Christine Ho Younghusband

Feeling Reassured

BTW: I am easily provoked.  “Do you miss teaching?”  Of course I do.  I loved teaching math.  It was fun… challenging… and I loved the kids.  Look at this picture… 7 out of 8 in this photo are girls… in Math 12… AWESOME!!!  I loved making math exciting.  I loved the student aha’s.  I loved boosting their sense of efficacy to learn math.  Who wouldn’t miss this?  If anything, I miss the students… but that’s why I left.  We all have a purpose.  I was compelled to do more.  How can I make a difference in student learning?  30 students x 7 classes per year wasn’t enough.  Although it was not an easy decision to leave public schools, many factors guided me to make a trajectory shift in my career.  Self-doubt, insecurities, and false beliefs have held me back for a few years.  Who else is doing what I’m doing?  Who understands my purpose?  Who really cares?  What I have learned is, I have to know… I have to care… and, I do.  I felt reassured when I bumped into a former math student at the coffee shop.  She asked me if I was still teaching at the high school and I told her that I left a few years ago to work on my doctoral thesis.  I also mentioned that it was taking me a LONG TIME and I was scared about what I was writing about.  Classic ABD.  The next day I saw her again at the coffee shop.  She said to me that she thought about what I was studying and believed it was worthwhile to do.  THANK YOU!!!  I needed to hear that. #hug #love #reassuring #mathisfun

Visually Cued

Let’s talk about math… It has become evident to me that mathematics is visually cued.  If you don’t recognize it, you can’t do it.  If the “x” is situated on the “wrong side” of the equation, if the graph is scaled by 2’s or 10’s, or if the triangle looks like it has a 45 degree angle instead of 60 can unintentionally throw off the learner from taking the next step.  As a result, the learner gets STUCK and math confidence plummets.  To restore the learner’s sense of efficacy would require the learner to ask a question and get help.  If left stuck for too long, the learner would soon adopt false beliefs of “math is hard”… “I’m not good at math”… and “math sucks.”  These are all horrible outcomes.  My job is to create a safe learning environment, listen to the learner’s struggle, and find doable strategies to remedy the perceived math obstacle.  No one learns exactly the same, hence how to resolve the learner’s issue is never the same.  Just because some learners are visually cued in one way, it may not trigger others to do the same math.  Understanding mathematics requires different entry points and flexibility to gain the knowledge, but also multiple ways to demonstrate it as well.  I love it when my clients say, “Oh, that’s it… that’s way easier than I thought it would be.  Thanks!”  For example, using graph paper to learn transformations of quadratic functions visually cued this learner to take the next step.  Before that, this client was stuck.  What are you willing to try?

SD46 District PD Day

Dr. Jennifer Katz, University of Manitoba – 3 Block UDL

Love teacher professional development… Thank you SD46 Sunshine Coast Teachers’ Association District Professional Development Committee for inviting school trustees to this event.  It was so wonderful to learn with teachers, principals, and support staff about academic and social inclusion from Dr. Jennifer Katz and her research.  Her keynote was truth telling, compelling, and inspiring.  I also enjoyed reconnecting with friends, familiar faces, and former colleagues.  What I loved the most was seeing a lot of new teachers in the crowd… some of them were my former math students.  Soooo cute… I am proud to know that many Chatelech Secondary Alumni returned back to the Sunshine Coast to teach.  It feels like a full circle.  I had great conversations, great food, and great opportunities to learn something new.  Thank you District PD Committee.  Well done!

Defining Moments

We all have defining moments in our lives whether if we recognize them or not.  These moments change the trajectory of our lives.  I would like to believe that these defining moments are meant to happen for the soul purpose of teaching us something about ourselves and our deepest desires.  For many years, I was a careerist.  I was 100% committed to my teaching career and loved every moment of it.  I was driven to learn new things and inspire my students to learn math.  Then I had my daughter.  It was not in my imagination that I would be a mom.  Her arrival was a defining moment.  My values shifted, my priorities reorganized, and my trajectory recalibrated.  I continue to be passionate about education, student success, and mathematics… but how I am engaged in that and making a difference has changed.  I am no longer a practicing secondary math teacher in public schools.  I am a doctoral student, school trustee, and self-employed educational consultant.  This flexibility of time allows me to chaperone my daughter’s upcoming Valentine’s dance or pick her up after school from homework club.  We all make decisions like this.  Life takes its turns and I accept them with no regrets. #beingbold #lovemykid

Why Blog?

Still love my kid… anyway, WHY BLOG?  A thought provoking question worthy of reflection.  Why do I blog?  At first, I started blogging with the hopes of building my confidence in writing, finding my voice, and gathering the courage to share what I think.  Three years later, I’ve accomplished my blogging goals.  In doing so, I established a blogging framework… one photo, one thought, and keep it short… in addition to being aware of my aha moments to share as it relates to education, leadership, and my lived experience.  This is my “pedagogical journey.” We are all unique, thus all edu-blogs are unique.  What we want to share, how much we share, and why we share are inspired by what shines within the blogger.  What inspires me is what I learn (or relearn) believing that someone else “out there” has similar aha’s.  Now entering 2014, I am reassessing why I blog.  Look forward to my next blog entry… it might be different (or not). #learning #selfassessment #yayme

Perfect Timing

Love my kid… this photo best depicts how I feel.  What an incredible awesome day…  From beginning to end, everything that happened today was meant to happen.  In fact, it was perfect timing.  One situation after another, I needed to happen at the right time to do the right things with the right people at the right place… wholeheartedly.  For this, I am grateful.  Ya, I’m being super vague about the details, but in truth, it doesn’t matter.  If we all take a moment to slow down, look around, and reflect on our day… everything that happens around us, to us, and for us occurs for the right reasons at the right time.  The sequence of events are not ones I could predict or control, but they are for me to acknowledge and recognize.  No judgement.  These events were neither good or bad, but rather opportunities to learn something new.  Today, I received plenty of beautiful messages from the most unexpected places.  As I write, I am smiling. #gratitude #thankyou

Comes in Three

Welcome to a new year… with a new year, there are new resolutions… I have decided to work on goal setting.  Yup.  Taking the lunge, asking for help, and making the move to narrow my focus into something that is productive, meaningful, and worthwhile… as part of a long process… and not the endpoint of a certain chapter in life.  As I work through this process, I have arrived to several aha’s.  First, messages, hints, or clues… come in three.  For example, as I try to establish what’s really important to me… I have literally bumped into what I was suppose to hear.  One day I heard… go back to school, adult education, and autodidactism… three related messages from three different conversations.  On another day I heard… mathematics education, content knowledge, and student achievement.  And, with my goal setting work I hear… writing, researching, and learning.  The message seems pretty clear to me.  To my surprise, this is something that I really want to do, I am ready to do, and understand that this is only a part of the whole picture.  This is reassuring.  I am also learning about my strengths, limitations, and deepest desires.  The pieces of the puzzle seem to be falling into place and I am driven to continue on this path.  There is no question that I am passionate about mathematics education, professional development, and quality public education.  What I am realizing is that I will have to move forward on this pedagogical journey one step at a time.

Realizing My Passion

What am I going to do with my life?  I ask myself this question as I turn the page towards the next chapter.  This is reminiscent of my younger years.  Yup, I went to university at 17 not knowing what I wanted to do.  I knew that I was not an English or Humanities person… so I enrolled into the Faculty of Science.  In my third year, that is, 20 years ago I figured out “what I wanted to do with my life.”  Education.  I volunteered at Kwantlen College with the Adult Basic Education program and tutored math.  Of all the occupations I considered in my first three years at UBC, I never considered education.  Volunteering at Kwantlen was incredible.  I loved working with adults so that they could get onto their next chapter.  Extremely rewarding.  Well, I’m back at it again with my consulting business… I’m tutoring an adult in Math 11.  We laugh, we learn, and we drink lattes.  The best part it is, the session ends with a “thank you.”  The feeling is mutual.  #fullcircle #gratitude

Trustee School Visits 2014

Langdale Elementary – January 10, 2014

What a great couple of days… this is the last year of my first term as school trustee… and my third “Trustee Tour” of School District No.46 (Sunshine Coast).  The Trustee School Visits are intended to see school development plans, aka. School Goals, in action.  This year, the focus is early reading, social responsibility, and graduation rates.  We have toured 10 schools so far.  On January 10th we visited Davis Bay Elementary, Roberts Creek Elementary, Gibsons Elementary, Cedar Grove Elementary, Langdale Elementary, and Elphinstone Secondary in addition to the Gibsons Elementary Rebuild construction site.  On January 13th we visited Kinnikinnick Elementary, Chatelech Secondary, Pender Harbour Secondary, and Madeira Park Elementary in addition to witnessing the Entrance Pole Project Ceremony at Pender Harbour Secondary.  It is a truly a privilege and honour to visit schools on the Sunshine Coast.  I love observing students engaged in their learning and I love connecting with teachers engaged in their practice.  Thank you staff and students for welcoming the SD46 Board of Education and Senior Staff into your schools and into your classroom.  It’s so wonderful to step away from the board table to see YOU… the students, teachers, SETA’s, and school principals doing what YOU do… teaching and learning.  LOVE IT!!!  #tourtobecontinued #halfmoonbay #westsechelt #alternativeschools  

About Me + Sunshine = Homework

Prince Rupert Senior Secondary School, Grad ’88

My friends Angela and Kat from my PLN (professional learning network) have kindly invited/nominated me to be a part of this 11-11-11 “chain letter.” Thank you!!! Angela defined it as an opportunity to write About Me. Kat defined it as an opportunity to spread some sunshine.  From what I understand about this “homework” assignment, as seen on Twitter, it’s a opportunity to get to know people in your PLN a little bit better.  Angela and I met F2F at SD48 at an Assessment for Learning (AFL) workshop I was facilitating. As much as “I love MATH”… so Angela claims in her blog, I believe that we are AFL kindred spirits. On the other hand, I have never met Kat F2F. We met on #bcedchat on Twitter, giving each other virtual “high fives.” And yes Kat, it is 2014… we must meet soon… Maybe @edcamp35 or @EdCamp_Delta???

The homework assignment is this: (1) Write 11 random facts about yourself, (2) answer 11 questions posed by your nominator, and (3) invite 11 other people from your PLN and ask them to repeat steps (1) and (2) and answer 11 of my questions. For this homework assignment, I have decided to answer both sets of questions from Angela and Kat.  Welcome to the 11-11-11 PLN chain letter… or the greatness of social media and the connected educator… growing exponentially.  LOVE IT.  Before I begin, I would like to include Angela’s and Kat’s blog submissions so that you can get to know them a bit better as well… OK. Here it goes…

Angela Stott, Vice-Principal at SD6, @ajgadd:
http://stott.edublogs.org/about/

Kat Mulski, Teacher at SD35, @Teachinginthe21: 
http://teachinginthe21.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/blogging-for-sunshine.html

11 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

1. Born and raised in Prince Rupert, BC… yup, it’s true… not Prince George.
2. Believe it or not, I lived on Prince Rupert Blvd… it’s a small town.
3. Graduated from Prince Rupert Senior Secondary School… surprised??
4. Wore a tuxedo for my high school graduation… I’m cool like that.
5. My first name is Alice… let’s not talk about that.
6. Alcan High School Curling Provincial Champion… winner!!!
7. Still believe that I’m in my early 30’s… do the math, started curling when I was 2.
8. Look Chinese, but do not speak or understand Chinese… not even dim sum.
9. Have a twin brother… who looks nothing like me, really.
10. Flatfooted and almost 5’2″ tall… yup, stellar athelete (aka. curling star).
11. Don’t know how to swim… but I can throw a mean out-turn takeout.

 

11 QUESTIONS POSED BY ANGELA:

1. Describe your transition from secondary school to post secondary school.
ANSWER: Sketchy, at best. Prince Rupert is a small town. UBC is a HUGE campus. A tough transition.
2. Where is one place you’ve been that you would tell others in “forgettable”?
ANSWER: Hong Kong. Been there once for a family reunion. Loved it. Would go again.
3. Who was your favorite teacher growing up and why was that teacher so great?
ANSWER:  Mr. Leonard, Grade 12 Chemistry Teacher. He was kind, a matter of fact, and loved Chemistry.
4. Favorite Canadian band?
ANSWER: Does Michael Buble count?  If not, then I like Loverboy (oh snap, the 80’s).
5. What kinds of books do you read just for the heck of it?
ANSWER: Maybe RTI (Response to Intervention) books… just received 3 FREE books in the mail.
6. If there was just one thing that you wish you could be a little better at, what would it be?
ANSWER: Reading.
7. What do you wish you knew when you were 16 that you know for sure now?
ANSWER: Be true to yourself.
8. How do you think you have the greatest influence in your work?
ANSWER: My passion for quality public education, student learning, and student success… Let’s keep talking.
9. Describe what retirement will look like for you.
ANSWER: Sadly, I would still be working… traveling… but teaching, learning, and leading. #awesome
10. You have a meeting with an important person to talk about important thing. Who is that person and what are you going to talk about.
ANSWER: Me and me.
11. What eating establishment do I need to go to if money, distance, and time were of no concern.
ANSWER: Love Vij’s in Vancouver. Mmmmm…. Super YUMMY. Best meal of my life!!!

11 QUESTIONS POSED BY KAT:

1.  Name your top 3 most influential writers, individuals, educators. How have they affected you as an educator?
ANSWER: Alfie Kohn, Alasdair McIntyre, and Geoff Madoc Jones.  Out-of-the box people, pushing the boundaries.
2. What or who influences you to continue to be an educator?
ANSWER: Students, “making a difference,” and my PLN.
3. Star Wars or Star Trek- and why?
ANSWER: Star Trek… sorry Kat… Love Jean-Luc Picard.
4. What educational goal are you aiming for completion this year?
ANSWER: A dissertation proposal, data collection, and data analysis.
5. How do you spend a day electronic-less? Or do you? 🙂
ANSWER: What??? Hmm… Good one… ugh… no electronics, eh?  Sleep.
6. You bump into your hero(es)- who are they and what do they say to you?
ANSWER: Sandra Schmirler and Geoff-Madoc Jones… “Hi!”
7.  Would you ever sign a petition to ban duo-tangs from elementary schools? If yes, why and if no, why not?
ANSWER: Secondary math teacher… never used duo-tangs??? My kid used to… No opinion.
8. Pen or Pencil?
ANSWER: Pen, definitely. Seems CRAZY for a math teacher. Pencils are too “grippy.”
9. What is your favourite way to spend a summer?
ANSWER: Doing nothing and lying on my driveway with a beverage soaking up the sun.
10. If your phone died right now, how do you react?
ANSWER: Panic.
11. Anticipating educational trends and changes on the horizon, what do you anticipate 2014 to include?
ANSWER: e-Portfolios as a means of ongoing student assessment K-12.

MY 11 NOMINEES:
Will be inviting SD46 peeps with hopes of provoking an #SD46pln… hopefully they blog as well.

1. Patrick Bocking, @Patrick_Bocking  
2. Leah Judd, @leah_judd   
3. Jeff Marshall, @JeffMarshall2
4. Paul Bishop, @paulmlbishop  
5. Bob Cotter, @gibsonsgolfer
6. Carolyn Spence, @CarolynMSpence  
7. Kate Kerr, @katekerr46   
8. Cheryl McCrone, @cheryl_mccrone
9. Susan Telfer, @susanktelfer 
10. Richard Biel, @BarnacleBiel  
11. Darren Klepsch, @darren_klepsch

MY 11 QUESTIONS:
FYI #SD46pln Nominees… participation is voluntary… if anything, it’s 11 to answer, not 22… Meh, it’s for fun.

1. Have you ever curled before and what position did/would you play?
2. What is your favorite memory about school?
3. What would you like to achieve in 2014?
4. If you were a can of soup, what kind of soup would you be?
5. Name one new edu-initiative you would like to try and why.
6. Who is your favorite Peanuts character and why?
7. How do you best connect with your PLN?
8. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would that be?
9. What is your best accomplishment or favorite memory of 2013?
10. As an educator, what is your claim to fame?
11. What do you love about teaching/leading/learning in SD46?

Whoa. You are soooooo right Kat.  This is a SUPER long blog, but so worthwhile.  And yes Angela, I can put myself MORE out there.  Lots of reflection.  Lots to consider.  I hope that you’ve learned a little more about me.  I would encourage my #SD46pln Nominees to embark on this 11-11-11 homework challenge and share.  It’s an excellent way to get to know your PLN a bit better.  Thank you Angela and Kat, once again, for the invite/nomination.  #LIKE