Well… it’s that time of year for reflection… A Year In Review. 2013 has been overall good. Certainly, there are some notable ups and downs. It has been a journey, for sure… and wished I had a road map to guide me from A to B. I don’t. I meandered, met lots of great people along the way, and enjoyed many wonderful edu-experiences. My pedagogical journey has not been straightforward. It would have been much easier had I stayed in my job, teach mathematics, do the same thing from year to year, and wait for “my pension date” to arrive. In many ways, I wished that could have been me. Life would have been much more predicable, safe, and secure. I opted otherwise. Jumped and took the plunge… some say brave, some say crazy… to learn more about education outside of the classroom. Initially, I left teaching a few years ago to create space for my dissertation… but may have created too much space. I wanted to share my voice with teachers for teachers… and succeeded as an SFU Site Assistant and educational consultant. I desired to make a difference in mathematics education… and achieved this with the BC Association for Mathematics Teachers and Math K-9 Curriculum Development Team. I am passionate about BC public education… and actively contribute as a school trustee in leadership roles such as the SD46 Education Committee Chair, member of the BC School Trustees’ Association (BCSTA) Education Committee, and appointed member of the BC Ministry of Education Standing Committee on Provincial Curriculum representing the BCSTA. I get to talk about education and positively affect hundreds of students, locally and provincially. This seems totally unimaginable. Furthermore, I am grateful that I get to do some other awesome things such as co-moderate #bcedchat Twitter Chat with three outstanding educators from around BC, be one of the directors of the Sunshine Coast Community Futures Board focused on innovative local economic development, and spend a bit of time with my daughter and her learning experiences at school. I also look back at other edu-opportunities in 2013 like presenting in Honolulu at the Hawaii International Conference on Education in January, being one of the keynote speakers at the UBC Aboriginal Math K-12 Symposium in February, presenting in Kelowna at the BCSTA AGM in April, and attending the Canadian School Board Association Congress hosted in Vancouver in July. I could not have accomplished these career highlights had I remained a practicing secondary mathematics teacher. With that said, I could not have engaged, contributed, and appreciated all that I have experienced had I not been a successful secondary mathematics teacher in BC public schools. I left teaching to challenge my edu-beliefs, be an edu-explorer, and understand more about BC public education. 2013 has closed this chapter. I have other challenges to face, thus my resolutions for 2014. I could dwell on what has NOT happened… but maybe 2013 was not the right time. #optimistic #trust #gratitude #newyear
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 30th, 2013 | Comments Off on A Year In Review
Merry Christmas! What a wonderful day in the Younghusband household. As you can see, my daughter loves her new scooter. She had no problems unwrapping the gift, assembling it, and jumping out of the house to try it out in her robe and pajamas. What the? I love that about my kid. There is much to learn from her. First, if you love something… show it. Don’t be shy. I may not share the same love, but so what? It’s not about me. It’s about her. Second, jump in with two feet… there is no shame. You can’t over plan the situation. She could have taken a shower, brushed her teeth and hair, and get ready for the day before stepping outside. Does that make the situation any better? Nope. In fact, it might make the situation worse. Third, seize the day. Why not live in the now? Be present. That is the best present of all. No planning or projecting could have made this moment any better. #thankyouZoe #wheeeee #vulnerability #joy
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 26th, 2013 | Comments Off on Putting Yourself Out There
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 »
