My Kid is Me

Jumping off the Pier at Davis Bay

My kid is a great swimmer.  She loves being in the water and she is a proficient swimmer.  There is no doubt in my mind she could jump off the pier and swim in the ocean.  Seize the day.  Today she wanted to jump off the pier in Davis Bay.  She’s never done this before, but has wanted to do it for years.  All ready with her swimsuit on, she walked onto the pier, and looked down at the ocean.  Deja vu.  It was like being at the PNE.  Lots of anticipation… lots of procrastination… Too much over thinking led to self-doubt and uncertainty.  My husband and I were there to support her, but in the end, it was up to her.  With a deep breath, she decided to jump.  Wheeee... She did it!  No problem.  Then, she climbed up the chain ladder within a few seconds ready to jump off the pier again.  The fear was gone.  Wheeee... there she goes again… and again… and again.  My kid is me.  She teaches me soooooo much.  Jump.  It’s not as bad as you think it might be.  In fact, you might even like it.  Wheeee…

Snakes and Ladders

Do you remember this game?  Roll the die, move the figurine forwards and see where you land.  If you land at the base of a ladder, you quickly advance upwards.  If you land on a snake, you remorsefully slide down backwards.  Isn’t this like real life?  Who would have thought that a game like Snakes and Ladders could model a person’s career.  Many may proceed forward by going step by step, year by year… never hitting a snake or a ladder.   Some people might be super lucky and manage to land on ladders every time.  Others may not be so lucky and move forwards to realize with one wrong move and it’s backwards on the career trail.  For some, it’s a mixture of both snakes and ladders.  You’d think that you could be strategic with this game, but sometimes it’s about luck.  The right time, the right place, the right “fit”… sometimes all three must be aligned to move forwards (expediently). Blog thought of the day… Keep plugging way towards your dream… you’ll eventually get there.  Happy Rolling.

Assessment Rant 2012

Assessment for Learning = The “No Zero” Policy

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL… it’s the first day back to school and I love looking at Twitter to check out edu-stuff people want to share, contribute or enlighten others.  Well, I’m no different.  One post caught my eye about assessment practices and the “No Zero” policy.  A classic policy implementation problem…

On the one hand, the learner deserves to get a ZERO if they know absolutely NOTHING on the summative assessment exercise (i.e. unit test, final exam, or project).  There is no question in my mind if that the learner is unable to demonstrate ANY UNDERSTANDING of the learning outcomes being evaluated, then yes… the academic performance is zero worthy.

On the other hand, the teacher has provided several formative assessment activities (i.e. assignments, group work, or journals) to know that the the learner knows nothing, the learner understood from these activities that he/she knew nothing, and the feedback provided had no positive affect on the learner’s understanding of the learning outcomes.  The learner is unable to learn any of the content… this is zero worthy.  Think about it… How can a learner know NOTHING by the final assessment?  It’s possible, but not probable.

Here’s some news… The NO ZERO POLICY is MISUNDERSTOOD.  You can give a ZERO if the learner understands NOTHING on the final assessment.  However, giving a ZERO as a means of managing behaviour to punish learners for not handing in their work or completing a task on-time is wrong.  I give this a zero.  Yes, giving zeros may “motivate” learners to get the job done, but not for the right reasons.  Teaching and learning is more complex than Skinner’s behaviourist approach.  Giving grades for “good” learning behaviour or denying grades for “bad” learning behaviour TOKENIZES LEARNING.  In this case, the learner deserves an N, not a zero.  News flash… it’s a work habit problem.

What annoys me more is the idea that giving zeros is preparing learners for the future.  Are marks a form of currency?  I hope not.  If an adult is not working, committing time theft, or under performing, he/she would be warned, investigated, or informed well before pay is deducted.  The adult would be pulled aside, spoken to, and given ways to “make things better.”  This is known as ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING.  Give formative feedback to learners, without punishment, and give opportunities to “make things better” before making a judgement or final evaluation.  It happens in schools.

As you can see, assessment practices are near and dear to my heart as an educator.  The issue with the “No Zero” Policy is not the policy itself, but the disconnection between policy makers and policy implementers as to what the policy intends to achieve and what it would look like in practice.  If the title of the policy is taken at face value, then yes, I would agree that “not being allowed” to give out ZEROS is outrageous.  But I believe that the policy suggests, when grading, the mark should reflect the learners’ understanding of the learning outcomes, not their work habits.

Just Do Right

At the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) – August 26, 2012

Lately, I’ve been in a state of paralysis.  I’ve been contemplating what I want to do with my life, what I want out of life, and what my purpose in life is.  Classic existentialist questions… I must have too much time on my hands (or procrastinating).  I had a few aha’s at the PNE.  First, know your limitations.  I went to several food trucks and ate mini-doughnuts.  Not a great place to be when embarking on WW.  Second, tradition is sacred.  Every year I have to see the Superdogs.  Not sure why I like them, but they seem to make my day.  Finally, fear is in the mind.  I watched my kid decide on which rides she wanted to go on.  My daughter enjoyed the “safe” rides, challenged herself on a few “questionable” rides, and refused to go on the “scary” rides.  I do the exact same thing.  Talk about life’s lessons smacking me in the face.  Rarely do I do “scary” things.  Why not jump?  If I want to model for my kid and others whom I teach, then I must be willing to jump too.  Just do right.  It might not be scary after all.

An ESTJ Researcher

A rude realization… I am an ESTJ researcher.  This should not be allowed.  More than 10 years ago during my Master of Education program, I took a course about teaching and learning styles.  In that course, the class engaged in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  As it turns out, I am an ESTJ.  At the time, knowing this information helped me to understand that I am not like other teachers and students are not like me.  It also explained why I enjoyed teaching high school mathematics so much.  Understanding MBTI, I was more aware of student learning styles and more able to flex my teaching practice to accommodate for the diverse learners in my classroom.  Furthermore, I was no longer comparing myself with other colleagues in terms of teaching style and approach.  Now, as a graduate student, I am reminded of MBTI.  For ESTJ’s, writing structured reports are good, meeting deadlines are great, and working with others is awesome.  Guess what doctoral thesis writing is like?  None of the above.  It’s is a heart breaker.  With that said, it explains my behaviour, learning style, and what I have to do next.  Wish me luck!

Betrayal Unknown

I write this blog to work out my thoughts on past events and what I am suppose to learn from them.  Furthermore, I write them in a blog with hopes of other people learning from my mistakes, experiences, and aha moments.

With my feelings of uncertainty and a heavy heart, I am reminded of an event that happened over a decade ago.  There was a “critical incident” at my workplace.  The news of it shocked everyone (particularly ones who were not in the know).  To be truthful, I don’t think that I have ever recovered from that experience.  The critical incident was “handled” and counseling was available.  I went to one session with several colleagues, but in the end, I felt betrayed.

I worked with this person.  We were friends.  The incident happens.  The person disappears from the workplace.  Questions unanswered.  Hurt feelings.  We are no longer friends.  To talk about this person, I would rather stab needles in my eye.  For many years, I felt I had nothing to learn from this incident except for deep feelings of anger, resentment, and betrayal.  Since the incident, I have never been able to forgive this person.  I kept justifying my feelings.

Looking back at this event, I have learned something as I ponder about my current state of mind.  In my situation, the roles are reversed.  A decision was made.  Many people affected.  Both options had pros and cons.  Because of that, there are winners and losers, regardless of choice.  Now, I understand that the person from the critical incident made a decision (one I may not agree with) and creating feelings of betrayal was never a part of this person’s intention. 

What a strange aha.  As I contemplate current circumstances, I have come to a point where I can forgive this person from 10-years ago whom I disliked immensely for many years and for many reasons.  Certainly, trust was broken, we are no longer friends, and I have many unanswered questions.  What brings me some peace is that this person’s action was never intended to hurt me or others.  This is betrayal unknown.  Do the right things for the right reasons, some people may get hurt en route.  What is “right” for some, may not be for others.  So now, I grieve and mourn a loss.

That is all… It’s not a happy blog entry today… but strangely, it has given me some happiness.  The greatest gift I can give myself is forgiveness.  I forgive the person from 10-years ago and I forgive myself.  Thank you Bloggies for reading.

End of Phase One

Potluck & Round-Circles @Sechelt Indian Band Hall

This is the last session of the Spirit of Wellness Canoe Circle.  For the last three Wednesdays, mental health and addiction service providers from various agencies on the Sunshine Coast met on canoes to discuss their practice, meet others, and share ideas.  On August 22nd, participants were invited to the Sechelt Indian Band Hall for a potluck dinner event to process, clarify, and share ideas about education and training of service providers so that those in our community are supported with best practices.  Thank you to the  SD46 Spirit Canoe, the Sechelt Nation Canoe, and the Grandmother’s Canoe for taking part in the canoeing portion of this initiative.  The potluck event started off cultural content with drumming and singing to be followed up with dinner.  Many new faces, some familiar ones, and lots of conversation.  I missed the first half of this event, but participated in the second half.  Four directions, four corners, four discussion circles… a great set up.  The Spirit of Wellness Canoe Circle is Phase 1 of this two-stage application.  The advisory committee will review the data collected over the last four weeks to compose a proposal for Phase 2 funding.  The proposal is due next month.  Best wishes to the organizers.  This is a worthy cause and I am grateful to be a part of this unique community event as school trustee of the SD46 Board of Education.  I will report my experience to the Board at the September 2012 meeting. All my relations.

Reuniting With The Peeps

SD46 School Trustee Tour – March 2012

Summer is almost over when you start buying school supplies and attend a meeting at the Board Office.  Yup.  Life as a mom and school trustee… it’s very exciting.  It’s been a great summer… my kid had lemonade stands and chased the ice cream truck, my husband bought a new bike and trekked many trails, and I paddled in the SD46 Spirit Canoe and worked on some SFU stuff.  We might even do the PNE.  The weather has been great!  Soon it will be time for back to school and my kid is super excited.  So, yesterday was nice.  The SD46 School Trustees met with the auditors and senior management.  We shared pizza, asked questions, and learned more about the auditing process.  Believe it or not… it was a great meeting and I much enjoyed reuniting with the peeps.  We did not meet in a boat last night, but maybe we’ll one day meet in a canoe.  I love my work with the SD46 Board of Education and I love being a school trustee.  WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL EVERYONE!

Carpe Diem

My kid is a happy kid.

There are many lessons to be learned in life.  One of them is to SEIZE THE DAY.  Here’s my kid.  As serious as I can be, my kid always seems to see the brighter side of things.  In this picture, I think that she was pretending to be a dead bug on the beach.  Not sure.  Doesn’t really matter.  I have numerous photos of my kid and many memories of her to remind me that life is short.  Carpe diem.  My kid teaches me this lesson… often.  This morning, I go downstairs and plead with my kid, “Please don’t tell me there’s a big mess to clean up.” She sweetly replies, “OK” and leaves the house to meet up with her buddy to run their lemonade stand to raise funds for the West Sechelt Elementary School Playground.  I turned the corner and saw a HUGE mess in the kitchen.  Ah.  It’s tough to get mad at her.  So, I just cleaned up the mess, had a cup of coffee, and watched the “Vancouver Housewives” on TV.  You know what?  Life is good.

Presentation Bootcamp

Voice & Presentation Bootcamp 2012 – SFU TLC

Serendipity.  I am convinced that we are meant to meet certain people at certain times to learn something new.  On August 13 & 14th, I went to SFU to the “Voice and Presentation Bootcamp.”  This is the first time this workshop was offered by the Teaching & Learning Centre (TLC) at SFU-Burnaby.  The bootcamp was absolutely amazing and the facilitators Sarah Turner and Kathryn Ricketts were phenomenal.  I love TLC’s purpose to improve teaching and learning at the university and wonder why this does not happen at K-12.  I am an experienced public school teacher and learned so much about voice, body, and space as a public speaker.  The bootcamp challenged me to step into a state of discomfort to learn and transform.  I also loved dialoguing with the attendees of the bootcamp in this shared expereience.  I was meant to meet these people and learned so much from them.  Thank you TLC, Sarah, and Kathryn for your expertise, feedback, kindness, and generosity.  The bootcamp was one of the best professional development sessions I have engaged in as a teacher.  I encourage others to attend this workshop if offered once again by TLC at SFU.  Furthermore, I recommend that this workshop is worthy of 3 days or even 5.  Why not?  It’s the connection with others, safe learning environment, and immediate results that make the Voice & Presentation Bootcamp a worthwhile TLC workshop.  Much gratitude.