My teaching has ended for the fall term and I am resting a bit as well as transitioning to my own writing, writing a grant, and getting a chapter complete. Reuniting with this WordPress site is like coming home again. I was so happy to regain access to this account and I am slowly but surely figuring out the new direction for this blog and website. When I was losing access to this account, I opened an OpenETC WordPress site with my workplace. I am super grateful to have that opportunity to create and write a new website to model for students but also personalize the website to reflect my “digital narrative” in EDUC 405 (Reflective Practice) and EDUC 796 (Portfolio).
My work blog on OpenETC is a weekly blog. Now reuniting with my former WordPress site, I feel that this second platform is an opportunity to write what’s important to me. TEACHER LEADERSHIP. That was one of my aha’s from a few days ago (and wrote about it) but now I am compelled to contribute to this site when I’m inspired. Tah dah!! I’m inspired. I just participated in a survey for someone’s study in educational leadership; I had a conversation with a former high school student and teacher colleague this morning talking about leadership; and this afternoon, I met up with my working group for CATE about writing a book chapter about teacher leadership.
Yes, I believe things happen in three. Voila… serendipity. I am inspired. What is teacher leadership? What are the theoretical frameworks for teacher leadership? What would inspire someone to feel empowered as a teacher leader? Here is what I know, so far (based on experience). Teacher leadership is informal. There is no formal position, additional pay, or recognition that acknowledges teacher leadership within an organization. Teacher leadership is relational, servant-oriented, and emergent. I might be 100% biased and describe it this way, but it might also be situation, visionary, and transformative. Context matters, but in my mind, the ultimate goal is to support, enhance, or enable student learning experiences through innovation, collaboration, or partnerships. The teacher leader must be willing to take risks, be vulnerable, and listen to and learn from the people we are serving (the students).
Teacher leadership is a position that I have always held. In K-12 education, I was the school professional development representative, staff representative, and math department head. I was also a volleyball coach (I have no idea of the sport as a curler… LOL), grad class sponsor (not an event planner), and school first aid attendant (biology is not my strength). In higher education, I serve on senate and a couple of senate committees, supervised graduate students in EDUC 796, and contributed to the department to move forward with a redesigned program for the B.Ed. and M.Ed. programs. And in between, I was a co-moderator on #bcedchat on Twitter, school trustee, and contributor to BC’s Curriculum in K-9 math. I have always been a teacher leader and I never acknowledged it until now. In past, I have always strived for formal leadership roles but in the end, the position itself never resonated with me.
RELAX. A word that has come into my way of being. I feel like I have arrived. All year, I have been trying to “slow down”… volunteer less… and focus on my health. These are only a few things with some attempt to address the messiness of life (which includes work) and the best strategy right now is to relax. I don’t mean to relax and not do anything or slack, but to not take things too seriously. This liberation is freedom. I grateful and humbled how people perceive me as a leader and offered kind words and acknowledgement of my work and way of being. I am a teacher leader. The formality of a role, perceived power that’s attached to it, and any ego-boosting tactics are not what drives me. I love what I do as a teacher. I know that now. I am in the right place at the right time despite any perceived obstacles, barriers, or haters.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 18th, 2023 | Comments Off on Time to Reflect
Oh my gosh… when I saw this image on Instagram, I thought I was looking into a mirror. LOL. A circle (aka. Pusheen) with a bag of chips. Heaven. I don’t eat chips anymore (because I’m getting old and all of my organs are slowly failing) and I’m allergic to cats (but I love Pusheen). Look at the joy in their face!! I know that feeling. I can see myself in this image, or shall I say it’s an excellent self-portrait. Today marks the official end of the fall term (for me). It was full to say the least. I taught two undergraduate courses, two graduate courses, supervised final practicum for 8 teacher candidates, and supervised one graduate student in portfolio. This is the life of teaching faculty at the university. I’m not complaining, but rather accepting.
Surrender. You can’t control your surroundings.
I enjoy teaching. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but to be viable in higher education, there is also a research component, even though it’s not in my workload to do so. I do plenty of service and I’ve been learning since being in higher education how to “say no” and to do what I like to do for the university and profession. I also need to “say no” in my teaching, meaning, I don’t have to do everything. It’s been a year where I had to really think about my values and what’s important to me. I’ve had several pivotal moments in 2023 to point in some direction and with some urgency. It’s not something I can “force” myself to do, but it’s something that needs to stay in my consciousness and be mindful of. Furthermore, in doing so, I’ve had to engage in my own healing. This year has been full of change but I feel that I’m landing somewhere.
Being the end of term, at least for my teaching, I took today as a SLOW DAY to recalibrate into the “on the side of my desk” aspect of my work… research. I’ve been mulling about my research program and looking for that thread that attaches everything that I do and what I am interested in together. This reflection and consideration take time because I am interested and have been involved with many aspects of education that may appear unrelated. I’ve been advised several times during my time at the university to figure out my research program. At first I thought it was mathematics, then Indigenous education, and identity development. What I have realized is, my focus is TEACHER LEADERSHIP. It’s something that I will be writing more about soon for a chapter in a book, but I am realizing this is the common thread throughout my work. The leadership is not a formal position, but I am a leader.
“Lead from where you are.”
Leadership takes on many forms. As I reflect on the courses that I’ve just taught this term and I was deeply moved by one IGNITE video submitted by one student in one of my classes that deeply resonated with me in addition to thinking about what I do in my practice and what I hope for with professional development and even with this blog, TEACHER LEADERSHIP is the connecting thread. Not everyone is going to like what or even like me or what I have to offer, but “my why” (inspired by Simon Sinek) and my deep admiration for Parker Palmer’s work and self-knowledge, I am super excited about this discovery. Yes, I was doing the dishes when my thinking about the content of this blog. It went from reflection and pandemic reflections to the idea of leadership, then to Teacher Leadership, which has always been my mantra. I cannot describe to you how excited I am except for the idea that this blog post took only 30-minutes to write. I’m stoked. So look forward to future posts on teacher leadership.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 15th, 2023 | Comments Off on Teacher Leadership
TRUST. I wrestle with this word, concept, or feeling. It’s something that I have never thought about. I was more consumed as a child about “being equal” with my older siblings. As a young adult, I was consumed by doing what I thought others wanted me to be, particularly my parents. As an adult, I spent my time trying to achieve the stereotypical goals like get a career, get married, have a baby, buy a house, etc. At 40-years old, I took a side step and life was disrupted. Call it the midlife unravelling, but it unraveled for a decade. Now in my 50’s, I’m single, my kid is an adult, and I have just completed 5-years of teaching Teacher Ed at the university (plus one term).
Admittedly, it has been turbulent to arrive to this very moment. I left my life as I knew it in the Lower Mainland and created a new one in the Central Interior of BC. The move alone was a huge learning curve, which in turn has taught me the value of place and how I understand the world. Living here in Prince George has been humbling… and healing. I needed to be here. I know that now. Much of my time has been resisting, questioning, and pretending. I am done with that now. I am embarking on a new journey. This year, I was asked to write a short excerpt for Asian Heritage Month: https://www2.unbc.ca/newsroom/unbc-stories/learning-embrace-identity
This term has reminded me so much of how I felt when I left my teaching practice in K-12 in 2010. I had good flow, good relationships, and I loved what I did. It almost seemed too good to be true. In some ways it was because I left the practice for other reasons. It was not the students or my love for teaching and learning. Now that the “dust has settled” at the university and heading into the Fall 2023 term, my approach to my courses were with an open heart and mind. I continued exploring my pedagogy that resonated with my values and beliefs. I feel exactly like I did when I left K-12 teaching. I love all of my courses, I love all of my students, and I love myself.
The photos above are of my students from EDUC 491. I was their course instructor and practice evaluator (aka. faculty advisor). The process as to how we arrived to this class composition was atypical and unnecessarily stressful. When I was able to allow, surrender, and accept, we entered the final practicum doing what was best for us. I felt the same for my 2 undergraduate courses, 2 graduate courses, and one graduate student supervision. I also felt good starting the term connecting with my final undergraduate course of a cohort I taught last year for two consecutive terms. Big picture, as you can see, we ended the term strong and completed practicum.
I feel so lucky to have a these people in my practicum group and I appreciate all of my students. I learn so much about them, my subject area, and about myself. I would also say developing an expertise with deliberate practice is also part of this magic formula of success. Yesterday was my last day of classes and I am very appreciative of the new cohorts, but also grateful for this crew, last year’s elementary cohort, and members of the science/math crew. As bumpy as it may have been en route, I am learning more about overcoming self-doubt and to believe in myself. Feels great!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 05th, 2023 | Comments Off on Feeling Gratitude
