by Darlene Goodrick, Supervisor – Printing & Duplicating, Vancouver Island University

How does this topic apply to learning and teaching at VIU?  Maybe it doesn’t but being mother to twins involved much learning and teaching and helped make me the person I am today now working at VIU.

One of the twins loves horses and pursued that ‘hobby’ with a passion, resulting in competing at the provincial level in both barrel racing and breakaway roping.  She decided to home school during her junior high school years to have more time with her horses during the day.  The diligence this child showed in her care of her horses and ability to stick with it, making the best of what we had, and to get to the championship level on an old rope horse, amazed many in the industry.

The other twin was more into skateboarding, BMX riding, music, and motorcycles, resulting in a part time job at the local motorcycle shop from about the age of 12 on.  This twin went on to complete the Ace IT program graduating grade 12 and first year automotive technician at the same time, as well as leading right into full time employment in the trade. 

Since then, this new desire for learning (shock to mom) led to completing all the studies and passing exams for fourth class power engineer.  When not getting enough firing time to get a fourth class ticket with his present employer, his studies turned into a millwright apprenticeship.

Kids are amazing and continue to teach us as well as learn from us.  They make us go outside our comfort zones, and learn things we otherwise may not get an opportunity to experience. What example are you setting for your own children, or the children who observe you regularly? What are you learning from them?

One thing I learned is that lifting eighty pound bales of hay on a regular basis explains my ability to move boxes of paper around in the print shop so easily.  Stop by the VIU print shop sometime, and see what we have to offer you for all your printing needs!

Some of the Links related to this article:

Ace IT program:  http://www.itabc.ca/youth-educators/ace-it-program 

High School Rodeo:  http://www.bchsra.ca

BCBRA:  http://www.bcbra.com

BC Rodeo:  http://www.rodeobc.com