Dear Friends and Family,
Nicholle and I will be here in snowbound Vancouver, as we spend a quiet Christmas together. It’s been a very busy year for both of us and we’ve been happily engaged in the challenges and opportunities we have encountered. We’re enjoying this quiet time, as we recharge before we get back into action after the holidays.
I advanced to candidacy in May, after passing my comprehensive exams and having my Ph.D. proposal approved. In September, I became a sessional lecturer for my first course at UBC, working with the Bachelor of Education Technology Education teacher candidates. During the year, I was also working as a Teaching Assistant and as a Graduate Research Assistant on several projects, e.g. [1] [2] [3]. I’ve also been working on completing the Certificate Program in Advanced Teaching and Learning and I’ve had a very interesting time serving on the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. The academic year was rounded out nicely last week when I learned I’d been awarded the Dean of Education Scholarship, which takes all of the above into account.
If it seems like I’ve been busy, I can confidently say that Nicholle was far busier! Between January and April, she completed the theory and practical exams to achieve the Canadian Red Seal, Professional Cook 3 qualification, “the interprovincial standard of excellence in the skilled trades” (see exam menu below). During this time, she was also taking six credits online at Thompson Rivers University (University Writing I; Literature and Composition I), and preparing for her IELTS exam. Having aced all of the above, she started her Bachelor of Education program in September, specializing in Chef Education, and has since completed:
- EDUC 315 School-based Orientation Practicum
- EDST 401 Education, School, and Social Institutions
- EDCP 391 Home Economics I – Secondary: Curriculum and Pedagogy
- LLED 360 Classroom Discourses and Teaching English Language Learners: Secondary
- EDUC 450 Inquiry Seminar I
- EDCP 491 Home Economics II
- EPSE 308 Development, Learning and Culture in the Classroom
In the new year, Nicholle will take several more classes and complete a 10-week school practicum, where she will work alongside a certified teacher and, gradually, take over their role as the weeks progress. After that, she’s heading to Inuvik, in the Northwest Territories, for three weeks to complete her community field experience, before returning to UBC for the Summer semester.
So, I’m sure you can see why resting up here in our lovely warm apartment is just what we need right now, as we prepare for a very busy time to come. Happy Christmas and we look forward to hearing from you in 2023, if not before then.
