Author: christine (Page 1 of 15)

April 5, 2026 – Sick Again

I did not realize that my voice is integral to my occupation until I lost my voice this week and I had to teach my Thursday online night class without my voice. I managed to teach the class using the chat function, an established instructional routine, and YouTube videos on leadership. The course is about school based teams and I took a leadership approach to the course (i.e., how to run an effective, goal-oriented, collaborative team meeting). I was not sure how the course would go, but I feel that we have the right mix of students and expertise to make the most of the course content as it relates to our current positions in K-12 school. I think the highlight of my class last week was: “I did not realize how important leadership is.” BINGO. Love that!!! Leadership is everything. I am not referring to the organizational leadership per se, even though they are very important, but we are all leaders in some way in the work that we do. To end my class that way was amazing, and I am grateful for this class for adapting.

The term is almost ending… I am sick (again), and I have lost my voice. I think I caught “whatever” on the weekend and it hit full manifestation on Tuesday night mid-class. It was horrible. I managed to get myself home, and I was grateful that most of my work could be done at home on Wednesday and Thursday, with a long weekend on the horizon. After that night class, I was very intentional not to work that evening, or on Good Friday, and on “be a person day” (i.e., Saturday). Now that it’s Sunday, I had hoped THE SICK would have ceased and my voice would be back. NOPE. I am sadly mistaken. Whoa. I am left reflecting. I take my voice for granted… my health for granted… and my living situation for granted. Although I have managed to get through my class last week without talking, but what about my upcoming class on Tuesday? Thank goodness I’m not teaching on Monday. That would have been a full day needing to talk… and I can’t.

Maybe losing my voice is a metaphor. What if something is no longer… can you still survive? Can you still do what you want to do? Are you able to adapt? I am coming to terms with the idea that talking is critical to teaching. I lost my voice on Wednesday night and now it’s Sunday. I am so grateful to teach my online class safely from home and without having my voice. The students were brilliant. I am really hoping that my voice comes back for Tuesday. It will be my last class with this group and also on Thursday with my night class. Worst case, I will adapt. Best case, I will adapt. But, I think it’s more than that. What if I “lose my voice” in the metaphorical sense. I would hate that. I am so grateful that I’ve said that because it’s a lesson my mom was trying to teach me, even on her last day.

Much like the image of my cat above… one the one hand, I’m hiding from the world and looking out the window because I’m sick. I am isolated from the world. On the other hand, I am hiding from the world and looking out the window because I am scared, unsure, and not confident. Wow. That sounds weird, but it’s true with respect to my voice as a writer and researcher. I know that I blog as a means to reflect on my practice and practice writing (as thinking), but I am really holding myself back. I chose and watched a video with my night class about effective teams and in one video, it spoke about one person who did not trust others (or themselves, I would guess). They were the limiting factor to the team. People did not feel safe in their company, thus the TEAM was a group.

I am left thinking about TRUST, freedom, and voice. It’s trust in oneself. Despite all of what life provided to get to a point where trusting oneself is not safe, then no one can be perceived as safe. Asking for help would be almost impossible. Accepting feedback would be dangerous. Making yourself vulnerable would be unfathomable. How does one liberate themselves from this self-oppression? I am brought to Brene Brown’s work and the 10 thousand pound shield. Yes, the shield protects, but it also hides. You cannot numb the hurt and be open to joy. Trust is key. Trust in oneself. Set backs or mistakes are opportunities to learn. Losing my voice is an incredible metaphor for learning. Adapt. Make things happen. Persevere. Learn. Be humble. Trust. Love. Be vulnerable. I can do this.

March 26, 2026 – EDUC 421 & EDUC 376

There was a slight delay on the weekly blog reflection. The teacher candidates are back and Mondays are a big day for teaching. Thus, Sunday is left to prepping for Monday’s class. It’s been a pretty full month and weekends have been slowly eroded to work. I have strived over the last two years to have Saturdays as “be a person day.” Sometimes, this day is filled with work, which does not lend kindly to the work/life balance mantra. Nonetheless, there was work that had to be done on Friday and Saturday. Timelines and just getting things done are of top priority, even though there still remains a large pile to do.

One of the things I love about what I do for a living is “meeting where the students are.” This way of being is central to educators and essential to equity based, inclusive learning environments. I teach “Assessment and Motivation” in the morning and “Foundations in Numeracy in the Elementary Years” in the afternoon. It makes for a VERY LONG instructional day. Sometimes you have to make adaptations so that students can remain on-task and interested in what’s happening in class. So, planning on Sundays is critical. Of course, I am planning for the big picture, and the daily/small picture and often I find myself totally engaged in the planning process. Videos, resources, sequencing… are all fun!!

I just blogged about this week in my other WordPress blog about reigniting my JAM in mathematics. I just find it so fun… but I also find assessment and motivation also super interesting, especially in the context of teaching and learning. Both math (or numeracy) and assessment are so central to who I am as a teacher and learner. I am so curious about how to design learning so that students are engaged with the learning experience, but also finding resources, methodology, and timing… it’s like a big puzzle that I need to put together. If anything, I’m enjoying the learning process as I am trying to design the lesson.

Is this weird?

Anyway, what inspired me to write about this topic is the joy of having the students return to campus from practicum, the super engaging conversations they engaged in regarding Assessment & Motivation during practicum in terms of what they learned, what they noticed, and why it mattered, and having the opportunity to teach a topic of personal interested (i.e., assessment and math) which were so important to me when I was teaching high school mathematics. Moreover, my interest in these topics lend itself to other topics I am interested in such as efficacy, identity, equity, and leadership. I love noticing these things about my practice as it deeply informs who I am and what research I pursue.

I am often left wondering if I could return back to the K-12 classroom. It seems like a big idea. I left teaching 15 years ago (holy moly) for various reasons and in that time span, that’s about how long I taught in schools. Yes… I am of that age (if you are doing the math). I will admit, I loved teaching mathematics and I have learned a tonne about teaching, learning, and assessment as a school trustee, independent consultant, researcher, and teacher educator. I would like to believe that I would be a different teacher, but as I look at my practice now in teacher education and undergraduate/graduate studies, I am the same teacher.

So… who knows? Life is filled with opportunities and I am making the most of them as they come my way. I am super happy with how things are going and I am learning lots. I am so grateful to see the teacher candidates back on campus and I am loving that I am enjoying teaching about assessment and numeracy. It’s so wonderful to teach something that is not only of personal/professional interest, but also of something that I have an expertise in. Yes, teaching out-of-field (which is the premise of my doctoral work with respect ot secondary math) offers an opportunity to learn something new, but admittedly, it does take some time to find the LOVE and the goods internal to the practice (McIntyre, 1981).

March 15, 2026 – Conference Proceedings

It’s been an interesting week… and time is flying by. This little crew in the photo went to WestCAST 2026 at the University of Winnipeg last month. Each of them participated in a paper presentation, which is about a 15-20 minute presentation and Q&A. The University of Winnipeg did an outstanding job in planning and facilitating this conference for student teachers. There experience was intended to engage teacher candidates in inquiry and participate in a conference that is reseach focused. I’ve been coaching and mentoring this crew from UNBC.

I have been involved with WestCAST ever since I joined UNBC in 2018. It was an opportunity for my colleague to mentor and coach me to become a teacher educator, and going to this conference with teacher candidates was one of the things that they did as a teacher educator. I went to the University of Calgary in 2019 and then the University of British Columbia in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic happened soon after our return from Vancouver, BC and WestCAST had been struggling to stay afloat since then. There was an online conference at the University of Saskatchewan in 2022, then a gap year, then a return to the University of Calgary in 2024, Simon Fraser University in 2025, and then the University of Winnipeg in 2026. The momentum has been building since 2024.

For 2019 and 2020, I was the learner. I was observing and participating in WestCAST as a faculty member and co-presenter. for the last four conferences, I have been a mentor and coach for the teacher candidates, and sometimes a co-presenter or presenter. With each crew from UNBC, there is a clear mandate for me when supporting these teacher candidates with WestCAST. Do what they want to do… and just help and guide. That’s it. Every year has been different. With this year’s crew, they each wanted to do a paper of topics that are very unique and personal to them, but also connected to their future profession.

As we were planning and prepping for the conference, we almost took an ADST (Applied Design Skills and Technology) approach using design thinking as a process: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. We did each of these stages diligently and within that process entailed an iterative process with prototyping and feedback. It was a one-to-one and collective process. As we were approaching the conference dates, we practiced with one another and by the time it was their opportunity to present at the conference, they were ready, well-articulate, and confident in their presentations. They were AMAZING!!

Also in this preparation, they also wanted the opportunity to publish their work. I love this drive and initiative from the teacher candidates. The conference itself is going above and beyond the teacher education program. I love that they also wanted to follow through on the opportunity to publish. WestCAST 2026, for the first time in my experience, they are offering a Conference Proceedings for the conference, particularly designed for undergraduate (and graduate) students. So, when this was announced, the teacher candidates have been working on the idea that they would be writing a paper that was ready for publication.

Since the conference, we have met a couple of times to transform their script from the conference to a paper to submit for the WestCAST 2026 Conference Proceedings. They are all still interested in submitting a paper to be published. It will be peer reviewed as well, which is also another cool experience for them to participate in. Last week, we worked on their abstract to send back to the University of Winnipeg as an expression of interest to submit to the Conference Proceedings and now we are working on the paper. They University of Winnipeg offered similar outlines and prompts, much like a journal would. It’s very good.

Short practicum is now over… can you believe that? They are in practicum and we met last weekend for the abstract and this weekend to reformatting their script into a manuscript. I was sick last week… and still sick… so we met online. We held an online writing group… and it was AWESOME. I had so much fun, and I think they did to. Some coaching, some writing, some questions, then iterate. We got a great start to the writing process and the two hours just flew by. When they were writing, I was working on my own writing and edits. I loved it. We will be meeting again this Wednesday and maybe on the weekend too. The first submission of their manuscript is due next week. And, we are on track!!

I am really loving this process and I love helping teacher candidates to learn more about academia and higher education. The learning is reciprocated, 100%.

March 8, 2026 – An Unusual Weekend

Can you call it a “hat-trick” of wonderfulness? Here are a few photos of some folks from the Lower Mainland who reached out to me as they were passing through or visiting Prince George. I think what was so wonderful about each of them reaching out was, they just wanted to connect and say HELLO. As strange as it sounds, they made no mention of their work and what they were doing in Prince George and beyond. I did not really find out what they were doing here in the Central Interior until was met and had a conversation. IT WAS AMAZING!!

Normally, my weekend is OPEN. I’ve been trying to honour rest as part of my weekly routines (much like this blog post) and Saturday is “be a person day.” This day often includes recycling, laundry, vacuuming, organizing my office, cooking a meal or two, and cleaning up the kitchen. Or sometimes, I do nothing. It’s a guilt-free day. Sunday can be a “be a person day” but it is normally a day I sleep in and transition into the work week. Maybe emails and some planning. This term, Sundays were mostly spent prepping for my Monday classes. I’ve had the last few weeks free from the prep due to practicum and Family Day.

This week, I was blessed with visitors. During the week, my friend, Carolyn Roberts (photo above) was presenting at the ‘Ut’loo Noye Khunni – Weaving Words Celebration. She reached out to connect. I did not think I would be able to with my teaching schedule but I had some of my days wrong, and I had Monday off from teaching. We went out for dinner on Monday and I got to see her present on Wednesday. It was so great to see her. I loved our conversation over dinner. Lots of laughs. I loved her presentation at PGSS. I went with my daughter (also in photo above). We also went to the evening event at Omineca Art Centre to listen to drummers and other artists. I was so grateful to see Carolyn this week. I often use her TEDx video in my teacher education classes and I have used her book “Restorying Education” in one of my grad classes. I love what she has to say and she’s releasing her new book, “Tess’s Red Dress.”

On Saturday, which would normally be a “be a person day” was jammed packed with activities, so much so, recycling this week did not get done. The day started with grad photos with my kid on campus. She looked great and I cannot wait to see how the photos turned out. I have a few favourites in terms of the props permutation of cap, gown, parchment, and stethoscope. I cannot believe that she is graduating soon, and seeing her in a cap and gown (with hood) made it much more real. I’m not sure where the 4 years have gone, but she has made the most of her undergraduate experience, and I’m glad she lived with me during this time. She’s made my experience in Prince George joyful and fulling.

Saturday continued with a visit from my friend, Reema. She teaches at SFU and was giving a talk about “women and reading” at Books and Company. We met up soon after photos (and changing back into my hoodie). She knows a few other folks on Prince George, so she wanted to tour the university. We had an incredible chat about higher education, our careers, and next steps. I was so fascinated how similar some of our experiences were and I appreciated her kind words of calling me a “positive person” and that I needed to continue “the fight” for folks like her. I was inspired by her optimism and realism. We could have chatted all day. She has got an incredible sense of space and direction. I was a bit wowed. We visited my place, went to DandyLines and Zoe’s Coffee house.

Now, I’m running late. I am so grateful that Grace waited for me to say hello. Her patience is her superpower. I did not realize that she was not staying in Prince George, but was driving through after flying in that morning. UGH. I feel terrible. We had a wonderful chat and it was fun to connect and get to know each other better. Her generosity and kindness did not go unnoticed. I am so appreciative of our conversation and I feel that we are more aligned than anticipated. More often, emails do not do justice. Zoom might help to make a better connection, but nothing beats meeting someone in person to get to know one another. Thank you Grace for making the connection, for lunch, and for the conversation.

Grace did wish me well on “be a person day.” I was a bit combobbled by the scheduled activities during the day, even though connecting with folks is a good thing. I did head home to rest and take a nap THINKING that the rest of my day was free. Luckily, as I was rolling over to look at my phone, by chance, I looked at my calendar. GAH. It was 5pm, and I had invited three teacher candidates to my place to work with them to prepare for the WestCAST 2026 Conference Proceedings. These teacher candidates presented at WestCAST 2026 at the University of Winnipeg last month and undergraduate and graduate students who presented have an opportunity to publish their work. These three teacher candidates wanted to publish their work, so the conference proceedings (which is NEW for WestCAST) was an excellent opportunity, but it’s new territory.

In a staggered way, we wrote their abstract for the conference proceedings. It was announced that they would have an extension to the first draft of their paper, but what was required in the meantime was the title of the presentation and their abstract. The week extension involves submitting the manuscript. I really enjoy working with undergraduates on this kind of work. Research is new to them and the WestCAST 2026 conference organizers from the University of Winnipeg intended to create this opportunity for students, much like how they organized the conference itself, which really felt like a conference for research. I supported them in their writing and provided feedback where I could. I wanted to leave my place with an abstract they could submit ASAP because they are still in practicum and likely time and effort could not be afforded to continue writing.

After a few hours of working with the teacher candidates, I was on “designated driver duty.” I drove my kid and her friends to the restaurant and took some time to REST, but also clean the kitchen, vacuum the main floor, refill containers with food, clean the fridge, and tidy the main floor of my place. It was kind of a mess. I did not want to “work” but could do some household chores before picking up my kid and her friends. Yup. I went to bed at 1am. And yes, it’s daylight savings and lost an hour of sleep. LOL. I went out for breakfast with my friend to a new place I’ve never been too, and it was delicious. I wrote about that experience in my other blog, and then I met up with a former teacher candidate for coffee. This former teacher candidate, now teacher, was at Carolyn’s session on Wednesday and we made plans to catch up. We talked for 4 hours!! And, I missed Reema’s presentation (not knowingly). Apparently, it went well. Yay Reema!! Time just flew by. I walked away from that conversation also inspired. I needed to do that.

The weekend ends with a plate of dumplings and a diet Coke, a quick Costco shop with my kid, and picking up some sushi for a late dinner. I was not super compelled to jump into work (with exception to accepting a paper to review). I made a list of things I need to do on Monday, took a shower, got ready for bed… and then, started writing my weekly blogs and reflections in the middle of the night. #ClassicChristine The cat is not happy, but I am blogging on my bed. It’s now 2am, I’m done, and I feel very happy about the week and weekend. 🙂

March 1, 2026 – How Cliché

Teaching is all about relationships is a message that is sent during the first term of the teacher education program, but cannot be fully realized until the second term when teacher candidates start working with students. And, I would say, it’s more than the relationship with students, but it’s also about relationships with other teachers, administration, support staff, parents, and community members. Community and connection are both central to my teaching practice and I was pleasantly reminded of this value today at Tim Hortons. I went out for a walk today because it was beautiful and sunny (and not too cold). I needed to get outside and reconnect to the land and be situated in place. I loved listening to my podcast as well. Part of my walk involved getting coffee at Tim Horton’s.

There is a Tim Horton’s near my place and I feel that this could be a place I can learn to connect with. I’ll admit, Tim Horton’s is not a place I would normally go to, but I thought it could be a place where I can be open to because it’s nearby and a good pitstop for me mid-walk to grab a medium dark regular coffee… and it was. In doing so, I bumped into a graduate student I taught last term. This student is also working at an EA at Harwin Elementary, where I was teaching EDUC 421 to teach Assessment and Motivation in-situ. I always appreciate her smile and warm hug. She is always excited to see me, so I was very excited to bump into her at Tim Horton’s. I met her husband and it was good to see her.

I sat down to enjoy my cup of coffee before heading out for the second half of my walk. Mid-coffee, this student got up to give me a couple of chocolates. She did not have to, but dang… they were delicious with my cup of coffee. I was very grateful for her generosity and ongoing gratitude, but I was reminded that relationships matter… and they linger. She showed up to my class late in the term and she needed some support to get on track. I was happy to help, and I also feel that it’s part of my job, and also part of who I am. We are here to pave a way for students to be and feel successful. She did an amazing job overall.

As I reflect, I am also brought to my thinking about how I relate to all of my students, like the ones that went to WestCAST 2026 with me a couple of weeks ago. WE ARE A TEAM. I don’t see myself as the “course instructor” or someone who “knows more”… but rather, I see myself as the lead learner and I am co-constructing knowledge with my students. We are co-learning and co-teaching. Students come to class with an expertise. My job is to coordinate learning experiences so that we can collectively sense-make, discern, and discuss. I am not a big fan of individual competition, ranking and comparing, and learning in isolation. I want us to win together. WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER than apart.

February 21, 2026 – Thank You Winnipeg

What a cute photo… we just landed in Winnipeg in this image and we were in Winnipeg for WestCAST 2026 at the University of Winnipeg. We had a great time in Winnipeg and I’m so grateful to work with these teacher candidates from the UNBC teacher education program. This crew each wanted to present inquiry topics individually and they were each EXCEPTIONAL in their presentations. I am so proud of them. I am a little regretful that we do not do e-portfolios anymore in the program to read about what they would say about WestCAST and Winnipeg, but I feel that they shared lots of gratitude. What an experience!!

I guess I will take the liberty to share a little bit of our trip to Winnipeg. First of all, I would like to thank the UNBC School of Education and Chair for making this trip possible for the teach candidates. This trip would not be possible without that support. Second, I would like to thank the participating teacher candidates for their interest and willingness to prepare and present at WestCAST. To do so, they are working above and beyond the teacher education program, which can be very difficult. They each presented an inquiry that was important to them.

One presented about how ADHD is a superpower and the benefits of UDL, one presented on learning about their Indigenous ancestry through beading and wanting to include beading circles as part of their pedagogy, and one presented on BIPOC learners with exceptionalities and developing one’s cultural competency to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment. I presented about coaching and mentoring teacher candidates and creating a third space for these teacher candidates as part of a self-study. I also presented with members of BCTEN about Connective Professionalism. It was so great!!

I feel very lucky to be a part of BCTEN and UNBC teacher education program to make learning experiences like this possible. I appreciated our collegiality, collaboration, and cooperation. I feel grateful to have wonderful colleagues and peers to work with, but also have amazing teaching candidates to work with. I am reminded about what I love about my career and profession. I love the people, the creativity, and the connection. The theme of the conference was “Together, We Grow.” It’s about community, and I loved the words shared by keynote speaker, David Robertson. We are better together, and I feel that this togetherness, community, and human connection are at the heart of what I do.

Below, is a photo of us near the end of our trip in Winnipeg. We went to the Forks, Canadian Museum of Human Rights, and Festival de Voyageur. We had a great time. I also got to connect with colleagues from UBC, UVic, and SFU… but also meet folks from the conference planning committee from the University of Winnipeg and folks from other universities who seek to do the same work as me. Working with teacher candidates and undergraduate students is amazing. I also bumped into a former school trustee friend from Manitoba. He’s now the president of CSBA. (I knew him before he was famous). And, it was like no time had passed… when I think it was about 10-12 years ago since we had first met.

Thank you Winnipeg!! I feel hopeful, inspired, and connected. WELL DONE!!

February 16, 2026 – A Needed Break

Hello. My name is Christine. It’s been 2 weeks since my last blog post.

There… that’s my confession. My weekly blog posts did not make my list of priorities of “things to do” and normally it sits very high on my priority list. I was not going to happen. Nope. And, I feel no guilt or regret. Sometimes decisions like this need to be made and the consequences are very little. So, that’s what happened. But now I’m back, and it’s Family Day. No teaching today… just catching up with everything. This blog post will be filled with lots of gratitude.

I forgot how intense January can be. I almost burned out a few years ago and made a commitment to SLOW and REST that year so that this work can be sustainable, reasonable, and viable for years to come. That year, I was also intentional with doing only things that I enjoy doing. I love teaching, I love working with students, and I love writing about my work. What more can I ask for? It has taken some time to get here, but I feel that my work is getting there.

This year started wih getting a SSHRC Connections Grant Application submitted by February 1. Luckily, I was only a collaborator for this application.I am so grateful for the work of the Principal Investigator, Co-Applicant, and committee members for making that grant application possible. Sadly, my name was a barrier to our submission. UGH. What is my name? Good question. I was also messed up with Rogers cable and WestJet at the same time. I need to decide.

Then, my classes started a week earlier than expected. So, despite the planning and dates posted in the calendar, I returned to work a few days sooner than I though. Admittedly, it was a little combobbulating, and these courses are 4 hours long each, back-to-back on Mondays, then 2 night classes, one on Tuesday and the other on Thursday, of which run on the university calendar. The first 6-weeks were intense for my Monday classes, but we managed to get things done.

Also in January, I had to get a draft chapter written and ready for peer review. Although you think you have time to complete, it ALWAYS takes longer than you think. And when I say “you,” I really mean “me.” I have not yet mastered the time it takes to complete any task, but I continue to persist to get things done. Sadly, t’s one thing at a time, so the things-to-do list was accruing. That said, given a week extension, I called on my co-author team and things worked out perfectly.

Finally, I had to get my PAR (professional activity report) completed by FRIDAY, February 13th. Does that sound freaky? It sure does. As I have mentioned, by doing things one thing at a time, things on the “things to do” list was getting bumped to the next day. And, I was having long nights too, so sleep was important too. Friday was a full day with PAR and meetings. On Thursday, I needed to get my WestCAST conference powerpoint done for a meeting too.

Approaching Friday the 13th, it was a long marathon ending with my PAR. I had a plan to do my PAR. I revamped majorly last year, so I knew what I needed to do. What I did not anticipate was the time to work out my draft PowerPoint for WestCAST. That took HOURS!! We (the Teacher Candidates and I) practiced on Thursday and provided one another formative feedback. We are doing great!!

As for my PAR… I started it on Friday morning while addressing a few time dependent emails. I went to the university and continued to work on my PAR. I had a few meetings (one in person and two online) and I was back at my PAR. Holy moly, I thought I was organized with my stuff, but it took a tonne of time to collate every and format. In the end, I asked for the help from my kid to work out the averages on my course evaluation forms so that I can finish my submission.

Thank goodness for help… thank goodness for people. because of people, I got the SSHRC application submitted, the chapter completed and submitted, WestCAST presentation draft created with feedback, and my PAR completed just in time. There was no time requirement, but I got it in by about 5:35pm. Not horrible, but not what I wanted either. Without the kid, it could have been later.

Yay!! Those were the big things. As you can see with the image above, after my kid’s meeting at the university, we went to Earls for happy hour. A diet coke with a lime, yummy appetizers, and great service, celebrating the end of the week and the submission of my PAR, made this celebration with the kid AMAZING. But wait… I also bumped into a former student at Earls who agreed to present at a conference and guest speak at my EDUC 201 class. Yay. Also AMAZING!!

I finally took my “be a person day” on Saturday. It’s been awhile with all the things that needed to get done last month and it felt GREAT. I recycled, went thrifting, and got a tonne of AMAZING things to bring home. Yup. And it was Valentine’s Day too. I got Mexican food for lunch and Chinese food for dinner. Why not? I’m not cooking on my “be a person day.” I needed a day just for me. Valentine’s Day seems like the most perfect day for self care and active REST.

Sunday was consumed by making a script for my WestCAST presentation and revising my PowerPoint for better flow, coherence, and clarity. That work pretty much took the whole day. I did go out for dinner with a friend, but otherwise, I was in the ZONE with my presentation and I am hoping that it will resonate with those who will attend my session. The conference looks huge and AMAZING, of course, I can’t wait for Wednesday. This Monday morning, albeit a stat holiday, required some work to be done by noon. I did it, but not sure how well. LOL.

In the end, things are getting done, like this blog post. And for that, I’m grateful.

January 31, 2026 – Me and My Sit Spot

Oh my goodness… I should be stressed. I have a writing deadline to meet and I’m running out of time. Admittedly, it has taken me some time to get started, but I am really enjoying the process and realizing that I will have more content than I need. This is a good problem. When I checked in with other authors for this publication, a couple of my colleagues shared that they were struggling with too much content. Honestly, it’s a good problem, but I was not sure if that would be the case for me. Today, I’m realizing that it’s true for me too. Great news!!

For now, I will pause a bit to reflect on my next step given this understanding. I am the lead author for my group. The co-authors have written many reflections and I feel that we will be just fine with the message that we want to deliver. For now, I will take a moment to blog for some solace and reflection. I do find this platform offers me an opportunity to practice my writing (which is one of the main reasons why I started to blog) and to reflect. I find the writing process helps me to unravel some of my thinking in ways that mulling over it does not.

Yesterday, I wrote the “literature review” while reflecting on one learning activity I do in one of my classes. I’m not sure if it was the right way to go about the literature review and I am tempted to rename the section as “The Fire Circle” because most of what I described was the fire circle that year and correlating that experience with the principles of land-based learning and education. I’m not sure if I’m skilled enough to weave the literature with a learning experience, particularly when the second half of the manuscript is about land-based learning experiences and how it has impacted one’s pedagogy and student wellness.

I know that this chapter is in progress despite the imminent submission date. The chapter will need to be peer-reviewed by other authors who are unfamiliar with our chapter then redrafted for a second submission. That said, it would be nice to have the chapter framework settled and big ideas amicable to my co-authors, reviewers, and editors. That is the ultimate goal. I’m just so impressed and grateful to work with these former teacher candidates, now practicing teachers. We did some important work in the program and needs to be shared.

I am grateful to be co-authoring this work and taking the lead on this project. I am learning a tonne and I appreciate the trust and support from my co-authors. I look forward to the final product. It will be a process and I should make note of how much I am enjoying putting the pieces together as a piece of writing that hopefully is not only coherent but meaningful and relevant to others too. I also hope that the writing reflects the story experienced by all of us. When I think about developing one’s efficacy for research and writing… PRACTICE matters.

January 25, 2026 – Getting Off My Phone

My #OneWord2026 is manifesting in wonderful ways. What does it mean to PRACTICE? I love changing my one-word into an inquiry question or guiding question. Last week, I was really doubting the power of this word and was very tempted to change my one-word for 2026. Luckily, the blogging process changed my mind again, and thus, I’m really committed to this word. As I reflect on this week and take-action in enacting wellness and self-care, I was so wowed by the idea of taking care of myself as part of my productivity and happiness.

Yesterday, I went for a day trip to Vancouver to visit my family (and get a massage). Despite a billion things happening in the background, I went to the Lower Mainland on “be a person” day. A guilt-free day to do what fills me up as a person. It could be chores, watching TV, doing errands, travel, or doing nothing. My flight was a 6am out of Prince George then my return flight was at 6pm out of Vancouver. In that time, I walked 17,528 steps, visited the ocean with my sister, went to the THE BOSS RESTAURANT with my brother and sister, went for a 90-minute massage, then had dim sum with my brother, sister, and dad. We took my dad after dim sum to get his hair cut and then dropped him off home. It’s important for me to visit him from time to time. We even visited my mom at the cemetery. Afterwards, my sister, brother, and I went to Costco Business in Richmond. My brother bought a Dyson, then dropped my sister off at a SkyTrain Station to return home, then me to the airport to fly back home. It was a great trip and for most of the time, I was on my phone to take pictures.

Today, I started the day leaving my phone in my bedroom and starting the day without my phone with me at all times. IT WAS AMAZING. I got so much done. After being away for the day on Saturday and after a week of work, I spent the day cleaning up, freshening up the cat station/location, and vacuuming. I was putting things away and getting life in order. It felt great and I was productive. Things that needed to get done, got done. I did the dishes, made dinner tonight, and took out the garbage and recycling. I felt very grounded and shocked how good I felt. I then proceeded to pick up my computer (and phone) to blog, and the quick decline and habitual behaviours quickly emerged. UGH. I got caught in the trap of games, reels, and emails. Nothing was getting done. I was frustrated.

So, I’ve deleted all of the games on my phone. After working on the PowerPoint for tomorrow’s classes, I made a few emails and prepped some forms as well. I am back to blogging in the middle of the night with the aspiration of charging my phone in the washroom. I had wanted to talk about the amazing feeling of being disconnected from my phone, but what I am realizing is, I need to PRACTICE disconnecting, so that I can reconnect to life, self, and my friends and family. I am also going to re-watch this video below soon after I complete this blog post:

I believe this to be true and tried before a couple of times, but obviously I could not sustain it. After today, I’m convinced. I loved just “being a person” and not having to spend any time on a game or video. I did have the TV on today but I feel that’s more background noise (and not as addictive). Anyway, I will practice not being on my phone as much because there are so many ways to connect with others, with place, and with the land. I loved being by the ocean and being with my family. It was a good reminder of what I want out of life… and why.

January 16, 2026 – Changed my mind

I cannot believe it’s mid-January already. I have a tonne of things to do and accomplish and things are already falling off my plate… involuntarily. People have passed away and workload is increasing and in question. I had originally identified the word PRACTICE to be my #OneWord2026. In November and December, I really wanted to practice taking risks (with my academic work), practice going to bed and having a good sleep (for my health and wellness), and practice exercising, mindfulness, and eating well (for longevity and stress management). Anyway, those are all good things and practicing them are super important for all the reasons stated, but in January, I find myself overwhelmed.

The term started a few days early, plans are being solidified at the 11th hour, forms are being filled and I’m learning a new process, and I have been strongly reflecting on life, purpose, and my health. My dad’s health could be better, my friend/colleague passed away last week (and it was a surprise and not a surprise), and I just learned that one of my good friend’s health is being challenged. There is so much on the go around me… and then there is my work. Teaching is super busy and I am teaching 4 courses this term, I was just advised that my next year’s workload will be changing to more teaching, and I am doing research on three different teams, I’m leading two different teams, and I have my own writing and research to accomplish. Truthfully, this is a good problem.

Another aspect of my work is service. I love this part of my job and can/will tend to over extend myself. I realized today that PRODUCT or outcomes is the measurable metric versus process. For example, I have submitted two manuscripts to one journal and there is sits… one got accepted and the other is under review, but nothing has been published yet. The development and completion of the manuscript took a lot of time and effort. It was an amazing learning process, which I loved, but now, we wait for the outcome/publication. Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. I’ve been second-guessing my #oneword2026.

My #OneWord2026 is PRACTICE. My original intention for the work seems to be focused on productivity… and doing more or being better. I can see why most New Year’s Resolutions are abandoned by mid-January. It’s tough commit and it does not feel good when you think you are failing or underperforming. Also, when people are passing or not doing well, it makes me think about my mortality and how I want to spend the last chapter of my life. In the end, I was worried that PRACTICE was leaning towards productivity. As a result, I wanted to avoid feelings of shame, failure, and disappoint. But as I am writing, maybe my first focus with practice is PEACE. I thought of changing my one-word to peace, but maybe I just need to practice peace, kindness, compassion, and patience.