Of course I have to blog as a moment of solace, joy, and reflection before I delve into the next “thing to do.” It’s been unbelievable this month in terms of workload, timelines, and expectations. There are some wins, and some losses. I don’t want to get too down on myself, but rather take one step at a time and know that things will work out in the end. I’ve just completed a whole bunch of tasks and I have to jump into another HUGE task (that’s now overdue). Before I do, I had to get things off my desktop, organize my planner, and blog a little. As I am doing this transition-ritual, I am filled with hope, optimism, and a new mindset of what’s possible. Hence, my name. I’m showing you a screenshot of part of my Chinese name that my sister has been learning more about from my aunties, cousins, and niece. I love that she is looking into our Chinese names. I don’t speak Chinese, and admittedly, I have not had the huge motivation to learn more about it. I feel almost language-deaf to the words. I’ve been listening to Chinese my whole life, but I don’t recognize many words except for good morning, thank you, watermelon, and shrimp dumpling. Over the last handful of years, I’ve become more curious about my ethnic heritage. Learning more about my Chinese name has brought me some solace.
When I was growing up, I had always believed that my name meant “quiet” and “pretty.” I have a twin brother and our Chinese names sound similar. His name, I believed, meant “strong” and “masculine.” Sadly, it’s like “sweet and sour chicken balls”… it’s not quite right. There is a nuance with language that needs to be understood. Someone like me who does not have the language cannot understand the nuance, and for those who do have the language, it’s not easy to translate its meaning into English. It was good for me to know that my dad had a big part in how my twin bro and I were named. There had to be an interplay between our names. At first glance, there seems to be one… “quiet” versus “strong.” But, there’s more… my dad also set the task for my grandmother (his mom) to research names and consult with community. I found that also interesting because I’ve always held the belief that I was the unexpected twin. Knowing that there was great effort made by my dad and grandmother to ensure that our names had meaning meant a lot to me. I was so glad that my sister was able to find out this information and learn more about what our names mean. She is also learning more about her name too. The inspiration of this work stemmed from my mom. Before she passed away (or lost her vision), she wrote our three Chinese names on a piece of paper.
The symbol that you see above is the last of three symbols in my Chinese name. “Stillness” and “tranquility” is different from “quiet” and pretty.” The mystery continues with what my brother’s name means. His is something like staying within a set of rules or boundaries because it’s the right thing to do. This tracks because my brother is always helping people, he is very principled, and when he steps out of the box (his box)… it’s not pretty. LOL. I can see how we may have originally interpreted his name as “strong”… when really he is “doing the right thing” to benefit others. He is always helping people. I would not say that he is a people pleaser, but rather, he is a peacekeeper. He avoids conflicts, and he’s just an all around good guy. Everybody loves him… and that’s not an over exaggeration. He’s a good person. As for me, my name interplays with his. My name does not mean that I am still or tranquil, but rather I need things around me (and maybe within me) to be still and tranquil before I get anything done. HELLO. That’s what I just did (and am doing). I need the dust to settle to recalibrate to get to the next task. I always thought that I did things one thing at a time, which is true. I also need stillness and tranquility. In other words, I need things “out of my box” to get things done.
I think this is why my brother and I get along so well. In many ways, we had always thought that we were opposites… and in many ways, I can see why that is true. But now knowing my name, our names, we are actually complements. And for that, I’m grateful.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, October 22nd, 2026 | Comments Off on It’s all in the name
I’ve always wondered, since the smart phone, why I love to take selfies. I loved Twitter when it was fun, collegial, and friendly. I would flood my feed with selfies and food pics. Now, I’m regularly posting #patiopics ever since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Anyway, here’s a selfie pic with me and my dad. He looks pretty good for 88-years old. He has not changed much, in terms of his relative appearance. And, I would also say that his happy-go-lucky, flirty self has not changed that much either. That said, every since my mom passed away in 2018 (and my deep desire to write about those 20-days), lots had changed. I even remembered taking a selfie with my mom before she went to the hospital. Reluctantly, she was game. My dad is always game. He likes a good photo and always says thank you after the photo is taken. He is a charmer. Everyone liked my dad.
For the last 8 years, I’ve been reflecting on my mom and her impact on me, our family, and my dad. She was the organizer… the matriarch. She had the family running like a smooth machine. I had no idea that she was the conductor of the orchestra until she passed away. Her work was invisible… at least to me… and I now know her love language. She would buy me toilet paper, oyster sauce, canned salmon, and a non-stick frying pan. She loved making me scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. She would phone me at random times to remind me to call her once and awhile. She also mediated the relationship between me and my dad. My dad and I had a rough go for most of my life. My family would say that it was because we were so alike that we did not get along. I don’t think it was that. I knew I wanted his attention and approval, but never achieved.
It took me almost half a century to come to terms with our relationship and to let go. Lots had changed in my life and I needed to move forward in a way that was good for me. Now, my dad has been wrestling with old age and all that comes with it. Although I will not share the details of all that is on the table, I will share that after letting go, I’ve been able to appreciate, love, and forgive this version of my dad. We are friendly and lighthearted. I have empathy and compassion for him. It has not been easy for him since my mom passed. That said, he tries to make the best of it, whatever that means. I am so grateful to my brother and sister for being in the Lower Mainland to be there for him when he needs them. They lead busy lives too, and I appreciate the teamwork between them to make things happen for my dad. They each play a role. He is a very lucky person.
In this selfie, my dad looks happy, joyful, kind-hearted, and loving. I love you dad.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, October 04th, 2026 | Comments Off on Never Take Life for Granted
Well… it’s that time… back to school… and back to FALL. I cannot believe that last night was the first night I had no fans on and the windows were closed. Where I live, it got down to 2 degrees Celsius… BRRRRRR. The weather is definitely changing and starting this year, we will not be changing our clocks. DAMN. It’s going to be dark too. That idea came up during one of the conversations during orientation for the teacher candidates. Holy moly… I never considered that. I switched my day of teaching with someone else, which already changes the momentum, in addition to the number of students who will be in the room. But, I never considered the time change. I took daylight for granted, and now I’m imagining that my classes will be held outside… IN THE DARK. Whoa… that spooks me out. I need to consider what I should do next in the upcoming weeks. Normally in September, the weather is still good. Having Monday classes, I felt that I had to move some activities, particularly the outdoor ones, to later in the semester. Hmm… this seems problematic. No worries… my cat making biscuits on me while I sit in my LazyBoy chair makes EVERYTHING better. Onwards and upwards… things will work out.
What I am learning is how to be very open to change… to keep moving… and to open a door to see what’s inside. Nothing just “happens to you” but rather you have to keep moving and listen to the messages you are receiving. I was just describing to a student the other day about Steve Jobs keynote address, I believe, that when you look ahead into the world and doing the the work that you do, it feels or seems uncertain, disorganized, or nothing like what you had imagined (these are my words)… but when you look back, it looks like a straight line. I hung onto those words (or at least the intent) for quite some time to give myself the permission to be OK with the messiness of life and that you cannot control what’s in front of you, but rather use what’s in front of you to navigate life. I used this thinking to be flexible, forgiving, and compassionate to myself and others. I also used this thinking to let go of what I think life should be and to welcome uncertainty. I’ll admit, that shift in thinking was not easy. That said, when you become more regulated (or co-regulated) and you nervous system is no longer in fight-or-flight, I can see that going with the flow has its benefits. Today, I feel I should be exactly right where I am.
Now, as I think and wonder about the straight line, was this the path that was meant to be taken and the messiness is the journey. Oddly, I’ve been seeing this phenomenon with my kid, my past, and with others. It seems so clear to me now, and before it felt so trivial. There are no failures or rejections, but rather challenges, obstacles, or messages that say… “take another path.” Let me tell you… I’ve taken different paths due to unforeseen circumstance that was not that great, but as I look back, I have no regrets and feel that this route I took was 1000 times better than the path I thought I should take. Sometimes it’s about readiness, and sometimes its about learning what you need to learn before proceeding. For me, it also included gratitude and not taking anything personally. I am the creator of what I see. I understand that now and WOW… I am loving life, and willing to take on some of those challenges… not to prove something to someone else, but rather to prove to me that I am able to do it. Most recently, I just finished reading a book that I held onto for 2.5 years for a book review. I re-read the first three chapters many times and could not get to the remaining five. This summer, I forced myself to get through Chapter 4, and voila, the rest of the book finished so easily and beautifully… and the book review is done. My sense of self-efficacy is getting better.
I also feel that it has a lot to do with my mindset… from growth to fixed mindset… maybe. I just feel more optimistic and hopeful… and as some of the students said during their final presentations last week… it feels JOYFUL. I can really see the joy in the work that I do, and honestly, it feels great!! It’s taken decades for me to get to this place of well-being, and I am so grateful to my students, colleagues, family, and friends who work and walk along beside me as we take on this journey together. I feel truly honoured.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, September 13th, 2026 | Comments Off on Easing into Fall
September 6, 2026 – Nothing tastes better than crab
Gosh… I remember as a young child growing up in Prince Rupert of eating crab at the coffee table. I’m not sure how the crab was acquired. I think my mom new a lot of people from working in the cannery who my have gifted or sold the crab to my mom and dad for a very reasonable price. There is no question in my mind that I am a crab-person through and through, and not a lobster-person. Seafood, living near the ocean, and being in a small town is very much in my DNA (aka., my identity). I am reading a book now about identity, or at least the first part of the book, and I was struck by how one’s identity is fluid, negotiated, and context-based. Today, I don’t live near the ocean and in a place that’s at least 10-times bigger than the two places where I have lived for an extended period of time. And yes, I get crab, that’s frozen, from a person who transports it from the place I used to live as a child. So, having this half-crab for dinner was a delight.
I just love the idea that one’s identity can change. I feel that. I’ve been undergoing many changes over the last few decades (LOL) and it almost feels like I’m returning home lately. I’m not sure if it’s because I have less distractors in my life, or that I have made great efforts to exist in my bubble, or the combination of both ways of being. I am finding my way back home… returning to my-SELF and feeling very aligned to who I am and who I want to be. For example, I am working with a former colleague right now to write a chapter for a book. We are looking back almost 20-years ago on a project we collaborated on. We have been meeting every Sunday to collaborate and discuss ideas, and it’s been very heart-filling and cognitively-nourishing having these conversations. We just decided today to possibly work on a manuscript after the chapter because the amount of work and memories we are going through would merit a second (or third) publication.
I am also grateful for a research team I am leading. There are two faculty members who are associate professors and two graduate research students who are PhD candidates. I feel so honoured to be leading and learning from this group. I always feel awestruck, honoured, and humbled to lead this group, and my colleagues feel the same way. Although I am the Principal Investigator, we are all equal members of this team. WE ARE A TEAM. I feel mentored at the same time as being a co-contributor and leader. We are not in a competing with one another or trying to make an impression, but rather we are doing the work together. Each of takes a lead in different ways, and each of us support one another in the work that we do. We can also see the potential in the work that we are doing and look forward to the new year and where we will go with this project. Data is collected and analysis almost complete. This year will be knowledge mobilization.
I am also grateful for another research team that I am a part of and learning as I am doing within that group. The subject matter can be somewhat out-of-field for me, so I like to focus on what I am able to learn and what aligns to the work that I currently do. I am also grateful for another group of former teacher candidates and the work we had done as we attempt to write a chapter for a book. I am learning so much with this crew and it’s incredible how much they are willing to do and give back to the field and profession. Finally, I was also fortunate to work with some current teacher candidates where they were able to publish their own work, and we co-presented the journey at a recent conference. I should strongly consider writing about my inquiry and the THIRD SPACES that are created for teacher candidates to flourish as undergraduate scholars and maybe consider graduate studies in the future. In the meantime, I learned so much from them.
THIS is what joyful-alignment feels like. I am swamped with gratitude, and I have only mentioned a few recent opportunities and relationships I was gratefully to be a part of. There are so many more… and when you are in alignment, joy and happiness soon follow. It feels like a plate of steamed dungeness crab… LOL… for dinner. Lots of memories, tastes great, and I am riddled with gratitude. This knowing (in addition to the counter-examples experienced that serendipitously affirm my direction and way of being) helps me to decide what’s next. For example, I am going to go to the BC Association of Mathematics Teachers PSA Fall Conference in October. I want to learn more about math and math education. I want to reconnect with “my people.” And, I want to learn something new. I know that math and math education gets me jacked up, and I’m trying to get my doctoral work published. So, getting excited about math is important to me.
I need to stay focused on what’s important and what I love to do. STAY ALIGNED.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, September 06th, 2026 | Comments Off on Joyful Alignment
Does it feel like fall again? It’s starting to look that way. I’ve been thinking about these #patiopics that I take and post onto X (formally known as Twitter). I started posting a daily #patiopic during the pandemic when I was trapped, in isolation, in my one bedroom apartment in Prince George. Admittedly, that time was somewhat grim and lonely, but it was also a good time for reflection, self-care, and humour. Posting a daily #patiopic entertained me during that time and it has not stopped since. I’ve tried to terminate the daily post, but then I would bump into somebody and they would either give me a suggestion for the post (i.e., during travel), introduce themselves to me because they know me from my patio pics, or pay a compliment to me and my patio pics. As a result, I would re-start again. No complaints. It’s been 6 years and it’s still fun.
Posting a #patiopic is like connecting with a friend. Whether if we’d connect in the morning, evening, or afternoon, I enjoy making my daily post on X and now on BlueSky. It brings me a bit of happiness. As much as Twitter has transformed into something else, I still like to contribute something that give me (and maybe others) a bit of joy. Right now, my #patiopic collides with my weekly blog post. I love taking a moment in my day, once a week, to pause and reflect. We just finished the UNBC Teaching and Learning Conference. Day 1, I was more of the participant, and I got to go outside for a land-based learning workshop in the afternoon. I really needed to be at that workshop, personally and professionally. On Day 2, I presented twice in the afternoon. Although I had wished the attendance was better, I was really happy and proud about both presentations and how they went. I felt really good about the effort and prep that went into both presentations. and the collaboration I had in both teams to make each presentation possible. I also loved the keynotes and other presentations. I am filled with gratitude.
Now that I am blogging and listening to the rain pour outside my office window, I am left to wonder about next steps, the new term, and the work I want to accomplish. I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts that my kid has moved out… not far away… and I’m starting a new school year with new hopes and dreams. The rain is just pouring right now. The metaphor has not escaped me. The renewal… the cleansing… a new beginning. That’s where I feel where I am today… finding my flow, again… but this time, on my own terms. I have been going to physio, regular massages, and trying to create habits to support longevity and health. It’s an interesting time in this chapter of life. Being AUTHENTIC and true to myself is a practice. And, I’m understanding that I make decisions each day that will impact the future… as my friend would say, KARMA. So, who is this authentic self? Who am I? One of my presentations (within a presentation) quoted Parker Palmer about the value of self-knowledge and good teaching. I do have a list of things to do, but there is a part of me that would like these things to be aligned to who I am and my purpose. I heard a local Indigenous word used during the land-based workshop that meant “aligned.” Trust me… it struck a chord and caught my attention. In 2017, I gave a TEDx talk on ALIGNMENT. At that time, I was in search of my place and my purpose. So much has changed since then. At that time, I just defended my dissertation, I was a school trustee, I was married, and I lived in the Lower Mainland.
Huh? I am somewhere else.
Admittedly, I am in a good place. I am an Assistant Professor at the university, I’ve returned to teaching, I’m single, and I live in the Central Interior of BC. I have found my people, and keep finding them. I am doing work that I love and care about. And, I am living on my own… and proud of my kid for finding her independence as an adult who just completed her degree and bought her how place. I feel that I have done my mom job… and successfully. Like my mom, I think the mom-role is ongoing, of course, but the context is now different. My kid is well on her way into adulthood and making her own decisions without mom’s firm suggestions or guilt. LOL. I am thrilled about that and I am also excited for the work that’s ahead of me. This clarity of self, or self-knowledge, not only contributes to my practice as a teacher educator which complements my subject knowledge and knowledge of the learner, but also to my personal life. What’s important to me and why does it matter? I held that question for many years provoked by the pandemic. The more I know myself, the better I can make decisions, make choices that are good for me, and enjoy the work I get to do in life and work. Nothing is permanent.
I feel this moment of renewal because it’s been 8 years at the university. It seems that I doing things in cycles of 8 years, at least in adulthood. Sixteen years in teaching (my kid was born in the middle of that 16-year stretch), a two-term school trustee, and now 8 years at UNBC. I’m not looking for radical change, per se, even though it has been quite a pedagogical journey to get where I am today. I am thinking more about what brings me joy, what makes learning fun, and how can I hone the skills required to live my life to the fullest at home and at work. I think I am a pretty good place now. Not much phases me like it did before. I’m not quite sure if that’s a good or bad thing… but it’s a thing. Let’s see how the next 8 years go. I am excited that I am even taking this pause while listing and tackling the things I need to get done before the school year begins. All is good. 🙂
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, August 28th, 2026 | Comments Off on Finding My Flow Again
Well… I may have mentioned in previous blog posts that my kid has moved out of my place… and into her own place. I feel so honoured and privileged to have spent the last 5 years with my kid post-high school graduation. I remember moving out of my parents place and on to university residence at 17-years old. Admittedly, going to the big-smoke as a young kid was somewhat traumatic. I did not transition well… LOL… but managed to stay in university. Thank goodness. For me and the kid, I felt that we got to grow up together… I got to see her transition in to adulthood… we got a chance to transition into adulthood together. I loved that we had the last 5-years together. Our relationship remains good and we see each other almost every day. It’s nice.
What’s also nice is that my twin bro and big sister are coming up to Prince George to visit… to see the kid’s new place (and mine too), and to do the “Prince George” together for a couple of days. It’s a short visit. That’s all we need… and it’s a jammed packed couple of days. I am really looking forward to seeing them and hosting them, but also, it’s a refreshing change from me going to Vancouver to visit them (and my dad)… of which I’ll be doing in September and maybe October. I feel so lucky that we are so connected as family. We talk sometimes thinking that we would not be friends had we not been related. LOL. We are very different people, but we get along very well. Lots of giggles and an appreciation of food. I attribute our close bond to my MOM.
Mon was such a character. I do have some “scary” memories of her as a child… aka. cutting chicken for dinner with a cleaver… but also some appreciative moments… aka. mediating between me and my dad. I love the photos I am sharing in this blog post. These images do remind me of her… how she looked… and her unassuming playfulness. She would have been totally pissed off to know that I was writing about her on a digital platform if she were still alive. I did a gratitude post of her once on Facebook when she gave me toilet paper, a frying pan, oysters sauce, canned salmon, and Spam. I guess she got a lot of “feedback” from some of my auntie, and I got the riot act. Oof. I did not post anything about her since until she had passed away. My mom was a strong woman. She did a lot for us and after she passed away, I realized kept us all together too. 🙂
So when my sister texts me today to say… “You are very Viving”… it’s a compliment. My mom’s (Canadian) name was Vivien. I love that we name things after her… like “Vi-Guy” (soy sauce chicken stir fry) or “doing the Viv” (furniture re-arranging). It reminds me how my mom made great efforts to ensure that everyone was ok and taken care of. I helped my kid move out (and move into her place), and I got my place (aka. moving into my own place) organized and took stuff out of storage to create my own office. I love my office. I bought golf clubs so that we can do a Par 3 together, and a foam mattress so that my sister can stay over in my new office during her stay (my twin bro prefers the Marriott). I love that I’m Viving… and there is no doubt that I am. I planned the two days that they are here, and taking every step to ensure everything is ready before their arrival.
I’m stoked.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, August 20th, 2026 | Comments Off on Feeling the VIV
What can I say? I’m a little stubborn. I am 100% aware that AI is all around us. You can’t avoid AI. There is autofill on my phone, Google provides an AI overview for your search, and I LOVE AI cat videos on Reels. The only way I could avoid AI is if I was off my phone and laptop. No wait… I have colleagues who use AI. OK. Maybe, I will isolate myself from the people and my devices. Oh boy… not possible. So, how much AI is enough AI? I don’t think that’s the right question. Life is full of choices and not only do I have colleagues who are “pro-AI”… I am also connected to colleagues who are against AI. I think I would lean on the latter. What brought me to this blog post is having to renew some of the products for this WordPress site. I had one notification… then another notification. I just didn’t have the brain space to deal with the notifications and warnings that time is running out. RENEW NOW. Ok… I got it… but how? What’s the problem? I only renew every few years and honestly, I don’t even know if I have the right products to sustain my website. I hired someone more than 10 years ago to design a website for me. It looked a lot better then, and I had the gall to edit and revamp the design and I even lost access to my site when I changed my phone (and regret having to have a 2-step authenticator and not saving anything… LOL). I am so techno-savv. NOT. It’s not two or so weeks later and now I have the “brain space” to even address the notifications to figure out what the hell I need to do to renew my products. Slowly but surely, I think I figured it out… maybe.
I have changed what I needed to change to renew my products and to make my website “safe.” And, by sheer luck, I think that all is good… maybe not luck, but rather an automatic set up that makes everything OK. I am having to do that with some webpage development that I am doing for work too. I’m not a “tech-person,” but rather, I love using tech to do “human-oriented” activities, like writing, reflecting, and creating. Anyway, what I appreciated about this experience was recognizing my level of readiness to deal with the situation, the park the demand until I am ready, and to identify when I am ready and take the time to figure out the problem. I was not driven by the hustle, and I was ready enough to go for it and do my best to get the “job done.” It’s not avoidance, but it’s really about readiness. I do this with emails too. Sometimes I don’t have the cognitive capacity to deal with an email. Park it, wait, and get back to it. Yup. Seems to work.
I’ve had opportunities in my work to use AI to “get the job done” but honestly, I’m not into it. I get that the job will get done, but there is a part of me that wants to learn how to do what AI is doing. As a result, unfortunately, it takes me a lot more time than anticipated to get the job done or sometimes I don’t have time to get to things that I need to get done. Which kinda sucks, but that’s where I am for now. It keeps me human. I don’t claim to be bionic, and I don’t want to rely on tech to get my work (or thinking) done. There is a huge part of me that just wants to learn about it, experience it, and make the mistakes needed to gain a deeper understanding of what I am trying to get done. I gain some great satisfaction from “doing it the hard way.” My mom would always say that about me. I would say, it’s my preference, but understand that AI does creep into my work through tech, colleagues, and other avenues that is “out of my control.” For now, I will keep doing the “hard way” and enjoy the struggle, confusion, and mistakes. 🙂
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, August 07th, 2026 | Comments Off on Technology by Hand
July 26, 2026 – Learning about myself through others
Yup… of course I’ve shared a photo of tonight’s dinner. It’s a baked sweet potato with ground turkey cooked in taco sauce with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and homemade salsa. The sweet potato, lettuce, and tomatoes came from the Desert Hills Ranch. This meal was absolutely delicious and satisfying. I love eating fresh food from Desert Hills (it was my first experience), and I love their taco stand in Cache Creek. Absolutely delicious. Anyway, I wanted start of this blog post with a food pic, but really, what I wanted to talk about was my joy and inspiration listening to the biographies of chefs on “Chef’s Table” on Netflix. Also, AMAZING. I love the production, I love the stories, I love the honestly of their struggles and failures, and of course, I love their successes and how they overcame, persisted, and found themselves in their journey. I have been watching and listening to this series as I work in my LazyBoy chair. In fact, I’m watching it right now while I blog.
I started and re-started this blog post with hopes of discussing NORMALIZING FAILURE, but when I watch these documentaries, failure is part of the journey. These chefs took big risks, failed along the way, and eventually found their way. The journey is not meant to be easy. I can see that, if you want to do what you want to do. And I love what this person just said as I am writing this post… “I just got to be me.” Hello? I could not agree more. This chef is also Asian, and she described her struggles with her parents, her self-doubts, and struggles with racism. I get it. You need to be who you are to thrive. It takes time to figure out who you are, and to live this authentic life, you need to not only be honest to yourself and your family. I can really relate to this. I was reminded when I quit my teaching job in K-12. It was one of the toughest things I had to do in my life. Not just making the decision to resign, but telling my family of this decision was difficult.
I love this current episode… she is finding herself… her confidence and voice are so inspiring and I’m captured. She is standing up to herself and she has now accepted herself… and to pursue and do what she loves and who she is. She said, “F___ FEAR!!” Love it. I understand that. “All of my life, I was listening to other voices”… I can relate to this. Once she found herself, she won an award for her work. This story is much like the others shared on Chef’s Table. I just love how these people found themselves in food and their craft. Don’t get me wrong, I am not planning to become a chef, but I will continue with taking selfies and food pics. That’s just who I am. I love teaching and learning, and research is one way to share about what I have learned, to collaborate with others, and learn more about my craft and do what I love to do. The intersection between teaching, learning, and leading is at the heart of what I do and love to do. The Scholarship of Teaching and Action Research are vehicles or pathways for me to move forward and thrive as a research-practitioner. Thank you Chef’s Table. You have inspired me!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, July 26th, 2026 | Comments Off on Watching Chef’s Table
Wow. My head was down for a few weeks… and it’s been a hot minute since I have blogged and engaged in reflection. It’s been a hot minute and when everything happens, it seems to happen all at once. I had to make a deliberate decision to take a rest this weekend. Even returning to the blog took some intentionality. I started this blog on Friday, thought I would write this blog on Saturday, and here we are on at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon getting to this reflection. One of my criteria for blogging is feeling good about blogging. Right now is the right time. I love listening to and watching Chef’s Table on Netflix and slowly but surely, I’m grounding myself in preparation for next week.
Gosh. Where to start. So much has happened since my last blog post on June 19,2026. I almost feel that I might have a list of things that I’ve done, but overall, what’s been working in my favour is FINDING THE JOY IN THE EVERYDAY. Things that happened in the last month: (1) completing a contract with another institution and doing the best I can despite the circumstances; (2) rewriting a chapter submission, of which totally took a left turn and “rigour” was had; (3) presented at an international network session and made a few new contacts; (4) organized and facilitated the School of Education Retreat; (5) attended a conference on deeper learning and (re)connected with many likeminded folks; (6) reviewed a dissertation as an external examiner and provided formative feedback; (7) reviewed a master’s thesis as committee member and pleased with its transformation; and (8) collaborating with a former colleague to co-write a chapter.
I’ve been working on some other projects… one I am leading, one I am a member of, and anther of which a play more of a supportive role. Other things on the personal side includes participating the Relay for Life (that my daughter was one of the directors co-leading the event), going to physio to work on my hip, and being a part of a study focused on pre-diabetes. Oh… and my kid will make me an empty-nester soon, so there is a tonne of stuff there related to supporting her but transitioning to be living on my own (as an empty nester). It’s a big deal. Some highlights over the last month: (1) meeting a professor from Oxford University who was super supportive of a project I am leading; (2) meeting some incredible students who modelled and taught me more about student agency; and (3) my friend driving me up and down to a conference and we went to the taco stand in Cache Creek where I found my people, place, and food. All good things.
One lesson that one person who has been always a teacher or guide for me… over the last years in Prince George… and he has taught me a valuable lesson about the myths or false narratives that are not true, they are lies that we create in our minds, and they do not serve me. It happened THAT DAY when we had talked. I was humiliated and humbled at the same time… all my doing… but damn, it was/is a lesson I needed to learn. I was shocked by the lesson. Cognitively, it made sense, but when you catch yourself doing it, you have to call a spade, a spade. I could not believe how often I do it and how it’s so important to be authentic and true to oneself, so that you can live in the energy and integrity that you are meant to live in. This way of being takes lots of trust, vulnerability, and humility. Oh man… I am learning. What I am learning is, you have to do what makes you happy and brings you joy. Be true to yourself, be kind, and love life as it comes.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, July 12th, 2026 | Comments Off on Finding Joy in the Everyday
I will say, imposter syndrome is REAL. Understanding my worth is CHALLENGING. And, being ok with rejection is NORMAL. Wow. It has taken me a load of time to figure this out, but I guess that is the journey. I am sitting here on a Friday night, looking out my window and watching a thunder and lightning storm. The metaphor did not escape me. Big changes are a happening, and it’s taken me a long time to accept who I am, love who I am, and love the work that I do. I guess I am going to cite Brené Brown again to say that “I am enough.” I do remember the words of my supervisor saying, “we don’t give out doctorates to anybody… you’ve earned it.” (PS. may not be the exact words, but it’s close).
I remember that it took me a year to tell people I was a doctoral candidate (which meant passing the comprehensive exams), many years to complete my dissertation (because I kept spiralling in the research problem without making much progress until I quit my job, became a school trustee, and realized that my job as a doctoral student and researcher was to answer the research question.). Once all the pieces seemed to make sense (as I struggled with my identity, my value within the profession, and what to do next in my professional career), I completed my research. At that time, I was a sessional instructor (commuting from the Sunshine Coast), I was a two-term school trustee, and my mom was dying (I needed to take care of her).
What can I say? Life was turbulent to say the least, and my sense of self was at an all time low. It’s hard to hear things like, “hey, do you want to publish your dissertation?” from your supervisor. I had no idea what he was talking about. He offered to help and to be a co-author (many, many years ago), and I said, “sure.” I had no clue what this meant or involved. He took the time to reduce my dissertation down to a word-count less than 10,000. He managed to do it, and added his flair to the manuscript to to bring some of the ideas together in its condensed form. Now what? It did take some time to get the manuscript completed, but once it was in my hands to review and submit, I was lost again. What was I suppose to do with this document? Where does it go? Academia is very much what my dissertation was about… being out-of-field, learning-by-doing, and experiential learning. I did submit it to one place, but the editor quickly returned the manuscript to me saying that they did not like the convenience sampling approach and that it needed a literature review. I can say that now, but what I internalized then was, this work is garbage and you can’t read or write. Sounds extreme, I know, but that was the headspace I was in. It was not good, so formative feedback was difficult to receive.
Time lapsed. I could not fathom submitting this work to another journal. First, it was a long manuscript. Most journals accept 5000-7000 words. I’ve attempted to shorten the manuscript and edit it, but I could never get passed the first page. I was so devastated by the editor’s reply that I could not even think about subjecting my work to anyone, despite the blood, sweat, and tears incurred by both myself and my supervisor. I did not have the strength, confidence, or heart to do it. I just wanted to keep the work to myself. So, what did I do? Pursued academia and engage in studies that had NOTHING to do with my doctoral research. OMG. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. I loved returning back to teaching, and I love learning about research. I am really enjoying working with others on some research projects, and I am getting some publications out that are aligned to teaching and learning. Lots of what I am doing at the university through teaching, research, and service are related to what I love, but none of it is directly correlated to my doctoral research. CRAZY. Until one day, I went back to that manuscript and realized that my supervisor referred to the literature review in the discussion as a strategy to reduce words, and my student did engage in a form of convenience sampling.
HELLO? I’m not a bad person.
Other life events have happened since then, like ending my marriage, moving to a new place, becoming a full-time single parent, navigating the academia world (and not really doing a good job at it), buy a new place, a new car, a new way of being. Why not through a pandemic in there as well as a strike (that was a turbulent year). The brighter side, my kid just graduated from university and working a full-time job, I am a cat-mom, and I love teaching and learning about math and math education. Ah yes… back to my OG love. I get super stoked attending professional development sessions about math education, and I have opportunities to put my doctoral work into practice. I’m not sure if this is serendipity or that I was always meant to. It’s been an incredible journey to get to where I am today, and YES… I submitted that manuscript to a different journal, that accepted up to 10,000 words, and I feel 1000-times better about this work and realizing that the research is still relevant. I want to do a replication study. This work is interesting to me, and I feel like I’m coming home… in a good way… and it feels GREAT. I have overcome my fears. And, even though I have another chapter, and another chapter to write (with timelines), I needed to take today to submit that manuscript, regardless of outcome.
I feel good. I am not hung up on the outcome, or the feedback. Everything is formative, and I really understand that. It’s taken many learning experiences to get to where I am with this mindset. Not only did coach teacher candidates this understanding in their upcoming and recent publication as a conference proceeding, but also to graduate students I am mentoring and supporting in other ways and roles. But now, I get it. I really understand who I am, my doctoral work, and MY WHY (of which I wrote in my last blog post). This ALIGNMENT has been something that I have always been striving for, and now I see it, I can feel it, and I know it. I feel that the floodgate has opened and now the water can rush through. I want to use the metaphor of a salmon swimming up stream, but my arrival is not my death, but rather the opportunity to lay eggs and spawn birth to new ideas and possibilities. I had to write this blog post soon after I sent my manuscript, co-authored with my supervisor. I know that we are colleagues, but he will always be my supervisor. For that, I am very appreciative. Onwards and upwards… to the next chapter!!
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, June 19th, 2026 | Comments Off on Overcoming My Fears
Does it feel like fall again? It’s starting to look that way. I’ve been thinking about these #patiopics that I take and post onto X (formally known as Twitter). I started posting a daily #patiopic during the pandemic when I was trapped, in isolation, in my one bedroom apartment in Prince George. Admittedly, that time was somewhat grim and lonely, but it was also a good time for reflection, self-care, and humour. Posting a daily #patiopic entertained me during that time and it has not stopped since. I’ve tried to terminate the daily post, but then I would bump into somebody and they would either give me a suggestion for the post (i.e., during travel), introduce themselves to me because they know me from my patio pics, or pay a compliment to me and my patio pics. As a result, I would re-start again. No complaints. It’s been 6 years and it’s still fun.
What can I say? I’m a little stubborn. I am 100% aware that AI is all around us. You can’t avoid AI. There is autofill on my phone, Google provides an AI overview for your search, and I LOVE AI cat videos on Reels. The only way I could avoid AI is if I was off my phone and laptop. No wait… I have colleagues who use AI. OK. Maybe, I will isolate myself from the people and my devices. Oh boy… not possible. So, how much AI is enough AI? I don’t think that’s the right question. Life is full of choices and not only do I have colleagues who are “pro-AI”… I am also connected to colleagues who are against AI. I think I would lean on the latter. What brought me to this blog post is having to renew some of the products for this WordPress site. I had one notification… then another notification. I just didn’t have the brain space to deal with the notifications and warnings that time is running out. RENEW NOW. Ok… I got it… but how? What’s the problem? I only renew every few years and honestly, I don’t even know if I have the right products to sustain my website. I hired someone more than 10 years ago to design a website for me. It looked a lot better then, and I had the gall to edit and revamp the design and I even lost access to my site when I changed my phone (and regret having to have a 2-step authenticator and not saving anything… LOL). I am so techno-savv. NOT. It’s not two or so weeks later and now I have the “brain space” to even address the notifications to figure out what the hell I need to do to renew my products. Slowly but surely, I think I figured it out… maybe.
I will say, imposter syndrome is REAL. Understanding my worth is CHALLENGING. And, being ok with rejection is NORMAL. Wow. It has taken me a load of time to figure this out, but I guess that is the journey. I am sitting here on a Friday night, looking out my window and watching a thunder and lightning storm. The metaphor did not escape me. Big changes are a happening, and it’s taken me a long time to accept who I am, love who I am, and love the work that I do. I guess I am going to cite Brené Brown again to say that “I am enough.” I do remember the words of my supervisor saying, “we don’t give out doctorates to anybody… you’ve earned it.” (PS. may not be the exact words, but it’s close).