Home for the holidays… Look at our Christmas tree… Living in Abundance. Thank you everyone for your generosity and kindness. I am truly grateful. Today, I made turkey dinner for my little family. I am 100 degrees away from being a #domesticgoddess. I Googled, I guessed, I learned. Autodidactism at it’s finest. Loved it. Turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, stuffing, broccoli, peas, cranberry sauce (from a can), and homemade gravy… it was absolutely delicious and I feel super special to share this meal with my little family. My little family loves me unconditionally. This makes me feel exceptionally lucky. I think that they would have eaten my version of turkey dinner regardless of kitchen fire. There was no fire, the food was comforting, and my family paid me with plenty of compliments. My daughter even tried the brussel sprouts and liked them. The bacon and lemon may have helped the brussel sprouts dish in terms of yumminess, but that was truly an accomplishment on my part as a culinary arts wannabe. This is a time for gratitude. I’m so thankful for all that has happened and what will be. I am not about to reflect on 2013 quite yet, but it’s easy to dwell on situations that could be perceived as sucky (like having to cook turkey dinner) or reframe the situation and think hey… that was meant to happen (like feeling good about providing a meal for my family). MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone!!! #loveandlight
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 25th, 2013 | Comments Off on Living in Abundance
Christmas concert time… Gotta love it!!! One of the best things I do as a school trustee. This year I had the opportunity to visit two schools. I love watching our students perform, parents and family members ooing and awing, and school district staff lifting UP our students to be the best they can be. It’s an opportunity to show and shine. I was so proud to see the Grade 6/7 band at Davis Bay Elementary and tickled pink to observe the moral dilemma of ‘giving and taking’ at Halfmoon Bay Elementary’s production of “A Pirates Christmas.” School concerts are truly inspiring. I was motivated to write this blog because I can’t shake the song “We wish you a Merry Christmas!!!” from my mind. Thank you staff and students of School District No.46 (Sunshine Coast). MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS. #trusteeyounghusband
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 23rd, 2013 | Comments Off on We Wish You…
Have you found your clarinet? My daughter has. She is passionate about music and swimming. She could practice her clarinet and swim in the pool for hours. It’s effortless and she derives a tonne of joy from doing them. If you’re a regular edu-bloggie follower, you would have known that about her already. I am grateful for my daughter. She is wise, thoughtful, and caring. I learn so much from her AND she knows what she’s passionate about. My job as her mom is to support her, help her, and celebrate her achievements as she navigates through life into adulthood. What is my passion? It could range from ‘nothing’ to almost everything in education. I love how my daughter enlightens me by saying, “no one can tell you your passion… only you can.” I am driven by student success, student learning, and student achievement. My love for education can be easily found in mathematics education, teacher professional development, and governance. Even still, my interests remain quite broad. I feel fortunate to have been a mathematics teacher, curriculum developer, educational consultant, and school trustee. I feel like I have my hand in a little bit of everything. It’s nice. But now it’s time to focus my energy and find my purpose. In my imagination, I would love to have all of my interests wrapped into ‘one thing,’ whatever that is. What is your clarinet? #edu-dreamer
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 20th, 2013 | Comments Off on Finding My Clarinet
You cannot force life to happen. Think about your golf swing (or curling shot, no matter). If you try too hard… think too much… or set unrealistic goals… it is highly likely that you’ll be disappointed because the outcome will never turn out the way you want it to. Conversely, you cannot let life happen to you. This would be an ongoing experience of disappointment because you don’t feel empowered enough to make a difference in your own life. To be a better golfer (or curler) you might have to practice, develop your skills, or step out of your box. In essence, you need to take the necessary steps to achieve your goal (or fulfill your vision). Unfortunately, this journey is undefined. The learning process requires you to put yourself out there, make some mistakes, and learn from them. There is no failure. What truly matters is what you do next with what you’ve learned. #learningopportunities
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 16th, 2013 | Comments Off on Don’t Force It
This is a picture of my daughter’s first band concert. She plays the clarinet with the Grade 6 band, but only Grade 5 in a 5/6 split class. As a parent, my deepest desire for my daughter is to be better than me. Mission accomplished many times over and she’s only 10. For example, in the past year she successfully completed all 10 levels of swimming lessons, she confidently paddled board in the ocean, and now… she beautifully performed a solo piece at her first band concert. She played flawlessly. All of that practice at home paid off. Best of all, it’s all her. There is no extrinsic motivation created by me, no forcing her to practice, and no ultimatums. She is intrinsically motivated, she is passionate about what she is doing, and she is excelling. My daughter is a nice reminder of Alasdair McIntyre’s (1984) goods internal and standards of excellence. Well done Zoe. You are magnificant!! #loveyoutobits #clarinet #musicavore #excellence #engagement
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 15th, 2013 | Comments Off on Better Than Me
Wow. Look at my “new” ceiling. It’s unreal. I think that it even looks better than the first day we bought our home almost 10 years ago. Strangely, it took an unexpected crisis situation to arrive to this beautiful ceiling. My washing machine on the second floor “decided” to throw-up and create an indoor waterfall. For the past few weeks, our house has been undergoing renovations. I have only praise to give to all those who have come into our home with their expertise, professionalism, and quality of work to fix it. I am truly grateful. This renovation could not be done on our own. A similar situation occurred a few years ago and we tried repair the damage ourselves. All I can say about that is… not pretty. The First Response crew did an incredible job restoring our home and continue to do so. Lesson learned: Accepting help from others in tough situations is a good thing. Accept where you are and decide where you need to be. #tradeseducation
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 12th, 2013 | Comments Off on Renovations
Everyone has a desire to learn. The act of teaching and learning reminds me of Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Bears. The learning process could be too easy OR too hard… What we want is the “just right” of learning. I call this edu-tension. It’s like walking through jello. This is not to say I have walked through jello before but I imagine it would be challenging, messy, and doable. The learning process is not suppose to be easy. If there was no edu-tension, why bother? It’s like walking though air… done it, did it… Next! Similarly, if learning process is too hard, don’t expect learning. Try walking through a brick wall… challenging, yes… not doable. Too much tension means why bother, once again, but for different reasons. Whether is you are the learner or the teacher, the learning process is a complex balance between what is too easy and what is too hard. Much like Little Red Riding Hood… our job is about finding the “just right.” #studentegnagement
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 10th, 2013 | Comments Off on Edu-Tension
We are all on a journey. For some of us, we have a clear destination. For others, it’s a meandering river. Either way, we are moving forwards. On my pedagogical journey, I have a clear vision of what I would like to achieve. I want to learn more about education. I want to support student learning. And, I want to make a difference. On the other hand, I am uncertain how to get there. I am passionate about education and want my hand in every aspect of education… teaching, learning, leading, and decision-making. My journey is not straightforward. There is a huge part of me that wishes life would unfold in a straight line. Unfortunately, it’s not. Curriculum development, school trustee, education doctoral student, educational consultant, #bcedchat co-moderator, edu-blogger, and teaching math are just a few things I do. Admittedly, it may seem a little out focus. With that said, I am learning more about education, I am supporting student learning, and I am making a difference. Therefore, I believe I’m on the right track. Now what? As I contemplate my next steps, I realize that I have to be vulnerable. Being vulnerable may entail asking questions, divulging information, and making decisions. The consequence of this may include disappointment, disapproval, and discontentment. Or, it could result in joy, happiness, and fulfillment. You never know unless you try and put yourself out there. #WillingToTry #success #failure #TrueToSelf #trust #clarinet
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 09th, 2013 | 1 Comment »
Exam Week at SFU. Good times. Undergraduate Memories.
This photo brings back many memories of my undergraduate learning experiences 20 years ago at UBC. I remember writing Math 100 and Chemistry 120 in the Armouries. It looked much the same. Luckily, I was not on campus to write a math exam. I was going to the SFU Thesis Bootcamp for Masters and Doctoral students. Thank you SFU Research Commons for hosting the Bootcamp. I tried to register for this workshop several months ago, but was wait listed. On Monday, I responded to an SFU email call out to fill two unexpected openings. First come, first serve. Winner!!! Cleared my schedule and on the first ferry to SFU from the Sunshine Coast. It was an incredible learning experience. Loved sitting in silence with my dissertation. Loved listening to the guest speakers. Loved meeting other graduate students sharing the same experiences. No more pacing at the foot of the mountain. I’ve taken the first step up and prepared to climb. #muchgratitude #selfefficacy #lookingback #progress
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 05th, 2013 | Comments Off on SFU Thesis Bootcamp
Do you want to think out of the box in education? Think about e-portfolios. I am such a huge advocate for formative assessment and Assessment for Learning (AFL) practices in the classroom as an effective means to help students learn about their learning. Yet, the reporting process seemed incongruent to what is achieved with AFL. At the end of the term, formative feedback is reduced to a final letter grade or percent. It’s a tough connection, but as teachers, we are required to report out on student achievement with a number, a letter, and a short comment. At the BC Superintendents’ Association (BCSSA) Fall Conference 2013, I attended an awesome workshop by teachers from SD71 on e-portfolios. It was a wonderful presentation for many reasons. First, these teachers felt the same inconguency as I did with AFL and reporting. Second, these teachers mutally agree that 3-4 report cards and an interim report is not good enough to report student learning for both students and parents. Third, these teachers under the leadership of the school district’s Director of Instruction are stepping out the box to explore the possibilities of e-portfolios as learners and professionals. Finally, these teachers shared their stories of their students’ learning stories with delegates of the BCSSA Fall Conference. Photos, pictures, quotes, anecdotal comments, ongoing reporting, QR codes, technology, parent engagement, and student pride… the possibilities seem endless. Thank you teachers from SD71 for taking a bold step forward with assessment and reporting. To me, e-portofolios is the LAST CHAPTER of AFL. All stakeholders are re-invested. #closure #makessense
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 01st, 2013 | Comments Off on e-Portfolios
