Christine Ho Younghusband

TEDxLangleyED

I love the idea that the emergence of TEDxLangleyED came from the grass roots of the SD35 organization. It started with a question from curious educator to the superintendent of schools. “Do you think we can we host a TEDx here in Langley?” The answer… “YES.” The ball gets rolling, a committee is struck, and voila!!!

To attend a TEDx, candidates must answer a few questions and apply online. Many people applied to be a part of this inaugural event and I feel so fortunate to be one of 100 people selected to attend. At this event, there was an amazing line-up of speakers and performers to provoke, inspire, and motivate this captive audience. Aside from the presentations, what I love most about this learning opportunity is re/connecting with members of my PLN… face-to-face.

It is a phenomenal experience to meet someone for the first time, but feel like you have known him or her for years. The conversation does not start with “What’s your name?” or “Where do you come from?” It starts off with sharing your pedagogical beliefs, dialoguing about your educational philosophy, and discussing elements of your professional practice. That day, I met and chatted with @rondorland, @technolandy, and @teachinginthe21 to name a few. It was super fun!!!

However, in this blog I want to highlight a few of myTEDxLangleyED favourites. I loved listening to @karlLS and his passion for education and his students. He teaches in the United States and proclaims that the school system is broken. He follows up this statement with a question. “What are YOU going to do about it? This Monday!!! Good question. I love his ideas and I agree that teaching and learning goes beyond the standardized test. Karl is an engaging speaker and I am aligned to his message, practice, and purpose as a teacher.

My next fave speaker was Monique Gray Smith. She spoke about “the cookie people.” What I loved about her TEDx talk was her inquiry… “Who are your teachers?” These teachers are not necessarily your teachers in the classroom, but also teachers in your life who may have influenced your life to take a particular direction. This provoked me to think… who are my teachers? I have many ‘cookie people’ and I am grateful.

My last mention will be Hannah Park. First, I like that she was a Langley School District graduate, but also I appreciated the humour, honesty, and creativity. She spoke about her inquiry of reducing light pollution as it relates to the stages of creativity.  With this presentation, I thought about my dissertation and the many struggles I have faced. She reassures me to press on and move forward because “shit” will eventually transform itself to “awesome.” Love that idea and I am hopeful.

In this blog, I would love to mention something about every speaker and performer at TEDxLangleyED, but I think it would require pages and pages of blog. I hope you get a sense of how awesome it was.  I have much gratitude for the TEDxLangleyED committee, volunteers, presenters, and attendees. #thankyousomuch

Unsolicited

As I move forward trying to figure out my path, I was pleasantly surprised the other day. My daughter and I were out and about shopping local. One thing about small towns is that you are definitely going to bump into someone you know… or someone who knows you. That day, I looking for deals at a local sports store and then a woman approached me. She held my arm and pulled me aside to tell me that she was so proud of me for “running for mayor.” She was proud of my performance and said I did an excellent job during my campaign. That was unexpected and unsolicited.  The municipal election happened a few months ago yet people in my community still feel compelled to share their kind thoughts and support. Thank you. That was reassuring. Soon after, my daughter and I moseyed down to the local thrift store. My daughter loves thrift store shopping. Anyway, another women approaches me, holds onto my arm, and pulls me aside. She starts to tell me that her daughter will graduating from university soon and she is majoring in mathematics. Apparently, her daughter mentions ME, her high school mathematics teacher, for inspiring her to study mathematics. What??? I probably taught her over 5-6 years ago. Now that was totally unexpected and unsolicited. As a teacher, I had no idea the kind of lasting power or influence I had on my students. That was impressive… and validating. I was doing my job. Whew… the power of gratitude. Thank you both for taking the time and effort to share your gratitude with me. It made my day!!!

One Word Challenge

This is one of the wonderful things that I love about Twitter. Depending on who you follow and what you like to read… you can get inspired. A few weeks ago, I found the 2015 One Word Challenge from #think35. Although I am not a staff member of School District No.35 (Langley), I will unofficially participate in the challenge. I love the idea that people within SD35 are willing to create a virtual community for colleagues to share their one word for 2015, “make a change,” and communicate their 365 day journey via blog. What can I say… #superawesomeexcellent. So what’s my one word? My word is COMPLETION. Ironically, I am writing this blog to complete it. It’s been on hold for the last few weeks and I wanted to write another blog today about COMPLETION. On reflection, I figured that I might as well finish this one before the next one… ah yes, completion!!! It feels so good. This must be a part of an educator’s profile… “do more with less.” With this mantra, it’s easy to have a tonne of things on the go and nothing done. Well… I am so proud to report to that I have “completed” a few things as we approach the end of January. It feels great!!! Done. Finished. Complete. Tasks to do ranged from work to writing to housecleaning. Ultimately, it’s about getting it done. I get caught into the trap of “perfection”… which is oppositional to “completion.” I must exercise some of life’s lessons… LET IT GO… DO YOUR BEST… BE VULNERABLE. Yup. I’ve been wanting to blog for quite some time but felt held up by my website development. As one friend had kindly told me once… ONE STEP AT AT TIME. A little bit at a time and soon… all will be done. This requires patience, courage, and determination. I am getting there. Man-o-man… so many lessons in just one word. Thank you #think35.

Resistance

I cannot believe how much I am enjoying reading about methodology and statistics. I resisted for a very long time doing a quantitative study… and now I am reading about midpoint and the Likert Scale. What the? And, enjoying it. For years I wanted to do a qualitative study… compromised with a mixed methods approach… and now I am convinced a descriptive study is the way to go. Resistance is a funny thing… it holds ourselves back from something potentially great and wonderful. For quite some time my mantra was… everyone in my cohort is doing qualitative research, so should I. Hello? Failed logic. I’m a math teacher. I like math. I resisted. I am so enamoured by narratives and the lived experience such that I could not believe a quantitative study was the way to go. Amazingly, descriptive research uses data to create the narrative. Crazy or what? Something I wanted all along. Life’s Lesson: Resist resistance. Go with your strengths… speak your truth… and have fun. #joyrising

Happy New Year!!!

First of all… HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! I am very hopeful and optimistic about 2015. I love the idea of a new year. It’s an opportunity for recommitments, renewal, and revitalization. I have made a few resolutions for the new year, which will require me to take a few things off my plate or put on hold. I’m OK with that. It’s not forever, it’s just for a year. For me to experience all of the wonderful things in 2014, other things were taken off my plate or put on hold as well. It’s time for a priority change. This will require a new mindset and new habits. No biggie. It’s about moving forward and not dwelling on the past.

I’ve set 3 goals for 2015 and expect to keep them until I see them through to completion. Wish me luck… Second, I cannot believe that it has been more than a month since my last blogged. Nothing was reported for December 2014. Weird. With the end of my mayoralty campaign and re-entering back into my life as I once knew it with much to catch up on… I needed time to land, be still, and take a break. My blog is evidence of that. I had an incredible winter vacation. I had quiet time at home with my ‘little family’… Triple-Duck Madness in Vancouver with my immediate family… and time to clean and purge the crap out of my home. What can I tell you… it feels good. Third, I am moving forward with my 3 goals for 2015. I have read many articles, completed a new version of my survey questionnaire, and in the middle of revising all 3 chapters of my proposal with a deadline of January 5th. I resisted for years, but I am letting go and doing a quantitative research study. I am running out of time and up for the challenge.

Next, I have started Fitbit. This will be a new habit. I like data. I figured that I might as well guide my life and lifestyle based on numbers. Why not? Seems reasonable. I’m a math girl. Embrace it. And finally, I am in the middle of developing my new professional/political website at www.christineyounghusband.com. Admittedly, merging my websites together is like merging my worlds together… educational consulting, educational research, and educational leadership. At one point in time, I thought it was not possible… hence I managed 3 websites, 3 twitter accounts, 3 Facebook sites… and one blog. Seems unreasonable.

I have consolidated my Facebook pages to “Christine Younghusband” and my Twitter accounts to “@ChristineYH.” Now I am faced with creating my new website. Conceptually, I am feeling challenged. On the brighter side, there is one clear thread that resonates between my political work, academic work, and professional work. I have a deep desire to improve the learning experiences of others. That’s it. I feel fortunate to have three HUGE entry points to achieve this in addition to all the other edu-awesome things I do… such as #bcedchat, curriculum development, trusteeship, and this blog. The website will come together and I am so happy to have people around me to help. I am looking forward to 2015.

Thank you for enduring this unusually long blog entry. I had to make up for the lost blog time in December. #HappyNewYear #Resolutions2015

Alignment

Andy Hargreaves at 2014 BCSSA/BCABO Fall Conference

This is my final blog instalment of my BCSSA/BCASO Fall 2014 Conference.  Thank you conference organizers.  Another edu-selfie with Andy Hargreaves from Boston College… no shame… just pure joy, affirmation, and alignment.  At this conference, Andy spoke about UPLIFTING LEADERSHIP.  Let me tell you… I was uplifted. He spoke about dreaming with determination, creativity and counterflow, collaborating and competing, measuring with meaning, pushing and pulling, and sustainable growth.  Other ideas included being counterintuitive, investing in professional capital, and leading from the middle.  A few of my takeaways were (1) Dyson vacuums, 5176 prototypes, and the importance of trial and error; (2) the best time to consider change is when thing are working; and (3) collective autonomy. The best moment for me was when I complimented him personally on his presentation and how he handled the room.  His response was “Of course, I am a teacher. You can do it too.”  Yup.  A teacher at heart… Thank you Andy!!!

Joy Rising

Just finished another #bcedchat this evening… which inspired me to write tonight’s blog.  What do you do that brings you joy?  I think about all the different things that I do… and much of what I do is education related… but one of my greatest joys is participating and learning from #bcedchat.  Tonight I was a just tweeting along as a participant on #bcedchat… sometimes I am a co-moderator… other times I’m hanging out with members of the #bcedchat co-mod team on Google+.  No matter how I participate, I’m learning.  And for this, I am grateful.  I feel inspired, energized, and enlightened.  Tonight’s topic was “Thoughtful Technology Integration.” I had no idea what I would contribute or learn. Tonight, I was a teacher and learner.  I just put my thoughts out there and inquired.  I met so many great people via Twitter and love my growing PLN.  It’s moments like these when I feel like… “Doh, I wished I was back in the classroom to try out some of these ideas.”  Way too much fun… and maybe one day, I will be. Until then, let the lurking and learning continue. #Twitter #awesome

Edu-Consequences

Yong Zhao at the BCSSA BCASBO Fall Conference 2014

Front row seats at the BCSSA/BCABO 2014 Fall Conference to listen to Yong Zhao from the University of Oregon.  Yong’s enthusiasm, critical mind, and light hearted humour brought light to the purpose of education and “Are we doing a good job?”  Three points I would like to highlight from Yong’s engaging presentation: (1) Quality education would prevent our children from living in our basement.  This is so true.  What are we doing in education that prepares students for the real world?  This would a measurable outcome.  (2) Every time we solve a problem, we create new problems.  Yong calls them “side effects”or edu-consequences to change.  These outcomes are unintended.  (3) Entrepreneurialship in schools.  Students as entrepreneurs would cultivate their creativity, curiosity, and autonomy… thus shifting education from a place of compliance and mediocrity to a place of excellence and greatness that is focused on student strengths, not deficiencies. Thank you Yong and nudging us a bit further to shift the paradigm.

Making Explicit

Michael Fullan at BCSSA/BCASBO Fall Conference 2014

It was my deepest pleasure to meet one of my edu-super heroes Dr. Michael Fullan at the 2014 BCSSA/BCASBO Fall Conference in Vancouver.  I have read several his books on educational leadership and educational change but I never thought I would listen to him speak or even speak to him face-to-face.  First, thank you Michael for taking this shameless edu-selfie with me during the break and second, thank you for answering several of my edu-questions that lingered within me for many years as an educator and school trustee.  A weight has been lifted… and I am grateful.  Three messages that transformed my seemingly rhetorical edu-questions to a place of clarity: (1) The school principal should be the “Lead Learner” of the school; (2) Be explicit with the vision; and (3) When the moral imperative is lost, all that one can think about is the money.  Wowza…  I was frustrated for years and this was an “aha” edu-moment.  Thank you Michael!!!  Your gift is making the implicit, explicit… so that people, like me, can see themselves in your story.

The Morning After

It’s the morning after 5 weeks of campaigning and I reflect back with no regrets, no bad feelings, and no second thoughts.  I am proud of my performance and encouraged by the kind words from many who could see my leadership, my strengths, and my campaign.  I am grateful.  A big thank you to those who donated to my campaign, supported my campaign, and volunteered their time.  I am humbled.  A final thank you to my family and edu-colleagues for their love and support.  I am honoured.  This term, I opted for a positive mayoralty campaign that focused on community engagement, affordable housing, and small business initiatives.  However, it was clear that this municipal election was driven by fear and the “us vs. them” mindset.  I congratulate Bruce Milne and the 2014-2018 District of Sechelt Council. There is much work to do and I look forward to your work in the next 4-years.  I will continue with my community work with the CRC Progress Plan, Sunshine Coast Community Futures, and the SD46 Board of Education.  I have learned a lot about myself, my community, and municipal politics during this campaign.  We are a passionate bunch and pleased with voter turnout on the Sunshine Coast.  Thank you to all those who put their names forward for mayor, council, and school trustee in the 2014 BC local elections.  It’s not easy putting yourself out there with hopes of serving your community for the next four years.  Will you see me again in 4-years?  Absolutely.