Back to Blogging

Whew… I’m back to blogging.  My deepest apologies to my Bloggies who follow my edu-blog regularly, but I took a bit of a hiatus to reflect on my practice, my blog, and my edu-purpose.  This is the magic of professional learning and growth.  Nothing beats experiential learning.  You can never know unless you try.  The “first step” can be terrifying, but according to Kolb’s Experimental Learning Cycle… do it, reflect on it, improve on it, and try again.  This learning process is cyclic, which could feel like a circle, but I am growing and I’m grateful.  Learning by doing requires action, courage, and patience.  Living in paralysis, keeps you stuck.  Think out of the box.  Try.  Move forward.  Blogging is one forum for me to reflect, conceptualize, and sense-make.  I am inspired by my learning experiences and by the wonderful things people say.  I am compelled to share what I’ve learned via blog with hopes that you can share in the learning too. #happyfriday

Vision Quest

I’ve just returned back from the BC School Superintendents’ Association Fall 2013 Conference.  In 4 words, “It was absolutely amazing.”  The overarching themes, for me, were Transforming Curriculum and Assessment, student learning and success, and the journey.  One of the plenary speakers, Wab Kinew from the University of Winnipeg, shared his story, his journey.  I loved his honesty, authenticity, and sense of humor.  One of his stories was about Indigenous Education, experiential learning, and Vision Quest.  You cannot teach about Vision Quest in a classroom.  You just have to do it to understand it.  The Vision Quest is a rite of passage.  No eating for 4 days, isolated from others, disconnect from ego, and be humbled.  The journey is to work your way back up from there.  Love that imagery.  Vision Quest is a metaphor for transformation… stepping out of the box, breaking down, finding your passion, and building yourself up.  I truly get that.  #gratitude

Deja Vu

Life’s lessons… you cannot make them up… they just happen.  There is “something” to be learned by each lesson.  Failure to learn that “something” will result in deja vu.  It just happens again.  Water through the light fixtures… The last time this happened was on Christmas eve a handful of years ago.  My daughter and I were “camping” in the TV room that night… and all I could hear was… Drip.  Drip.  Drip.  Sure enough our toilet upstairs had a slow leak and whoosh our kitchen downstairs was soon flooded.  Nothing says “Ho, ho, ho”… like potential water damage.  This time, our washing machine opted to malfunction and create an indoor waterfall… and all I could hear was…  Splat.  Splat.  Splat.  Yup.  The kitchen was flooded once again.  Serves me right for doing housework.  Lesson learned.  But really… what I am suppose to learn?  Is it patience?  Resilience?  Grit?  In the end, I remained calm and I am oozing with gratitude. #yayforexpertise #notalone

Cheer Leader

What kind of leader are you?  I have always been fascinated by leadership and studied it as a graduate student.  Would you be…
      1. an autocratic leader (power oriented)
      2. a democratic leader (seeks input from others)
      3. a charismatic leader (inspires enthusiasm)
      4. a people-oriented leader (focused on people)
      5. a transactional leader (management oriented)
      6. a task-oriented leader (getting the job done)
      7. a laissez-faire leader (leaving it to others)
      8. a bureacratic leader (by the book)
      9. a servant leader (meets the needs of the team)
or 10. a transformative leader (inspirational)?
I think that we are a little bit of each type in some way and would like to consider myself to be a “cheer” leader… a combination of servant, charismatic, and people-oriented leadership.  I love supporting others.  I am outgoing.  I am driven by helping others to become the best they can be.  Yay me!!!  #classicteacher

SD46 Student Trustee

Trustee Younghusband & Student Trustee Maya Treuheit

This is a time for celebration… SD46 Board of Education is making history… Student Trustee Maya Treuheit from Chatelech Secondary School was sworn in last night at the November 12, 2013 Regular Meeting.  It was so wonderful to have a student sit at our board table and I look forward to the student voice.  Members of the District Student Leadership Team (DSLT) were also introduced at last night’s meeting, that is, two student representatives from each secondary and alternative school on the Sunshine Coast.  I encourage these students to consider sitting on other Board Committees such as the SD46 Education Committee.  As chair of the SD46 Education Committee, I appreciate the voices from different stakeholder groups at the table.  The conversation becomes rich, thoughtful, and diverse.  Representation from the DSLT would raise the bar of dialogue as we discuss education at the governance level.  Congratulations to Student Trustee Maya Treuheit.  Welcome to the SD46 Board!

Remembrance Day 2013

“LEST WE FORGET” Remembrance Day Service 2013 Sechelt Cenotaph

Little Sister

Even in our 40’s, I still feel like the little sister.  I remember as a child I had always wanted “equal status” as my siblings.  My sister is the first born, aka. #1. My twin brother is 5 minutes older than me, but also the first boy. Then, there’s me, #3. Certainly being the youngest has its perks.  I was never “burdened” or consulted with family responsibilities.  By the time it got to #3, the problem was solved.  Life was good.  I’d always knew that the path in front of me would be paved.  For this, I am grateful.  Tonight we were reunited once again.  I love our little family reunions.  What’s nice about them are, I can pose a question and both of my siblings are there to share their knowledge and expertise with me.  On the one hand, I am overwhelmed and humbled.  On the other hand, I am honoured and heart-warmed.  It is comforting to know that both my brother and sister always have my best interest in mind. #luckyme 

Wholeheartedness

“Let ourselves be seen.” – Brene Brown

What an internal struggle.  It has deeply affected my life and will continue to do so until it’s completed.  I am talking about my dissertation.  I’ve been in a holding pattern for several years and made life decisions to give myself space to think and rethink about what I am trying to accomplish.  More than a dozen revisions of my proposal and I’m back at the research question.  Humbling?  Yes.  Disheartening?  No.  I am challenged by what I really want to know and why.  Furthermore, I want to move forward with my research without “hurting” anyone… whatever that means.  I am cognizant of what I would like to address, but uncertain how to go about it.  As a result, nothing gets done.  The upside is, I am learning.  I am learning more about education but also more about myself.  I am scared to show others what I think.   I can’t control the outcome.  I can’t “be perfect” as a rookie-researcher.  I can’t hide from others.  I need to be vulnerable with my research and be open to how things will unfold.  No more pretending.  To experience the joy of research, is to also experience the heartbreak of failure.  This is the underpinning of Brene Brown’s research and wholeheartedness.  I can no longer numb the pain, fear, disappointment, and shame.  To truly succeed, I am open, vulnerable, and authentic.  This is what I’ve been striving for all along. #movingforward #feelinggood #gratitude #joy

The Intuitive

My most favorite sport is curling.  I owe much to the sport of curling.  It’s been a 30 year relationship.  The sport has taught me a lot about teamwork, leadership, and friendly competition.  Curling has also helped me to understand Alasdair MacIntyre… aka. key concepts in my dissertation.  Aside from being able to transfer ideas, I wonder why I love curling so much.  According to Myer-Briggs Type Indicator, I am an ESTJ (Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging).  E = Love hanging out with people. S = Love collecting data from my experiences.  T = Love making decisions based on what I’ve learned.  J = Love order.  Yup.  Seems like a perfect match.  This would also explain why I like hanging out with the intuitive.  These people seem magical to me.  They are able to make cognitive connections that extend beyond what they experience.  This quality makes ESTJ’s like me curious.  I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by so many intuitive people. #gratitude

Ripple Effect

The power of influence… never underestimate it. I was just thinking about the BCAMT Fall Conference 2013 and bumping into someone I met earlier this year at the UBC Aboriginal Math K-12 Symposium.  At the symposium, we met face-to-face and he asked me a question about a project that he was working on with his teacher candidates at the university he is affiliated with.  We chatted.  From our conversation, he had an “aha” moment about the project and personalized learning.  Long story made short, he presented at the Fall Conference about this very project to share with other math educators.  Isn’t that amazing?  Shocks me.  What surprises me even more is that we shook hands again at the BCAMT Fall Conference and he said, “You’ve inspired me.” Little that he knows, he did just the same for me early in my teaching career at another BCAMT Fall Conference.  Ya.  This is what I love about education.  What kind of ripple effect do you have?