Dr. Christine Ho Younghusband

September 19, 2026 – Fall 2026 Term

Wow. It’s my 9th season at the university. It’s truly a new year. My kid is graduated from the nursing program, she is working full-time, and she has bought her own place and living independently. AMAZING. I could not wish for anything better for her, and she continues on with her journey into adulthood. For me, I’ve just started teaching EDUC 394 at the university and have made several changes to the course because it has changed days, there’s less time, and I am returning back to e-portfolios as an assessment tool in this course. I’m not sure why I do that to myself. Actually, I know why. Teaching is also about design. I like to tinker and make the most of the course. I am grateful that this might be the sixth time I am teaching this course, and I know that the students are never the same, but the course (and myself) also changes. Of course, there are some aspects that remain consistent, so folks from year to year could have conceptually similar experiences. What’s different from year to year is the nuance, the order, the pace, and the weather.

I have already taught my first class of EDUC 394 last Monday, and we are already pivoting. I have a tendency to over plan (just in case), but also you don’t know who the students are until you meet them. The nature of creating the course syllabus months in advance and not knowing the students create a beautiful opportunity for the disclaimer at the end of the course syllabus, “dates/times/topics are subject to change.” This disclaimer serves an exemplar for teaching. You have to be reflexive and reflective to adapt to your class and their needs. Of course, the job is to meet and achieve the course outcomes, but how you get there cannot be accurately predicted on the course syllabus. This year’s cohort is about 10 students larger. The room looks packed, and well, how the class moves will be different from last year… and that’s ok. All is good. The class is going very well.

Another twist to my job assignment this year, which was a last minute change, was working with teacher candidates during the 10-week practicum. It’s been about 4-years since I have worked as a practice evaluator (faculty associate) at the university, and I did not expect to return to practicum any time soon. That said, here I am. The “pods” for each practice evaluator was recently announced and I have 8 elementary candidates and 2 secondary candidates to supervise. Ten students is a healthy load, and I look forward to supporting and supervising this crew along with teaching on Mondays with the teacher candidates who’ve just entered the program. It will be a busy term. I am also working on a few research projects, as PI or co-investigator, and I need to get some of my own single author projects out (of which I do not prioritize, and I should). This term will be busy.

A few other changes to my teaching assignment this year is that I am not teaching any graduate study courses. We have just started the new MEd cohort in Inclusive Education, so I am not part of that initiative this year, and I am teaching courses in the spring and summer in 2027. They are new courses to me: (1) ADST in the Elementary Years; (2) Career Education (Secondary). So, I do not have a non-teaching term this year to focus on writing and research. I had the last two years doing that, so maybe it’s a good thing to teach all year, despite what the Collective Agreement states. As I’ve been told, my position is precarious. Yes, I had to look that up… LOL. (AI Overview: Precarious means not safe, unsteady, or likely to fall, fail, or get much worse.) PS. Google highlighted the definition. Oof… it’s bleak!

((Deep breath)) It’s not the time to feel comfortable, but rather, be open to what’s ahead. I have accomplished a lot in the last 8-years and my kid is on her way. I can only feel satisfied, and I feel very grateful for all of the people I’ve met along the way. I’ve learned so much about myself, what I can do, and what’s possible. I am stronger than I thought I was. I too am living alone, in my place with my cat, and I am financial independent. For that, I am grateful. I love to teach, I love to learn, and I love to meet new people. I get to do that. And you know what, it is most likely that I will do the same thing in the next thing that I do. As I look back, teaching, learning, and meeting new people were key aspects of my professional work.

So, staying and being in the present are important. Life is good. I will keep an open mind, focus on my health and happiness, and adapt or PIVOT when/where I need to. Life is not for me to take too seriously, but to enjoy and savour. I feel like I have finally arrived, and as I look back at my life/career span, every 7-8 years seems like a prime time for change, so I’m open. What’s different this time is, I’m not scared.

September 13, 2026 – Back to School

Look at the weather… doesn’t it look like fall? It was a somewhat chilly and damp day, but this week was the welcome back to school routine for the school of education where the outgoing cohorts in Prince George facilitate various indoor and outdoor activities for the incoming cohorts. This feature of the B.Ed. program is unique such that the newly inducted teacher candidates have an opportunity to connect and learn from “seasoned” teacher candidates who are just finishing up their coursework and heading into their final 10-week practicum.

It’s fun for me as a course instructor and observer to see this transition from the beginning of term 1 to term 4 within the program, and how caring and thoughtful the outgoing crew is to the incoming crew. The shift took only 12-months to get to where they are… from unsure to confident… and I am so hopeful for the K-12 school who have the opportunity to have one of these teacher candidates in their classroom, for either practicum or as their teacher. There are many amazing people who come through our teacher education program and the kind of learning they embark on, formal or informal, is humbling and inspiring.

I also had the opportunity to pop into the outgoing cohorts final classes for their cross-cutting courses where they had an opportunity to share their final projects to their peers and course instructor. These classes on Thursday and Friday are generally open to department members (and incoming cohorts), so I wanted to see what they had produced and listen to what they had to say in terms of their final projects and their learning. Of course, I was not able to see or listen to all of the students, but I was grateful to hear a handful of projects from each course and chat with the teacher candidates as they head into their final semester.

For the last couple of years, I have been teaching the teacher candidates for only the first two terms of four, so reconnecting with each of them at the beginning of their final term is awesome for me to see how they are growing and to see how they are doing in the program. This year, I will be working with a group of these teacher candidates to supervise their final practicum. It has been at least a few years since I have worked with teacher candidates in practicum in this program, but I am looking forward to working with the group who will be assigned to me. I am more excited about the transformation near the end of practicum. It happens around Week 8, and all of a sudden I’m standing with a colleague.

I am looking forward to meeting the new incoming crew in my class tomorrow morning. I switched days, so normally I would have started last week, but now I’m starting this week. I do appreciate the slow immersion back to school. That said, I am realizing that Monday classes come with a different set of challenges (i.e., long weekends, less classes, first class of the week, etc.). It’s nothing that a little planning could not handle. Also, this year’s group is a bit larger that last years group, which provides another set of challenges, but hey, it’s all in the work that we do in education. It keeps the work exciting and new. All is good.

September 6, 2026 – How Many?

Huh. I just bought these eggs from a vendor at the CN Centre parking lot at the outdoor “Sweater Weather Market.” I chose this carton because of the colours and size of the eggs. As I look at this photo, it makes for the perfect “how many” number talk activity. Hmm. I might just use this image for my numeracy class next term. Right now, I’m getting ready for this term as I write this blog post on Labour Day Long Weekend. I am learning how to pause, self-regulate, and reflect as the new school year approaches. I’m not sure what to say right now.

I am loving the cooler weather and my sleeps have been incredible with the fresh cool air (and no fans blowing in my face at regular intervals). I am super excited to reconnect with the outgoing teacher candidates of our program, and look forward to meeting the incoming teacher candidates. I have redesigned my course in first term, and I’m returning back to long practicum as one of the evaluators. My job/position has taken some twists and turns, but also I’ve been open to new opportunities and conversations. There is a lot to look forward to.

I am learning how to STAY FOCUSSED. There are so many distractors that can steal your time away. I don’t ask for these distractors, but they just happen. I need to take ownership of how I steward my time. For years, I was so motivated by what I perceived what others wanted from me. I was worried about what they thought about the quality of my work or my opinions. I spent a tonne of time ensuring that I was “fitting in” as best I could, without actually belonging. As a result, I was self-sabotaging, insecure, burning-out, heartbroken, and alone.

What a horrible place to be?

Over the last couple of years, after almost burning out trying to live up to someone else’s expectations to seek approval or validation, I just stopped. I had to accept who I was, the work that I was doing, and who I truly wanted to be. I learned how to be kind to myself, compassionate, and take the time to figure out what was really important to me. I have now nestled into my “be a person” day, which is Saturdays and I don’t do any work. I go to bed at a reasonable hour, I make meals at home, and I am going outside or to the gym for some exercise.

I am happy living alone with my cat, and I love to thrift. Who knew? I am also working with some incredible people in research and I love what I do in my teaching practice. I feel very connected to who I am, and I belong TO ME. I don’t have to “fit in” or be someone who I am not. I strive for happy, and I take great joy in the little things. I am recognizing my trauma responses and learning how to slow down, breathe, and pause for a moment before taking any action. I am safe and secure. I have options, and “the only person looking out for me, is me.”

Big lessons to learn before the school year begins. As a result, I have bought myself a new smartphone and desktop computer, I have made my home office a place where I love to work that is separate from my bedroom and living room, and I am RETURNING HOME to my love for mathematics and teaching practice in my research, and working with folks who build me up and vice versa. I love Kirkness and Barnhardt’s (2001) Four R’s of respect, responsibility, relevance, and reciprocity. To me, these are 4 pillars to good and authentic relationships.

Happy long weekend and welcome back to school!!

August 28, 2026 – I love learning

First of all, I cannot believe that it’s the end of August. Where has the time gone (when you are in you non-teaching term)? LOL. I’ve had a great spring/summer. I had a tonne of wonderful intentions, and I got to some of them. I have a few more to go, but I love what I do. Part of what I do is going to and presenting at conferences. At the end of May/beginning of June, I went to the University of Winnipeg to attend and present at the Canadian Society on the Study of Education (CSSE) Conference. I presented twice at the Canadian Association for Teacher Education (CATE) Conference, and served as the program manager for the Canadian Association for Action Research in Education (CAARE). The program went great… and I was so inspired by other people’s work, affirming that my work is very aligned to action research, leadership, and system change.

I also spent some immense time revising a chapter with major revisions, and I am not quite sure if the direction I took was acceptable, but dang, I learned a lot and continue to learn a lot from “doing.” As much as my mom would tease me about “doing things the hard way,” it has always been in my DNA or biological programming to “learn by doing” or experientially. I have to figure out through action how to do something, make mistakes, and try to make things better. The learning process is iterative, learning takes time and patience, and learning helps me to learn more about myself and what’s important to me. I may have mentioned this before but I heard someone say awhile ago that RESEARCH is ME-SEARCH. At a 3-hour land-based learning workshop at the UNBC Teaching and Learning Conference mentioned at the end of their session is RESEARCH is RE-SEARCH… meaning the iterative nature of searching and researching. Loved it!!

MY MIND WAS BLOWN!!

I have so much gratitude for the folks at UNBC and CTLT who organized, planned, and created the UNBC Teaching and Learning Conference. I had the opportunity to present twice at this conference, once with teacher candidates in a panel presentation and once with my research team for a 1-hour workshop. I was so proud and very thankful for the presentation with the the teacher candidates. Our timing, content, and flow were exceptional, and I appreciated the time, work, and effort by these teacher candidates to make this panel possible to tell their story of the WestCAST experience and their undergraduate scholarly work. It was truly amazing. Last year, I presented with a teacher candidate and a teacher from the local school district about EDUC 376 and numeracy night at one of the elementary schools as a Lightning Talk. The year before that, I co-presented with three teach candidates as a 1-hour workshop and doing a Lightning Talk.

I love working with Teacher Candidates with WestCAST and with other work that extends beyond the teacher education program. I think that working with folks who have the same mindset as me… to try something new, to be independent with mentorship, to collectively sense-make to co-construct knowledge and understanding are up my alley. I feel that I have that with my research team as well that is focused on Recruitment and Retention at rural locations in BC. Our workshop presentation went well despite the low attendance. I loved how the small groups were gaining momentum with each question posed, and their willingness to share their small group discussion with the whole group, and my team’s willingness to co-present with me remotely via Zoom. I feel very lucky.

LEARNING AND LOVING WHAT I DO

During the Teaching and Learning Conference, I went a few sessions (i.e., the lightning talks, teaching excellence, land-based learning workshop, keynote speakers, and public scholarship) and I loved learning something new and to consider how this learning is important to my teaching. The public scholar session seemed like an excellent idea for my EDUC 394 students to participate in as an assignment, and some my opt to take that writing further to an online platform or as an opportunity to further their inquiry in their EDUC 405 class or as a conference presentation at WestCAST. Who knows? I loved the land-based learning session because it allowed me to check out the pit house in the Forest of the World, listen to the work coming from health, and think about what I would like to do in my EDUC 394 class this fall. The condition of the pit house is changing in comparason to the last time I took my class there 6 to 7 years ago.

I just love the Teaching and Learning Conference, as well as any other conference that gets me excited and inspired by teaching and learning. This year, I want to go to the BCAMT (BC Association of Mathematics Teachers) again. It’s been a while, but that group is definitely “my people” and I feel that it’s a good thing to “fill my cup” with learning that not only helps my practice, but also engage in learning more about what people are doing in their practice too. It’s different from an academic conference, of which, I am also exploring, but there is something about “returning home” to your roots or origin story that will not only remind you where you have come from, but inspire you to what’s next. I have a conference to register for as soon as I complete this blog post. I’ve been humming and haaaa-ing this conference. It’s new to me, the conference and travel costs are ones to consider, and I’m not sure what to expect, so why not? Professional learning is my jam.

August 20, 2026 – What motivates me?

Gosh… I’m heading into my weekly blog post a bit early. On the one hand, I am feeling inspired. On the other hand, I like to use my blog to not only reflect but also warm-up to the writing process. I am planning to attend an online writing session for a chapter I am co-writing with a colleague from my past-life in K-12. I wrote about this chapter in my last blog post titled, “Going Back In Time.” I really enjoyed writing (by myself) in a breakout room to some writing done. I have done this before during my doctorate degree at SFU but those sessions were in-person. I don’t think I used those writing times as effectively as I had online last week. I also think I was in a different place as a writer and scholar. That said, I’m still learning and expect that’s how it’s going to be in this work… and I LOVE IT!!

I was just looking at my CV components on my WordPress websites and I enjoy looking at progress (re: making edits), but I also love working on my portfolios. It’s clear to me that what I include in my classes are aspects of what I love to do and/or believe in. There is no question why I include Parker Palmer’s work on the identity and integrity of a teacher… and the Heart of a Teacher. I love reading that chapter every year and what makes good teaching: (1) knowledge of the subject matter; (2) knowledge of the students; (3) and knowledge of yourself. I love the idea of understanding yourself… or YOUR BRAND… thus, gaining an understanding of what kind of teacher you are going to be and why it matters.

I am enjoying my time working on the chapter with my colleague/friend because I have a unique opportunity to look at my practice, myself, and the work we collaborated on. I wonder about “am I really changing?” or ” is this who I really am?” As much as I struggled with my identity and who I am for many, many years, I am loving now looking back at myself, even though my mindset was different from who I am today. I recently shared with my colleague/friend about finding my reflective journal from my long practicum experience over 30 years ago, to realize the text sounded just like me… it reflected who I was at the time, which is who I am today. I am left to wonder, do we really change or are we just honing who we really are over time with experiences and age. Who knows?

This year, I was charged with developing and facilitating the department’s annual retreat. It was a last minute decision, so implementation needed to simple, aligned to who I am, and useful to my peers with respect to our work. I framed the day to be on the land at West Lake Provincial Park, I invited my friend to start our day in a good way, and used Simon Sinek’s Start with Why. I loved the process for myself and to prep for the day, I did the work myself… what’s my why? And, I used the idea, as suggested online, to brainstorm the people who were important to you, that you wished to be like, or admired. Then, to think about the qualities of these people, then take these reflections to write your why statement: “To _____, so that _____.” I love that Sinek would say, your why applies to personal and professional… there is no difference. There is just ONE WHY. Here is my why:

“To question and challenge the status quo, so that we can feel empowered and liberated to become the change agents we are meant to be in the service of others.”

This why resonates with me deeply. I’ve had versions of this, but the more I read, the more I do, I feel that my why can be nuanced to best reflect me. Anyway, I love the idea of challenging… which is reflective of Enneagram 8… that is me… and I love the idea of change… which aligns to my love for action research (aka. do something)… with the soul purpose in the service of others. Oh ya… this is my drive… who I am… MY WHY. Anyway, this beautiful process allowed me to create a staff retreat that incorporates the land, community building, and collaboration or co-creation… to develop one’s why and the program’s why. It was an opportunity to connect with one another, but also learn a little about each other. I’m reminded that I need to do something with the information that was generated and to share what was created that day.

Anyway, what brought me to this blog post… LOL… was taking the time this week to prep for the UNBC Teaching and Learning Conference with three teacher candidates for a panel session, and my research team for a workshop. I feel very grateful to be co-presenting with both teams and I feel that both sessions represent who I am… rural teaching and early scholarship. I love working with these people and the work we are accomplishing together. The two images included at the top and end of this blog posts are the title pages of the Canva presentations for each session. We are presenting next week on August 27, 2026 for both sessions, at 1pm and 3pm in Room 10-2522 in Prince George. What I love about both sessions is the involvement of students, in leadership and co-construction of the workshop and their willingness to participate.

So, I guess… what motivates me? STUDENT LEARNING. It’s strange… the CV only serves as the wake of my work, yet serves as a demonstration or evidence of your accomplishments. I find that when I look and work on my CV, I am reminded what I still have to do… LOL… but also, I can pause and take a moment to celebrate what I am doing and what I have done. I am TERRIBLE at endorsing myself and celebrating who I am and why it matters (to others), but I can see the value of the CV in terms of the research and pedagogical narrative I am (intentionally and unintentionally) curating. Anyway, looking at MY WHY with respect to my practice (which was also part of the retreat), part of my why is “to improve the student learning experience,” hence I love student involvement and investment. Here’s my “teaching why” and I am really proud of the work I do. 🙂

“To create safe and collaborative spaces, so that students can engage in exploratory learning environments with curiosity and joy to discover, examine, and develop who they are as learners, educators, and leaders.” 

August 17, 2026 – Co-Writing a Chapter

Yes… I do in-person selfies and Zoom selfies. It’s true!! I do love a good selfie. Here is an image of me and a colleague/friend from more than 20 years ago. We worked together on the Sunshine Coast. At the time, she was the District Aboriginal Education Principal and I was a secondary mathematics teacher. We both had a strong interest in professional development. When I was teaching in K-12 schools, I was often took the role of Professional Development School Representative. I loved working with my colleagues, co-creating with my colleagues, and learning something new about teaching and learning. As I look back, I can can really see that I appreciated professional learning and understand why teacher professional learning is part of my research program.

I am writing this blog post as I am reflecting on the conversations that I am having with my colleague/friend in recent weeks and months. We worked collaboratively together to work on a Math 8 project called, Math Embedded: A Tribute to Susan Point. I have written about this project in 2017, as seen inmy friend/colleague’s website titled “ImaginED.” This guest blog post was titled, “Integrating Indigenous Worldviews Into Secondary Math Teaching: A Tribute to Susan Point.” I also wrote about it for a piece for UNBC during Asian Heritage Month titled, “Learning to Embrace Identity” in 2023. I was also the key note speaker at the 3rd Annual Aboriginal Math K-12 Symposium at UBC in 2013. There were so many other opportunities that came about from the Math 8 project, such as “The Journey of a Lesson,” “Focusing on Competencies in Math” with Open School BC, FNESC Math First Peoples Teachers’ Resource Guide (2020), and curriculum development on BC’s Curriculum for Math K-9.

If anything, this Math 8 project took me on a pedagogical journey about teaching and learning, mathematics and culture, and creating something good for all learners, including myself. My colleague and I co-created and co-taught this Math unit on linear and rotational symmetry in 2009/2010, over 16-years ago, when the Math 8/9 Integrated Resource Package (IRP) was updated in 2008. In this provincial curriculum “Aboriginal Education” in math was introduced. At the time, there were so many things happening in the school: (1) 150-hours for Math 8; (2) got a new SmartBoard for my class from PAC; (3) delving into formative assessment practices; and (4) implementation of the new curriculum. I had no idea what I would do with all of the extra time in Math 8. Admittedly, I was a bit frustrated about the 150 hours for math (as the intervention to improve math achievement as students transitioned from elementary to secondary school).

Not be belabour my angst and anger, serendipitously connecting with my colleague shifted my mindset to a place of learning, excitement, and joy. I was very interested in learning about local Indigenous culture and ways of being, and what it meant to incorporate “Aboriginal Education” in to mathematics. Make note, 2009/2010 was well before the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action (2015) and formation/introduction of BC’s Curriculum (2016). Although the First Peoples Principles of Learning was developed In 2006/2007 with the BC Ministry of Education and FNESC as part of the English 12 First Peoples course (Chrona, 2014), this work was unknown to me as a high school math teacher. Yet, the work done on the Math Embedded project not only led me to professional learning opportunities as mentioned above, but also defined what kind of educator I wanted to be, and believe the educator I am today.

I had the the wonderful opportunity to contribute chapter to a book, alongside with contributors how are current math educators and educational leaders who seek to embedded Indigenous Education into Mathematics (or vice versa). I was honoured and excited to be invited, and I believe it’s the the learning that had come from the Math Embedded project, and it’s lingering effect on my practice, and maybe the impressions made on the editors of the book 13 years ago, that has led to another professional learning opportunity. In past, I would write about the Math Embedded Project from my vantage point, but with this invitation, I extended the invitation to my colleague to co-write this chapter with me. It was amazing to reconnect and we’ve been meeting weekly to share notes and research about the project, the work behind it, and the work that is ahead of it.

I write this blog post with awe and gratitude to look back at who I was as a practitioner, to unpack the math unit and why it mattered, and to figure out how we can once again co-create something like we did 16-years ago. I have been loving our conversations and feel that we are building the same momentum like we did many years ago. I’ve started reflecting on this work, and just listing out a few moments between Math Embedded and my practice today has taken some time to get some of my thoughts out. I am realizing that it will take some immense time to just get my memories and journey on paper, and the task of getting both of our stories woven together into 6000 words or less. It will be a task, but we have taken this road before, and we can do this together again.

August 8, 2026 – My Siblings are Coming to PG

No pressure, right?

My twin bro and big sis are coming to Prince George to visit me and the kid. It’s a nice shift. I would typically head to the Lower Mainland to say hello to my dad and siblings. The travel cost of one versus two or three, makes sense for me to fly to Vancouver. I often have other work to do in the Lower Mainland, but I also have friends to visit, restaurants to go to, and need to connect with the ocean. All is good. It’s refreshing to have my siblings come up to Prince George. My sister has not seen my new place, and my kid just moved out too, so she’s go her own “new place” for my siblings to see. My brother has been to my new place a couple of times: once to drop off boxes in his storage and once to see my kid graduate from her program at the university. This visit will be a hat trick.

So, I am charged with the itinerary of their two day visit. They are flying in the morning and flying out the next day in the evening. My sister and I already gabbed on the phone about places to eat. The process of deciding where to eat was certainly a negotiation. I have my preferences, but there is also TripAdvisor and where my brother and sister would like to eat too. My siblings and dad did come to Prince George a five years ago in 2021 (see image below). It was right after the COVID-19 pandemic and my kid had also moved to Prince George too. It was a big transition for my kid, and now in 2026, my kid is a registered nurse, working full-time (along with research), and just moved into her own place.

I guess you can say that I am a proud mom… which I am… but I am also excited for my siblings to visit. It’s been awhile since I have seen them. Maybe the last time I saw them in-person is in first photo above in Toronto, where we all went to a family reunion on my mom’s side of the family in the spring. That was a great trip, and this photo is “our family” within the family tree. Anyway, the reunion had a nice balance between planned activities and free-time. I hope to do the same, but it is likely that we are going to have a jammed packed itinerary of PG-FUN!! The two-day visit will involve visiting both of our places in Prince George, eating at locally owned restaurants, 3-par golf, and other Prince George activities.

The restaurants we have chosen were Wall-of-Fame, Kahari King, Grama’s Kitchen, Fortune Palace, and Ice Cream Express. We will do 9-holes at Pine Valley Golf Course, and we will visit the Two Rivers Art Gallery, the Sunflower Festival, the Farmers Market, and Dandy Lines. We might go see Mr. PG, and maybe go to some thrift shops and second-hand stores. Whatever else that happens will be extra. My sister will stay at my place, my brother at the Marriott (avid point collector), and we’ll be taking my car. This trip will entail sibling-fun!! I can’t wait. The fact that I am going to make the itinerary is ironic. I am not normally the planner in my family. I’m usually the one that follows the crowd.

We went golfing the last time they were here. I guess my kid’s boyfriend will take my dad’s place in the five-some (aka., two plus three). Let the planning begin!!

August 1, 2026 – A New Attitude

I can’t believe it’s August 1 already. This spring/summer semester has flown by. Lots has happened and there is lots still to do. I have a tonne of things to do… and I have less than a month to do it. Great ((sarcasm)). Strangely, I like a little pressure, but it’s not a good habit to keep. Typically, I underestimate how long it takes to do something. I need to pick up on the lesson and spend more time on doing things. I like to followthrough, but often I keep too many promises. Some things need to get off the plate, by either doing them or removing them. It’s nice to know I have a choice. I am no longer motivated by the hustle, but rather by doing what feels good and is aligned to what I want to accomplish in life and at work.

For example, I participated in a podcast hosted by Associate Professor Dr. Joseph Shea from UNBC called “Climate Conversations.” He interviewed a dozen or so faculty from UNBC for this project. I accepted the call, and it turns out that I am the first episode of the series. Woohoo!! ((See link below)).

The podcast launched on July 31, 2026. I started to watch it. He is very good at this. I’m somewhat horrified to watch myself speak, but it seems in line to who I am. I got about halfway watching the video and then returned to this blog post. I appreciated the introduction to the episode and summary offered by Joe. I liked how the video was produced and I look forward to the other upcoming episodes.

As for my work, in general. I am working on developing a micro-credential course, I need to do major revisions on a manuscript I had recently submitted (that was based on my doctoral work), I am designing webpages for a research project I am working on, and I need to write a book review. That’s just the high level items on my things to do this month, in addition to writing course outlines, presenting (twice) at the 2026 UNBC Teaching and Learning conference, and concluding the data collection process for one of the studies I am leading. I feel very lucky to do the work that I do and now, as seen in the photo above, I have my own office in my own place. Working from home, I feel, will/can be more productive.

Do not be alarmed by the number of books. I had adopted more than half of these from a friend who was purging out her shelve and I graciously accepted them. They are all education based, leadership based, or Indigenous Education. There are a few literacy books as well as numeracy books too. All of what she offered was very much aligned to the work that I do and like to learn about. I feel that having my office (and doing this work for the first time in my office) offers an opportunity to start anew. I have a clear working space in my home. I love that. I am really enjoying my time in my office and I love that I got to put up the images I got/won from Ed Hill/curling. He signed all of these images, except for one, that I painted myself at one of Ed Hill’s art classes. So, I guess it’s still an “Ed Hill.”

It feels great to be in this space and it feels great to work in a space that feels good. I love that my bedroom is now my bedroom and my dining room is a place to eat. There are clear locations in my place… and my kid now has her own place one building away from my place. She’s close, but in her space. I love that I can tackle the work in this place with my cat quietly sitting at the window sill or behind me on the bench (as seen in the photo). I feel a calm and steadiness that I have never felt before, or at least, never noticed. I am grateful to be in this place and space and look forward to the work I will get done here (and at work too, of course).

Blogging x2 is a weekly habit I would like to keep up with. I fell of the wagon last month due to the workload, but now I feel that I am getting back to those familiar routines and it feels great. My next task after this blog post is to make a list of things to do on my whiteboard that sits in my office. It’s visible and ready to be listed with “stuff to do.” I feel so lucky to do the work that I do. I will not take it for granted. Nothing is forever, but it’s always best to stay in the present. <3

July 26, 2026 – What story do I want to tell?

I would often tell teacher candidates in some of my courses that you have “a brand” whether if you know it or not, or work on it or not. This premise was the underpinning for courses that I taught with e-portfolio and creating a digital narrative of their teaching and learning journey within the teacher education program. Last year (and my first year), I did not teach portfolio, but I am very cognizant of the importance of self-knowledge as part of good teaching. What we do as teachers matter. We can have a long lasting impact on students. We cannot predict what kind of impact we have, but it’s best to be “who your are.”

So, who is that?

Admittedly, I did not come to this understanding when I was teaching in K-12. When I was teaching high school math, I thought I was an extrovert. My Myers Briggs was ESTJ. Now, if I do my Myers Briggs, I am an ENFP. So, I’m still an extrovert, but every other preference have shifted. I’m not sure if it was leaving the practice, going into politics, or the pandemic that tipped me over to a new way of being, but what I do know is, my identity, sense of self, and self-efficacy are always changing and shifting. I was (and probably still am) horrible at “selling myself.” It’s not quite humility and it’s definitely not shyness. It’s more about feeling good about who I am, what I do, and what I have to offer others.

My pedagogical journal has taken me to many places since 2010. I left teaching in K-12 after 16-years of practice, I believe at the height of my teaching career. I was not happy. That said, I did not know where I was going, but I need to take the ups and downs of My Journey, and just be OK that my path is not like any other person’s pathway, which seems reasonable. I was too busy thinking about what other people are doing and comparing my work with others as a reliable metric. What I have learned over time is, the path I choose is the one I am meant to take and it’s my job to learn from the ups and downs, and take action.

Now in 2026, (wow… another 16-years later) I am feeling more like myself and I am happy with who I am, what I am doing, and what I have to offer others. I know that I love to teach and work with students as a co-learner and co-leader. I love action research and the work that is involved with that methodology and the people who are engaged in that work. I love conferencing, presenting, and collaborating with folks in K-12 education. In the end, I would consider myself as a RESEARCHER-PRACTITIONER. My scholarship is in teaching and learning, and at the centre of my research is my practice. Hence, I tend to write program evaluations, and would like to tinker more in self-study and autoethnography.

I am currently working on my CV and updating it in preparation for an application for funding. I was just reading an article about “how to write a CV for academia” and I am reminded of a conversation I had with someone a handful of years ago about these mish-mash of items need to align to a cohesive and comprehensive research agenda. I understand that conversation NOW… and how do I align these seemingly disconnected pieces into a map that is easy to navigate but also lend itself to future research that matters to me and the field. What I have learned in My Pedagogical Journey is, when I am comparing or thinking of others, I am compromising who I am and my work. I could not see its value.

Updating my CV has taken me many days to update, and I am stil updating, but what I am noticing is… I AM LEARNING. I have shifted some aspects of my CV and now I am looking at the university CV template and I am re-thinking how I want to present myself, my work, and my experiences. WHAT STORY DO I WANT TO TELL. For quite some time, I think I was trying to tell a story that someone might want to hear or read about. But, is that the story I want to tell? I am learning how to build my efficacy in research and academia. It’s taken me some years, but I love everything I have learned so far. I had to build a humility, but also understand MY WHY in the service of others. The goal with my brand is to be who I am… with authencity, wholeheartedness, and love, joy, and fun. 🙂

July 18, 2026 – Gratitude and Hope

Admittedly, I was humming and hahhing about what to write this week. I started this blog post yesterday, and I wrote my other blog post on my other WordPress site, but I felt a little stumped about what I wanted to write here. Blogging has been a place of solace for me to reflect and wonder. When I started blogging in 2010, I wanted a place to express myself, at first, then it became a place where I could practice writing, and now it has become a reflective practice. I just love reflecting on my week and thinking about what’s on my mind and writing about it. Of course I could be writing in a paper/pen journal, but there is something very liberating about writing in a blog. I love that term that I learned from the DEEPER LEARNING CONFERENCE in Chilliwack, BC. Making learning public.

I guess, in some way, I am making my learning public by blogging, but also I love putting my thoughts (in writing) on a public online platform. By doing so, it feels more meaningful or high stakes, for me. Despite the fact that someone may or may not read this post, blogging on WordPress provides a framework and guidelines as to what I write, how I write, and why I write. It took me some time to figure out the criteria for my blog posts, but I feel that I am in a good place. I don’t over edit now (thanks to 2-step authentication and losing access to my original website… until I got it back again due to some serendipity and luck), the length of my blog posts range from 800-1000 words (from about 80-150 words), and I write about things that my stream of consciousness takes me.

So… viola. I’m writing about my blogging process when I had originally intended to write about “doing hard things.” In a way, blogging, expressing myself, and creating my digital footprint while figuring out who I am since 2010 was a hard thing to do. Although I learned not to put specifics in my blog posts (i.e., names), my blog posts since 2010 is a documentation of my pedagogical journey. It’s been a bumpy one, but I realize also, a privileged one. I attribute my freedom in Canada to my mom (and dad). My mom was a STRONG person. I did not realize how strong my mom was until she passed away. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Her passing has served as a catalyst to my growth.

I often feel that my mom held on, waiting for me to complete my dissertation and doctoral degree. She wanted to see that happen. Although she did not feel well enough to do go my oral defence (my dad did, and embarrassed me… ugh), she did go out for lunch with me to the Congee King on Kingsway in Burnaby to celebrate my success and have congee with me and dad. I was so grateful for her support (and mediation with my dad). She always believed in me. And, she was patient. On her last day at the hospital (she did MAID), she introduced me to the nurses as a “professor.” I was not going to correct her. At the time, I was an unemployed sessional instructor. LOL. Semantics, I guess. But, she even took the time to give me a pep talk prior to the procedure to know my gifts.

Ever since my mom passed away in 2018, I have been belabouring her words. For a long time, I did not believe her words, hence the belabouring. Now, so much in my life has changed. I no longer live in the same place, I’m single, and my kid will be leaving the next pretty soon. I am an Assistant Professor (so, close) and I am learning about who I am, what I have to offer, and my gifts. Only now can I see the value of my doctoral work and my research, only now I can live in a way that aligns to who I am and what I deserve, and only now I can see what I am able to do… and “I can do hard things.” I did not think that I could do qualitative research and submit for publication, I did not think that I could be provide critical but constructive feedback on graduate research work, and I did not think I could live on my own and live my best life. But guess what? I can.