April 7, 2025 – Finding My Rhythm

As I approach the end of this 3-year contract as a full-time term faculty member, I am beginning to find my rhythm with teaching and learning in higher education. Can you believe that? I’ve joined the university almost 7 years ago. This is what I love about teaching. You can NEVER perfect this job. You are always learning. And when you feel like you have mastered the profession and you have nothing else to learn, adapt, or change… it’s time to retire or find a new job to pursue.

That sounds a bit intense. Another direction is burnout, but this blog post is not about that either. I want to dwell in my happiness and joy of my classes. This term I had 4 classes to teach: EDUC 421 (assessment and motivation), EDUC 376 (numeracy foundations in the elementary years), EDUC 201 (educational theory and practice), and EDUC 656 (instructional leadership). What a beautiful combination of courses (and students) to make this term sooooo awesome!!

In each course, I learned so much. In EDUC 421, I designed the course that aligned and responsive to their pedagogical learning needs. “I did not expect the course to end the way it did.” That’s what I said to the students at the end of the course. In EDUC 376, a 4-hour class, followed the 4-hour class of EDUC 421. It was an endurance test and because both classes were held on Mondays, we lost hours to professional development day and Family Day. I learned that I had to let go of the constraint of time and do what I could do in the time given.

I loved that I prioritized working with schools. In EDUC 421, we engaged in in-situ learning with Harwin Elementary, and in EDUC 376, we contributed to Family Numeracy Night at Edgewood Elementary. In EDUC 376, we had guest speakers from the school district and we went to 3 numeracy/math sessions with Carol Fullerton on the professional development day. I also engaged in personal professional development in math with BCAMT Interior and Mathematizing 24/7. I just so much learning about math/numeracy and working with folks in the field.

In EDUC 201, I learned so much. I always left that class thinking and wondering. We played and experimented. We examined equity in K-12 schools. I tested myself if I had the capacity to do teach this course and hold space for others. I learned what it means to be a student who is taking education as an elective course with some folks considering teacher education as a possible career. I was humbled and I felt scared most times because I was too worried about teaching the class that might be different from what they experienced in other undergraduate classes. In Week 8 or 9, we engaged in a Fish Bowl making MY LEARNING PUBLIC. That class was a game changer for me. Thank you all!!

Finally, EDUC 656 was an online class. After our first class, I knew this would be an awesome class. What a wonderful way to end the week and I always knew I would end the class inspired and revitalized. I would like to thank my colleague for pointing me in the direction of instructional leadership literature by Hallinger, of which how we started this class. Then we moved onto books by Peter Dewitt and Michael Fullan, and ended the course with Carolyn Roberts book on Re-storying Education. Wow. The pieced seemed to “fit together” serendipitously. We just had fun working with and listening to one another. I loved this course. I am hopeful.

I am teaching faculty. I am not on a tenure-track and I am not tenured or on a continuing contract. I am just learning how to be who I am. What a wonderful way to engage in Parker Palmer’s Heart of a Teacher – Identity and Integrity. I have approached this teaching year striving for AUTHENTICITY versus ATTACHMENT (re: Dr. Gabor Mate’s work). As precarious my position can be, I stopped worrying about (in fact, fearing) what others may think of me or my practice. I stayed true to my purpose and my love… the students and teaching.