Christine Ho Younghusband

Learning Experiences

This is my kid… my super kid… and loving every bit of her.

Here’s a picture of my kid fielding a milk-foam mustache.  She’s so funny.  That’s how she rolls.  I feel so fortunate to spend time with her during her formative years.  Today, I spent the morning at her school as a parent volunteer for the Terry Fox Run.  It was so great to be a part of this event.  Teachers, support staff, parents, and the PAC made the Terry Fox Run super fun and possible for the kids.  This afternoon, I changed hats from parent to school trustee and went to a thank you luncheon at the SD46 Maintenance Shop.  I got a tour of the establishment, chatted with SD46 employees, and ate a yummy burger.  A wonderful aha… we are all in it together.  I cannot express enough gratitude to all those who contribute to the learning experiences of our students in SD46.  Whether if you are a parent, principal, teacher, painter, SETA, electrician, or (fill in the blank)… THANK YOU.

A Friendly Reminder

Math 12 at it’s finest… Love student engagement!

You know… there are many things that I enjoy about teaching math.  What I enjoy the most is the relationships I have with students.  First of all, MATH IS FUN.  I know that many people may think otherwise, but learning is fun.  This is an archival photo of one of my Math 12 classes from about 5+ years ago.  I loved that we worked in groups.  I loved that we looked forward to coming to math class.  I loved that we were willing to banter, ask questions, and wrestle with ideas.  Last night I was reminded of the good times I had with my math students… learning math… having fun… laughing and giggling… and challenging our beliefs.  My last tutoring session yesterday was a Pre-Calculus Math 11 student who is learning math online.  We had a blast.  The hour passed by quickly and the best part is, we were both the learner and teacher.  Teaching and learning are codependent.  Love that!

Off the Plate

Life is like a Chinese Smorgasbord.  I love going out for Smorgasbord.  There are lots of choices.  Sometimes making the right choice can be challenging.  I tend to do is take a bit of everything onto my plate.  I like to choose items that look yummy and delicious.  It’s an opportunity to enjoy familiar favorites, but also a time to try something new.  I could be strategic, but I have no plan.  The down side of this is, I often end up with too much on my plate.  I want try a little bit of everything.  In the end, I have a huge mound of food that I am committed too.  I could say, NO.  Maybe I can’t have everything, all at once.  I said, maybe.  Maybe I could choose more wisely and take what I need.  Worst case scenario, food will fall off the plate.  Yup.  Food on the floor and I can’t pick it up.  I might even have leftovers that I can’t take home.  That would kind of suck, but guess what?  That’s OK.  There is always next time.  If anything, I had a good meal.  Enjoy!

Who’s Jumping?

NOT ME… I’m not jumping.  I’m too scared to take the first leap.  Does this sound familiar?  It’s like my kid jumping off the pier into the ocean.  As much as she wanted to jump into the water, there was much deliberation… second guessing… and self-doubt.  We all have opportunities like this.  Life presents us with challenges to overcome and achieve.  If you don’t learn it now, it will happen again, and you might learn it later.  The FEAR is debilitating.

I want to jump.  Much like tutoring or teaching mathematics, the learner sometimes has no idea why the process is the way it is or why the answer is correct.  That’s how I feel about my academic writing.  In this case, I am the learner.  Intuition guides us, but how do you know if what you’re right or wrong?  This is the frustrating part for me.  Yup.  Call it a lack of trust.  My proposed methodology took a 180 degree turn and I’m unsure if this is the “right” thing to do. 

OK.  In doctoral research, there is no “right” or “wrong” as long as I can defend what I’m doing.  The crazy part is… with this radical change, all seems to be all falling into place.  It’s like the sky pieces of an annoying puzzle are fitting perfectly without forcing the pieces together.  I’m a little unnerved that what I am piecing together fits.  This has not happened before.  I’m somewhat alarmed.  The only way I will ever know if I am “right” or “wrong” is to jump. 

So, who’s jumping.  I am.  Just get it done… submit… get feedback… and revise.  Wish me luck…. Wheeeeeeeee... 

My Kid is Me

Jumping off the Pier at Davis Bay

My kid is a great swimmer.  She loves being in the water and she is a proficient swimmer.  There is no doubt in my mind she could jump off the pier and swim in the ocean.  Seize the day.  Today she wanted to jump off the pier in Davis Bay.  She’s never done this before, but has wanted to do it for years.  All ready with her swimsuit on, she walked onto the pier, and looked down at the ocean.  Deja vu.  It was like being at the PNE.  Lots of anticipation… lots of procrastination… Too much over thinking led to self-doubt and uncertainty.  My husband and I were there to support her, but in the end, it was up to her.  With a deep breath, she decided to jump.  Wheeee... She did it!  No problem.  Then, she climbed up the chain ladder within a few seconds ready to jump off the pier again.  The fear was gone.  Wheeee... there she goes again… and again… and again.  My kid is me.  She teaches me soooooo much.  Jump.  It’s not as bad as you think it might be.  In fact, you might even like it.  Wheeee…

Snakes and Ladders

Do you remember this game?  Roll the die, move the figurine forwards and see where you land.  If you land at the base of a ladder, you quickly advance upwards.  If you land on a snake, you remorsefully slide down backwards.  Isn’t this like real life?  Who would have thought that a game like Snakes and Ladders could model a person’s career.  Many may proceed forward by going step by step, year by year… never hitting a snake or a ladder.   Some people might be super lucky and manage to land on ladders every time.  Others may not be so lucky and move forwards to realize with one wrong move and it’s backwards on the career trail.  For some, it’s a mixture of both snakes and ladders.  You’d think that you could be strategic with this game, but sometimes it’s about luck.  The right time, the right place, the right “fit”… sometimes all three must be aligned to move forwards (expediently). Blog thought of the day… Keep plugging way towards your dream… you’ll eventually get there.  Happy Rolling.

Assessment Rant 2012

Assessment for Learning = The “No Zero” Policy

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL… it’s the first day back to school and I love looking at Twitter to check out edu-stuff people want to share, contribute or enlighten others.  Well, I’m no different.  One post caught my eye about assessment practices and the “No Zero” policy.  A classic policy implementation problem…

On the one hand, the learner deserves to get a ZERO if they know absolutely NOTHING on the summative assessment exercise (i.e. unit test, final exam, or project).  There is no question in my mind if that the learner is unable to demonstrate ANY UNDERSTANDING of the learning outcomes being evaluated, then yes… the academic performance is zero worthy.

On the other hand, the teacher has provided several formative assessment activities (i.e. assignments, group work, or journals) to know that the the learner knows nothing, the learner understood from these activities that he/she knew nothing, and the feedback provided had no positive affect on the learner’s understanding of the learning outcomes.  The learner is unable to learn any of the content… this is zero worthy.  Think about it… How can a learner know NOTHING by the final assessment?  It’s possible, but not probable.

Here’s some news… The NO ZERO POLICY is MISUNDERSTOOD.  You can give a ZERO if the learner understands NOTHING on the final assessment.  However, giving a ZERO as a means of managing behaviour to punish learners for not handing in their work or completing a task on-time is wrong.  I give this a zero.  Yes, giving zeros may “motivate” learners to get the job done, but not for the right reasons.  Teaching and learning is more complex than Skinner’s behaviourist approach.  Giving grades for “good” learning behaviour or denying grades for “bad” learning behaviour TOKENIZES LEARNING.  In this case, the learner deserves an N, not a zero.  News flash… it’s a work habit problem.

What annoys me more is the idea that giving zeros is preparing learners for the future.  Are marks a form of currency?  I hope not.  If an adult is not working, committing time theft, or under performing, he/she would be warned, investigated, or informed well before pay is deducted.  The adult would be pulled aside, spoken to, and given ways to “make things better.”  This is known as ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING.  Give formative feedback to learners, without punishment, and give opportunities to “make things better” before making a judgement or final evaluation.  It happens in schools.

As you can see, assessment practices are near and dear to my heart as an educator.  The issue with the “No Zero” Policy is not the policy itself, but the disconnection between policy makers and policy implementers as to what the policy intends to achieve and what it would look like in practice.  If the title of the policy is taken at face value, then yes, I would agree that “not being allowed” to give out ZEROS is outrageous.  But I believe that the policy suggests, when grading, the mark should reflect the learners’ understanding of the learning outcomes, not their work habits.

Just Do Right

At the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) – August 26, 2012

Lately, I’ve been in a state of paralysis.  I’ve been contemplating what I want to do with my life, what I want out of life, and what my purpose in life is.  Classic existentialist questions… I must have too much time on my hands (or procrastinating).  I had a few aha’s at the PNE.  First, know your limitations.  I went to several food trucks and ate mini-doughnuts.  Not a great place to be when embarking on WW.  Second, tradition is sacred.  Every year I have to see the Superdogs.  Not sure why I like them, but they seem to make my day.  Finally, fear is in the mind.  I watched my kid decide on which rides she wanted to go on.  My daughter enjoyed the “safe” rides, challenged herself on a few “questionable” rides, and refused to go on the “scary” rides.  I do the exact same thing.  Talk about life’s lessons smacking me in the face.  Rarely do I do “scary” things.  Why not jump?  If I want to model for my kid and others whom I teach, then I must be willing to jump too.  Just do right.  It might not be scary after all.

An ESTJ Researcher

A rude realization… I am an ESTJ researcher.  This should not be allowed.  More than 10 years ago during my Master of Education program, I took a course about teaching and learning styles.  In that course, the class engaged in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  As it turns out, I am an ESTJ.  At the time, knowing this information helped me to understand that I am not like other teachers and students are not like me.  It also explained why I enjoyed teaching high school mathematics so much.  Understanding MBTI, I was more aware of student learning styles and more able to flex my teaching practice to accommodate for the diverse learners in my classroom.  Furthermore, I was no longer comparing myself with other colleagues in terms of teaching style and approach.  Now, as a graduate student, I am reminded of MBTI.  For ESTJ’s, writing structured reports are good, meeting deadlines are great, and working with others is awesome.  Guess what doctoral thesis writing is like?  None of the above.  It’s is a heart breaker.  With that said, it explains my behaviour, learning style, and what I have to do next.  Wish me luck!

Betrayal Unknown

I write this blog to work out my thoughts on past events and what I am suppose to learn from them.  Furthermore, I write them in a blog with hopes of other people learning from my mistakes, experiences, and aha moments.

With my feelings of uncertainty and a heavy heart, I am reminded of an event that happened over a decade ago.  There was a “critical incident” at my workplace.  The news of it shocked everyone (particularly ones who were not in the know).  To be truthful, I don’t think that I have ever recovered from that experience.  The critical incident was “handled” and counseling was available.  I went to one session with several colleagues, but in the end, I felt betrayed.

I worked with this person.  We were friends.  The incident happens.  The person disappears from the workplace.  Questions unanswered.  Hurt feelings.  We are no longer friends.  To talk about this person, I would rather stab needles in my eye.  For many years, I felt I had nothing to learn from this incident except for deep feelings of anger, resentment, and betrayal.  Since the incident, I have never been able to forgive this person.  I kept justifying my feelings.

Looking back at this event, I have learned something as I ponder about my current state of mind.  In my situation, the roles are reversed.  A decision was made.  Many people affected.  Both options had pros and cons.  Because of that, there are winners and losers, regardless of choice.  Now, I understand that the person from the critical incident made a decision (one I may not agree with) and creating feelings of betrayal was never a part of this person’s intention. 

What a strange aha.  As I contemplate current circumstances, I have come to a point where I can forgive this person from 10-years ago whom I disliked immensely for many years and for many reasons.  Certainly, trust was broken, we are no longer friends, and I have many unanswered questions.  What brings me some peace is that this person’s action was never intended to hurt me or others.  This is betrayal unknown.  Do the right things for the right reasons, some people may get hurt en route.  What is “right” for some, may not be for others.  So now, I grieve and mourn a loss.

That is all… It’s not a happy blog entry today… but strangely, it has given me some happiness.  The greatest gift I can give myself is forgiveness.  I forgive the person from 10-years ago and I forgive myself.  Thank you Bloggies for reading.