The following sub-pages are aspects of my career in education that resonate with me deeply as an educator. The podcasts came at a time in my career as I was (and still am) transitioning from the mindset of a K-12 teacher to an academic. I’m not sure if I will ever completely transition, but I am definitely more hopeful. Guest blogging on other people’s blog sites is an honour, but also an opportunity to share my work to other audiences that’s different from publishing an article or book.
Pulling Together Canoe Journey and Math Embedded (culture and mathematics) has been part of my journey as an educator and uninvited guest on Turtle Island to participate and learn more about Truth and Reconciliation. This understanding is also providing some insight of my experience as a second-generation Chinese Canadian woman. I am a product of Canadian policy and this realization did not occur to me until recently with the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.
I am brought to Dr. Brené Brown’s work in vulnerability and shame. I am a product of assimilation and cultural erasure. I have no language, culture, or clear identity. empathize with Canadian Indigenous Peoples except that I can return to Hong Kong, a place where my parents were born and raised, and learn Cantonese and Chinese culture, to understand more about myself and my cultural identity. That said, I understand my parents wanted me to have a good life and I’m grateful.
My work in BC Education has been an underpinning of who I am and what I do. As a teacher educator and educational researcher, I have found a new love that I never thought was possible. As Brené Brown writes, “fitting in is becoming who you think you need to be in order to be accepted. Belonging is being your authentic self and knowing that no matter what happens, you belong to you.” I’ve been learning this lesson all of my life and continue to learn, wholeheartedly.
