

I am only mentioning a few things that BCSTA moved forward with in 2015/2016. We are membership driven. Everything that we do is directed from our membership. In the end, serving our member boards in the best way that we can means serving the students within our school districts in the best way that we can. For more information, check out the BCSTA Board of Directors Strategic Plan for 2015/16.

It takes one step at a time. Change does not happen overnight; and, if we are looking for long-term, sustainable, and meaningful change for our students, then we must work together… strategically and wholeheartedly. This requires time, patience, and willingness to engage. Thank you to all those who took part in these initiatives.

Falling Into Reflection

Once again… I have fallen into the “busy” trap and managed not to carve out any “ME time” to blog, walk, or reflect. Well, today is the day. I went out for a walk this morning (and last night). I’ve had moments of reflection. Now, it’s BLOG TIME. It’s been awhile (again) and it feels great to return back to the keyboard to virtually document “what’s up” in my pedagogical journey and share some of my experiences and thoughts. So, expect a few follow up mini-blog entries over the next few days. There is much to report on and I am absolutely excited to share “what’s happening” with you.

I just love those moments when I get overwhelmed with gratitude. It’s like a tsunami. I just had that feeling the other day driving to Gibsons for the SD46 Education Committee, a meeting I chair as trustee of the SD46 Board of Education. First of all, it’s an absolute privilege to sit around a table where people are talking about teaching and learning in SD46. I just love it. Second of all, we’re all engaged and I get to facilitate those conversations. Third, I am heartened by the wonderful edu-initiatives and ideas that are brought forward to the committee. I feel very fortunate.

Back to the drive to Gibsons… it’s an opportunity to check in with myself. Questions to self often sound like… “Would I be doing what I am doing NOW if I was still in the classroom? Would I know what I know NOW if I stayed in the classroom? And, would I know who I know NOW had I stayed in the classroom?” Although the answer is obvious… NO… I find myself in awe of what I get to do and learn. I cannot believe the people I get to meet, work with, and learn from. Best of all, I could not imagine these edu-opportunities had I stayed in the classroom. It’s absolutely amazing.

I know it gets sickening when I blog, tweet, or post stuff on social media that oozing with gratitude… but that’s exactly how I feel. I love the work that I am doing with my research with great hopes of finishing my dissertation by 2016. I love the work that I am doing with my professor/supervisor as his research assistant. I am learning so much. I love that I get to work with St. Mark’s College where I am teaching my first graduate level course, but also facilitating mini-workshops to teachers. I love that I get to be a part of the BCAMT and Math K-9 Curriculum development team. It’s an incredible group of math educators. I love that I am asked to provide workshops to teachers regarding curriculum implementation in various school districts in the province. I love the work that continue my practice in my home as a mathematics educator and educational consultant. I love my professional learning community on Twitter and my #bcedchat co-mod team. And, of course, I love the work that I do as a school trustee, locally and provincially. Blah, blah, blah… No wonder I have little time allotted to walking, blogging, or reflection… yet, I’m doing it RIGHT NOW.

I am delighted by the amount of autonomy I have in my work and I truly feel that I am a part of a BIG SHIFT that is happening “out there” in BC Education. The direction is so aligned to my education philosophy and pedagogical beliefs. It tickles me to know that I have a voice in the process and I am helping others to find their voice too. All that is mentioned above is aligned to my purpose. I would also like to mention a couple of community boards I’m involved with that are focussed on local economic development, the Self-Employed Women’s Network (SEWN) and the Sunshine Coast Community Futures. My role on these boards is governance and education. I could have not have asked for a better opportunity in my community.

Ok. I will stop oozing… if you haven’t already stopped reading, then never mind. I just hope in education that we can take a moment to reflect and acknowledge our path, our direction, and our achievements. We don’t do it enough. Let’s celebrate. I blog in disbelief. I cannot believe that I get to engage in so many professional learning opportunities, formal and informal… facilitate professional learning activities for teachers and school leaders… and research professional learning of teachers and school trustees. This is something that I had always dreamed about and wanted, but never knew how it would unfold. And, I believe it’s unfolding.

There is no question in my mind that my lived experience would have been different had I stayed in the classroom. Could I have had similar opportunities? Possibly. I opted to take an alternative route to create new paths and opportunities… to enhance the student learning experience. I look forward to what’s ahead. This is not to say that my pedagogical journey has been easy, transparent, or smooth. I am also compelled to say that this is not for everyone. What I am willing to suggest is FOLLOW YOUR HEART. Listen to your intuition. And, go for it!!! You never know unless you try, make mistakes, and try again. This is the learning process and I love every minute of it.

SEWN Socializer

10 tables of 10. You do the math. Can you believe that 100 women gathered to the first Self-Employed Women’s Network (SEWN) Socializer 2015 event at the Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club on October 8th? At first, I was not optimistic. We had only a few weeks to gain enough momentum to get at least 50 people to attend the dinner to make the event worthwhile. To my surprise we had 74 for dinner and 26 to the socializer only. We had to say “no” to a few individuals as we reached full-capacity. This is a great problem to have and it is clear that socializer events like this is something that entrepreneurial women on the Sunshine Coast are craving.

SEWN is a grassroots initiative that first started with the Community Resource Centre’s Progress Plan, a 3-year Status of Women’s Project focus on the economic well-being of women on the Sunshine Coast. One area of focus in the project was income. I had joined the Progress Plan team in its last year as a Project Assistant. I was tasked with the income strand and the idea of creating a network for women in business. Isolation was identified as a barrier for women in business. During the Progress Plan, we had implemented two SEWN gatherings, one at the Gibsons Public Market and the other at Persephone’s Brewing. Both events were well attended.

When the project ended in April, Cheryl McNicol and I opted to continue the work of SEWN as an unincorporated association, a not-for-profit organization that is volunteer oriented and member driven. We were so pleased to know that people like Shelley McDade, the CEO of the Sunshine Coast Credit Union, was willing to help and support us with our first steps. We created our inaugural SEWN board of directors, which includes Kim Banks, Liz Down, and Charlene Sanjenko. All of us are self-employed women and invested in connecting and supporting entrepreneurial women on the Sunshine Coast. Each of us bring an expertise to the table.

The work of the SEWN board of directors over the last several months have been working on our governance, constitution, bylaws, and our mission, vision, and goals. For more information on this, go to our website at www.sunshinesewn.com. We took time from our busy schedules to meet on a monthly basis to collaborate, create, and co-construct something that supports, educates, and connects entrepreneurial women on the Sunshine Coast. We are a volunteer board serving SEWN members.

We surveyed those who are SEWN followers. These people were involved in the Progress Plan, particularly with SEWN, and those who are early adopters of SEWN. We listened to the data and contributed our expertise to create something that we are proud of with hopes of supporting entrepreneurial women on the Sunshine Coast. After months of deliberation, we decided to jump in with two feet to create our first SEWN socializer, as a membership drive and announcement of SEWN.

We put a call out for those who indicated in our database who would like to get more involved with SEWN. We easily established an event committee for the SEWN Socializer 2015. Another group of busy entrepreneurial women said YES to SEWN. We gathered at my home to make final plans for the evening. Needless to say, much had changed from August 2015 to October 2015. Intentions had changed, start dates had changed, focus had changed, and plans had changed. The best part, we were willing to be nimble and adaptive, like any entrepreneurial person, to make it happen.

SEWN partnered up with Share-There online ride share service, a NEW social enterprise on the Sunshine Coast, with Michelle and Sean Morton for registrations and ride sharing. We wanted to support them with their beta test. We collaborated with Share-There with planning and registration. They had hopes of announcing their business as well as acquire memberships and ride shares. Albeit, there were some glitches. That is to be expected. It was a beta test (aka. learning opportunity). Thank you SEWN Socializer attendees for participating the the beta test and providing feedback. This helps Share-There to take their next steps in their business.

Through social media and word of mouth, one by one, tickets were sold. The evening was constructed into two parts: the dinner and socializer at $35/person or socializer only at $10/person. We wanted to make the event accessible to all women. We gathered. We displayed our promotional materials. We socialized. Doors opened at 5 pm. Dinner started at 545 pm. Socializer started at 7 pm. We promoted SEWN and SEWN memberships, but also we had an educational component to the evening… WHAT’S YOUR PITCH.  The night was a hit and I am so happy everything worked out in the end. The biggest lesson is the “power of we.” We all made this happen… the SEWN board, event committee, sponsors, partners and contributors, and attendees.

I want to take a moment to thank our amazing SEWN event partners, sponsors, and contributors. Thank you Sunshine Coast Community Futures. We appreciated having Zarah Gale as a presenter but also as our ad hoc tech person. Thank you to Head Start Public Speaking for Kids for also presenting at our event to figure out our why and 30-second pitch. Thank you Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club. We had great service and great food at a great venue. Thank you to Coastal Weddings & Events for the beautiful decorations and table settings. Thank you to Hooray Truffles by Alanna for the yummy vegan chocolates. Thank you to the Sunshine Coast Credit Union for being a event corporate sponsor but also for your generosity with pens, pads, phone pockets with $200 for new SCCU memberships, and $500 door prize. Thank you to PowHERtalks and Christine Younghusband for being SEWN sponsors… and thank you to McLachlan Studios for taking photos during the night and generous door prizes amounting to $1000!!! And… THANK YOU to all those who donated door prizes to the event, who volunteered their time to make the event amazing, SEWN Board of Directors, and coming to the SEWN event. We could not do it without you!!!

Being in a Good Place

Well… I’ve fallen behind the blog… and truly, this is a good problem to have. I must admit, I am in a good place. It takes some time to reflect and think about what’s important. This is not to say that I have it all figured out but I am certainly on the right path. It’s funny when you make a life changing decision that it was meant to be that way. This is not about surrendering or acceptance. It’s about wholeheartedly believing that we are meant to do something and deep down inside we know what it is. Sounds flakey, I know. I would be the last person talking like this. Come on… I just found out that I quite enjoy looking at a bunch of data. Hello? Me? The extroverted, can’t keep my mouth shut kinda girl likes sifting through data and updating information? That would have never made my radar 5 years ago or even 10. Nope. Never thought.

As unpredictable and uncertain my life is right now, I am learning. I have wonderful mentors. I have many cheerleaders and supporters. I am engaged in what I love to do. I am moving forward in my pedagogical journey. I am an edu-explorer and tickled pink by what I am learning. I am humbled by who I get to work with. I love that I am autonomous in my work. It’s a nice feeling when I get excited about the little things. For example, sending out emails for a research study may not provoke many to stand up and cheer. Well, I’m doing the happy dance. I never thought that was possible. Finding my why guides my decision making. I feel purposeful and honoured to serve others as an educator, school trustee, and researcher. This is a good place to be.

This brings me to this photo. Where am I? I am standing in front of Cooks Jewelers, absolutely WET, in Prince Rupert, BC taking selfies in various places downtown. What a beautiful metaphor. I could focus on the RAIN or the closure of a long standing businesses like McLean & Rudderham. Instead, I appreciate where I came from and enjoyed my time venturing out on my own (without an umbrella) to several Prince Rupert landmarks remembering the good times and my childhood. It’s been almost 30 years since I left Prince Rupert. I am quite fond of my hometown and so happy to bump into so many familiar faces during my brief time in Prince Rupert. Had I not been doing the work that I do now, I would not have returned back to Prince Rupert to learn about all the wonderful educational programs Charles Hays Secondary School is offering in partnership with various community agencies. I am grateful.

In the end, consider life… well, in my case, professional life… an adventure. I love where I am but I don’t expect to be here for very long. For the past 5 years, I’ve been on an edu-exploration to discover my likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and what resonates with me or not. I am an experiential learner. I could have just stayed in my job 5 years ago, but I was so misaligned that I would have been on long term disability or something like that. Deep down inside I knew I was meant to do something else. It was time. I resisted. I did not follow my intuition, got sick, and quit. It has taken me 5 years to rebuild myself, restore my faith in education, and find my why. Today, I am absolutely stoked about education and the difference we can make in the learning experiences of students. This is my purpose. Everything I do is aligned to this. Will I return back to teaching? I am teaching and it’s one step at a time.

IGNITE 35

Wow. There is nothing I like more than a crowded room at the pub filled with educators cheering and supporting one another. Now this is how I like it. It was the whose who in Twitterverse in terms of BC education. Thank you #think35 team for orchestrating the inaugural #IGNITE35 event in Langley, BC. There were so many great speakers sharing a small part of his or her professional practice that he or she is passionate about. It was incredible. We call ourselves “teacher” but there was such diversity in our passions and stories. Best of all, we were all willing to be a bit vulnerable and share our story with a group of edu-strangers, yet it felt like family. I was so proud to stand beside and be with all of these people tonight. #IGNITE35 makes me proud of my story… from mathematics teacher to graduate student and school trustee. We are all making a difference in education. I ended my 5 minute talk with “be bold, be brave.” Thank you everyone. We’re doing just that! #bced #think35 #IGNITE35 #bcedchat

Coming Home

It is tough to describe what I am feeling right now… is it joy… excitement… or utter bliss? Not sure, but I’m feeling good. Tomorrow is a BIG day for me. I am debuting at St. Mark’s College as a course instructor in the Masters program. I will be faced with the challenge of wooing Catholic School educators from around the province to take a SHIFT in their practice with the New BC Curriculum in mind. Can you imagine teaching a class of adult learners who come to the table with various backgrounds, experience, roles, subject areas, grade levels, and expertise? Many are auditing the course, some are taking the course for university credit. Some of the course is delivered online while another part of it is face-to-face. Furthermore, it’s not a course about the New BC Curriculum, but it also entails assessment for learning and communicating student learning in the context of Catholic Schools. What’s super amazing is not the diversity of this group who are strangers to me… it’s the fact that these educators are choosing to be a part of this professional opportunity, they are choosing to build a learning community, and they are choosing to engage in ongoing professional development to enact change within their practice, thus the system.

Is that super cool or what? Why are they doing this? With exception of the handful of individuals who are taking this course as an elective in their Masters Program, the dozens of educators are taking this because they are ready to take on the New BC Curriculum by JUMPING IN with two feet. Crazy. What gets me stoked about this upcoming experience is, I have no idea what to expect. I am learning how to facilitate learning online with Moodle. I am creating my own academic course at the Masters level but I do not want to spook out the ones who are auditing the course. I am going to be teaching a group face-to-face over two days on campus but half of the cohort will be Skyping in. Moreover, I am trying to keep this a BYOD course to minimize photocopying and maximize what it could be like for students in the New BC Curriculum. It is not to say that the new curriculum is about being online, but it is about creating flexibility and personalize learning. Hello? I have to do this for almost 40 educators… personalize their professional learning. I am so honoured to do so.

What a great challenge and I am so grateful to be given this opportunity. My goal is to take them through this course as if they are learners of the new curriculum. In saying that, the new curriculum is what you want to make it to be. Teachers as learners will be challenged by the possible shift in pedagogy and educational thinking. What are the BIG IDEAS? What does it mean to evaluate curricular competencies? Why isn’t the content the driving force of the new curriculum? There will be many questions, I’m sure. What I do know is, I’m not giving them a standard lesson planning sheet or handout. I am not giving them the ideal way to communicate student learning. I am not deciding what is worthwhile to demonstrate student learning. This is the work of the learner. I am not giving answers. And, there is no right or wrong. So, what will it be like to take an academic risk for teachers (and school administrators) as learners… and what are they going to do about it? This is about action. We’ll see how things unfold over time. This is going to be ROCKING and well… I’m glad. #findingmyjam

Provoked Feelings

It doesn’t matter how much time has passed… it doesn’t matter how many good things that happen to you… When you don’t deal with your ‘bad feelings’ and exercise forgiveness… those ‘bad feelings’ will present themselves in the most expected times. It just happened yesterday. Too spooky. I am just in the middle of preparing my IGNITE35 PowerPoint presentation. I have to scroll through many photos and select the “right ones” to make 3 or 4 points in 5 minutes and 20 slides. I became reminiscent of my students and the relationships I had with them, but also reminded of my frustrations and reasons for leaving public education as a teacher and where I am going now. I wish the road is straightforward and clear, but it’s not.

Anyway, completing the script for my IGNITE35 presentation has been on my mind for quite some time. I want to focus on students and student learning. Last night, old feelings were provoked. With conversations with my #bcedchat co-mod colleagues on Google hangout and participating in #bcedchat, I got somewhat agitated, much like I was 5-10 years ago. Last night’s #bcedchat topic was “Encouraging Risk-Taking.” It was so clear to me during the Google Hangout conversation that there are many reasons why teachers/educators in the system hesitate to take risks in schools, thus a topic for discussion on how to encourage risk-taking in schools. I got annoyed. It had nothing to do with the #bcedchat co-mod team or the #bcedchat Twitter convo. I was just provoked and realized that some of my ‘bad feelings’ are unresolved.

On the one hand, these ‘bad feelings’ give me purpose. On the other hand, I can’t move forward if I am holding onto these ‘bad feelings’ or beliefs. I resented the fact that taking risks in education was poo-pooed on or shunned… and it still is. How do we get our students to become thoughtful and strategic risk takers in school and in life if those who are teaching them, leading them, or even governing them cannot do it themselves? The objective is to benefit student learning and student success. How do we do that if we cannot be vulnerable enough to do so? Frustrating. And when you do take a risk… a shaming process takes place to coerce you to concede, comply, or conform. Or, risk-taking becomes such a daunting task, why bother?

We want our teachers (and students) to be creative and autonomous. Taking risks is a part of the learning process. Sometimes it could be easily spinned to keep with the status quo… “this is how we’ve always done it” and “it ain’t broke, why fix it?” UGH. Or sometimes innovation or change is put upon you… why? That does not make me a risk-taker if I am assigned to do something else. What’s the why? I am not suggesting change for the sake of change. More horrible is changing and not knowing why you are changing. That would be completely meaningless. What I am saying is, if we want our students to be extraordinary, engaged, and in love with learning, then everyone in the education system has to emulate that expectation. That’s it.

No one is striving to be mediocre, average, or ordinary. A growth mindset… a culture of learning… and taking risks…. ARE ALL ALIGNED. Let’s be open to possibilities instead of hiding ourselves from failure, judgement, or shame. It’s sometimes disappointing thinking about how it could be and how it is. I encourage everyone who is a stakeholder or involved in education to TAKE A RISK… try something new… and fail, if you must… as long as the risk has the potential of benefitting student learning and promoting student success. You will never know unless try… and it is next to impossible to anticipate all probable outcomes before proceeding. That’s paralysis. Exercise your autonomy. Be collegial. Encourage Risk-Taking.