Redefining Oneself

Well, I know that it is only December 17th… but I am thinking about my new year’s resolutions.  School is out and things in life are seemingly slowing down.  I feel that it would be appropriate to spend a bit of time to redefine myself.  I spent the last year or so transitioning into my ‘new life’ or new way of being.  I spent 16 years of my life as “Ms. Ho” or “Ms. Younghusband,” the math/science teacher at Chatelech Secondary.  Now, I am addressed as “Trustee Younghusband.”  I am a newly elected school trustee, graduate student/doctoral candidate, MEd site assistant at SFU, tutor at Capilano University, and educational consultant/sole proprietor of Younghusband Consulting.  This list does not include my involvements with the BC Association of Mathematics Teachers executive committee, West Sechelt bike club, or Education Graduate Students’ Association at SFU.  I could have stayed with the status quo for the next 18 years to establish a full-pension and teach a thousand more students to love mathematics.  As you can see, if I had stuck with the status quo I would not have been able to realize my potential or capabilities as an educational leader.

Admittedly, the past year had been extremely scary, yet equally exciting.  For the first 6 months, my self-doubt almost got the best of me.  I questioned myself often as to why I left the status quo.  Stepping out of the box with hopes of something good will happen in the end is not an easy task.  Thank goodness for friends and family for keeping me on track and pushing me forwards.  Deep down inside, I knew I would return back to the school district but in a different role.  I did not anticipate within 12-months that I would be elected as a school trustee.  I am honoured and grateful to those in the community who recognized my love and devotion to the Sunshine Coast school district.  The 2011 municipal election win represents the end of this chapter of transformation.

So, what’s next?  First, I have to “let things happen.”  What I mean by this is, when I start something, follow-through and give it time to grow.  I will often pre-judge how things are going and quickly abort the mission.  For example, the use of PayPal during the municipal election, my first blog, and my first 4-5 revisions of my dissertation proposal.  On the other hand, I’ve allowed my business to flourish, my YH Edu-Blog to exist, and my involvement at SFU to broaden.  The results exceeded my expectations.  Now, I have steady business, I have blog-readers from around the world, and I am capitalizing on many opportunities as a graduate student at SFU.  I would like to continue exploring these options in addition to seeing how my new role as school trustee will evolve over the next three years.  Second, I am recommitting myself to my dissertation writing and research.  This academic journey needs my full attention and I am looking for closure on this chapter too.

My biggest challenge is making choices to make it all work.  Balance is my mantra for 2012.  In order to have things in life balance, redefining oneself may be required.  Although it is the greatest compliment when former students ask me when I will be returning back to teaching, I have stepped into a different direction in my pedagogical journey…  I am a graduate student.  I am an educational consultant.  I am a school trustee.  This list does not include the other half of me… I am a mom.  I am a wife.  I am me.  I look forward to the new year.  It will be challenging to say the least, but I feel that I am heading in the right direction professionally, academically, and personally.  To 2012…