In response to Part 1 of this conversation, a collaborative thought partner asked me some key questions. From those questions, I have synthesized the gist for us to think through and respond here:
As some of our members have not had the chance to have co-teaching opportunities, what would you say to those who wonder how realistic these opportunities are for them?
How can we support early career teachers who may not know about how they can do this?
What if an instructional coach or consultant does not offer? How can they look into this?
One Size Does Not Fit All
I do understand that everyone is not ready to reach out to someone within the school or outside the school. Some members may be unaware of the possibilities and promise in this practical strategy–and the many benefits of a co-modelled pedagogical partnership.
Look around you and take small steps.
Follow someone’s work on social media if you prefer that path.
First Things First
For new teachers, it is important to think about planning or examining curriculum expectations as well as assessment practices. For that ETFO has many easily accessible resources on the Members site. Register and login to access them.
Sometimes, it is a matter of reaching out to colleagues you meet at professional learning workshops in your school district or those you may attend with ETFO – ask to partner because these collaborations do not always germinate in one work site as well when they thrive across different locations the learning is richer because we can learn from one another.
Years ago in graduate school, specifically in my MEd programme at York University, I had taken a course on Gender, Race and Social Class especially because the last concept was important to me.
I’ve always known that class is the secret ingredient of oppression in addition to and intertwined with the BIG ones.
Social class always worsens the other oppressions that people experience.
One of our assignments was observing public pedagogy how do you spread a message in society and connect with people about what matters most? At the heart of my learning, this was my takeaway. We can have plaques and posters, hashtags and bumper stickers.
Public Pedagogy is just a big word for “talking to people” and talking to people is an excellent and sustainable way of influencing ongoing action for social justice in education.
How I Was Raised Informs How I Show Up
At the All Members Meeting at our local on June 4th, President Mastin reminded us that the complexities of communities is a key factor. We know this based on how our working conditions are impacted by the needs and strengths of the communities whose children are in our classrooms.
Some children have less.
Some children need more.
A gift card of 750/- does not make this reality go away.
I know about social class from living in a monochromatic demographic in all the cities I’ve lived in and travelled to in India. So I know what I’m talking about.
This knowing comes from being taught to notice and name. It comes from being invited to feel the discomfort of observing social inequities.
It mainly and above all comes from being raised by parents who reminded me: “Rashmee, look around you. What do you see and who has less than you do? What can you do to change this?”
A Sunny Breezy Saturday Morning
So here’s what happened this Saturday morning.
A neighbour is getting some work done in their backyard and the contractor pulled in to the street. I don’t usually see them as I’m at work long before this time.
Is That Your Sign?
Lawn Sign That I Picked Up at Our Local’s All Members’ Meeting.
The gentleman pointed to this sign and asked what’s now the subheading above.
“Yes”, I replied.
“That’s very important to speak about and stand up for”, he commended.
I moved the conversation further, or what’s a weekend for? (A little Robert Browning inspiration there).
“Do you see here”, I asked… “It’s all the unions who represent who work in publicly funded in education.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that”, he responded. “My wife is a retired teacher. All of us need to talk about this.”
Deepening The Dialogue
Then I offered, “Would you like a lawn sign? I have some in my car”
“Let me check at home. I’ll knock on your door if I’d like one”, he said.
“I’m at work on Monday. I’ll leave one for you on the porch before I leave.” I offered.
I also mentioned that I also have a button if that’s preferred.
Theory to Action
My public pedagogy course was in 2011. It is the doing of it that matters in the everyday work.
Whether with an ETFO YR banner at the Markham Cricket Academy ground thanks to the initiative that came to fruition through our Political Action Committee, or this conversation as I was outside, I continue to convert the theory into action and I am inviting you to join me.
Why Should I Care?
… people may ask us if you like me, walk through your spaces wearing your red shirt on weekends.
This Is What I say
I understand your question.
My children aren’t in school anymore.
Not everyone in our communities is a parent.
But we all know children, we know of children.
I say this because James Baldwin reminds us of this:
“The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.”
Walk With Me, Fellow Traveller
Take one small step with me.
Talk to just one person.
Then one more.
Then one more.
Because…
Talking to people matters.
Making this work a human connection matters.
Reaching out with a “would you like a button” matters.
Publicly funded matters because children matter, families matter, educators matter.
Special Education Needs In The Regular Classroom – Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Hello Fellow Travellers,
This conversation builds on previous ones that colleagues have had through ETFO and ones that I have also engaged in with you. I am going to share what stands out for me in the resource highlighted below
:
Beginning with the front matter, the following aspects are important signposts.
The Equity Statement reminds members of the goal of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario which is “to work with others to create schools, communities, and a society free from all forms of individual and systemic discrimination” (p. 2). These system partners would be families, educators, paraprofessionals, external service providers etc.
Page 4 highlights the importance of Universal Design for Learning by emphasizing that while this resource supports the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in the regular classroom, the information and tools highlighted here are useful for all students. The strategies and practices we apply from this resource are geared towards supporting all students.
That said, if some students need individualized support, educators can reach out to families, to Special Education Resource Teachers, centrally assigned instructional coaches, consultants etc.
I always find that when I ask families which strategies work for them at home and in social spaces, this strengthens my practice, wherever it is possible to adapt these strategies to a classroom environment.
The section on Autism Culture and Community highlights some key aspects as below:
The Resource Says This
Some Considerations
Use of the term autism, as we know it, began in 1943 (it had been associated with schizophrenia prior to this, starting in 1911). A lot has changed since then. The results of research, clinical work, educational policies, and listening to the voices of the autistic community have helped educators learn more about autism.
As all families and communities in Ontario may not have had access to the professional learning that educators have received, they may be at a different point in their understanding around autism.
It is therefore important to see these differences as opportunities to strengthen community engagement with Autism Ontario’s local chapters and school board resources in multilingual and culturally responsive ways.
Different is not deficient. Different is different.
The current shift toward identity-first language is being led by the autism community itself due to its affirming quality and alignment with validating an individual’s identity and sense of self.
Referring to a person as autistic, then, is a gesture of acceptance and recognition that the identity has value. When in doubt and when possible, ask the person with autism how they would like to be described.
Given their age and trajectories, students may not yet be able to determine how they would like to be described.
Also, families and students who have been caught in intersectional oppressions may see these well intentioned attempts at naming and questions about how the naming should be, as one more layer of being marginalized based on their experiences before or their apprehensions of what can happen.
Going by Universal Design for Learning, if good for all practices are implemented, then all students will benefit.
Many autistic people prefer the terms “high or low support needs”to “high or low functioning,” as the latter implies underlying judgment about an individual’s capacity and potential.
Here, it is important to pay attention to the fact that when we say high and low support needs, it is also important to embed instructional approaches into our daily practice that provides opportunities for the student to achieve their fullest potential.
What does that look like during integration into other subject areas?
What does member to member professional collaboration need to look like for student outcomes to be equitable and for ongoing growth and independence?
Severity Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder
In my school district when we, as centrally assigned consultants present professional learning, we address this matter in this way:
Although diagnostic documents state that a student is at a Level 3, 2 or 1, students’ strengths, independence and need for support can be fluid from day to day also and can change over time. So a student who is deemed Level 1 may need more support than what their diagnosis indicates if they are in an unstructured setting such as an annual athletic event on a field trip or if they are experiencing a change in their home or school environment with a parent being away on a trip or an educator or preferred adult at school is away for the week.
Human systems are fluid as are our students’ needs.
This is important to note because otherwise the paperwork can flatten and overshadow the student and their humanity.
Access Is Important
At some of the schools with whom I am partnered, members have printed a copy of this resource for their work room. Easy access means that they can refer to this resource to support instructional planning, to guide professional conversations within educator teams, as well as for reference during In School Team Meetings or School Support Meetings etc.
Consider printing out this quote so that even when you are away, other educators who work with your students can take up your equitable outcomes mindset with them.
Note: This resource is available at ShopETFO and also digitally on the ETFO member site. Click here.
In Conclusion
ETFO Voice articles and other documents explain that “Professional judgement is defined, in part, as “judgement that is informed by professional knowledge of curriculum expectations, context, evidence of learning, methods of instruction and assessment, and the criteria and standards that indicate success in student learning.”
These resources will continue to strengthen members’ Professional Judgement so that all students can experience positive opportunities for learning and well-being from year-to-year irrespective of their socio-economic status and the advocacy skills of their parents and caregivers.
I grew up by the seaside, in 2 beautiful cities on the West Coast of India.
I am telling you this because I think this spatial-geographical context is important to our conversation today. I am always soothed by the sound of waves, and I like to pick up shells and pebbles.
Although these days one can buy anything with the click of a button, the pebbles I have carried with me from place to place are my constant companions.
I take care of the pebbles. The pebbles take care of me.
I sometimes gift a pebble to a friend or colleague so you may already know this story.
My Roots in Mumbai and Goa on the West Coast of India
Being Seen and Remembered
At one of the schools I am partnered with, I was outside at recess, and some students came up to me. One of them said “I know you from somewhere a long time ago.” I smiled inwardly as educators tend to do while listening intently: a 12-year-old perhaps does have a long-ago sense of life. I welcomed that sentiment.
Then he asked me, “Did you used to carry pebbles in your pocket?” His friends shifted uncomfortably, some chuckled at the question as it seemed odd to them perhaps.
“Yes, I did.” I said, “I still do.”
And I held out my hand in which were pebbles, some glass ones – bought, and some collected.
Natural and Glass Pebbles From My Pocket
“I knew it was you!” the student said, though he didn’t remember my name. I am okay with that.
I remembered then, that when I was at another school supporting Kindergarten to Grade 4, students had heard of the pebbles and when we would be outside at recess, some would come by to explore the contents of my pockets.
The Pebbles Have a Job
I carry the pebbles for two reasons.
When I am in busy spaces such as grocery stores or in a bustling hallway, I reach into my pocket and the smooth, cold, pebbles ground me.
When I am with students in unstructured times, on a field trip or at recess supervision, the pebbles are a great conversation starter when accompanied with “look what I found the other day,” even if that other day was decades away.
Benefits of Pebbles in My Pocket
Students connect with these little pieces of nature’s wonder or coloured glass (which I keep in my hand the whole time –so there is no mouthing of unsafe items).
Literacy connections with pebbles are many: the describing words flow – smooth, bumpy, big, small, cold etc.
Some students are adventurous and have more words in their vocabulary – I have been informed that one rock “has capillaries and looks like a kidney shaped eyeball”.
It is lovely that they wait for my reaction at such times. Imagination is wonderful especially when the adult isn’t squeamish!
Self-Regulation, Co-Regulation and Troublemakers
I delight in reading the work of others who share their thoughts in this space. My ardent wish is that someday we can meet in person. Until then, I would like to share the writing of colleagues in this space whose thoughts enter this conversation.
Brenda MacNaughton’s writing in 2025,invites the reader to think about the circumstances in which our students’ and families’ lives unfold everyday and calls us to consider what you and I need to consciously do when we engage with people in front of us.
This got me thinking: How might I demonstrate and open up space for students when they are in my sphere of influence so that their burdens become lighter for some time? What do I need to do to reach out to social and community based support provided by the school district for the family to receive support while they deal with the ups and downs?
They are a reminder of my humanity and what makes me who I am.
They are also reminders that I can take care of myself in times when I feel wobbly.
Above all, they are a time to pause and be grateful for the tiny gifts of our workday. I continue to feel grateful for the wonder that children give me daily. This ability to see life as I did when I was a child is returned to me daily by the young people who use their imagination in miraculous ways to make sense of the world around them.
This realization gives me hope that the work you and I do is much more than pouring water on sand, especially on days when it feels like just that.
It is May and things are getting busier. Spring is being elusive. Dawn is dark and a bright day may end with a dull dusk.
At this time, more than ever, when the waves of “What Just Happened in Ontario’s Education?” dash over me, I need something to look forward to and hope for. As do you, I am sure.
What always makes me smile on this podcast is listening to the voices of students because that is how each episode begins. This makes me sit up straighter and realign my purpose with the possibilities I can catalyze with students, colleagues and families, directly or indirectly.
A Recent Podcast
One such episode that is extremely important especially as we move through May and June is the conversation on why we (must) organize for public education. It features the keynote speaker from ETFO’s Political Action Conference Dr. Lana Parker who speaks about protecting and defending public education. The title is “Why We Organize for Public Education
Key Points of This Podcast
Dr. Lana Parker holds a PhD from York University in Language, Culture and Teaching. Her research and writing focus on ethically informed pedagogy.
The podcast highlights the reality that the underfunding of public education in Ontario did not happen suddenly and has “accumulated and accelerated over time”.
Beginning from Mike Harris’ government in the mid-1990s when Board funding models were changed there has been, Dr.Parker says, “a slow erosion of the education funding envelope”.
The podcast also highlights some effects of under-funding such as staff shortages, the nudge towards fundraising that school communities experience to make up the shortfall, the backlog of professionals such as support educators educational psychologists and other registered health professionals, as well as a decline in experiential learning and the arts.
A demand for fees for extra curricular activities that make such important opportunities inaccessible for students based on their families’ means which widens the gap for their well rounded schooling.
Educator burnout (we know this)
What stood out for me was the introduction of a critical idea of responsibilization → where beyond what you are responsible for, educators are made responsible for things that are out of our control due to underfunding.
Responsibility →→ →→→→→→→→→→ →→ →→ Responsibilization (In this gap lie emotion, fatigue etc.)
The fatigue comes from being pulled between what one can do and what one is tasked to do due to underfunding.
While there is talk out there in general about education cuts it is not until you type in the name of a neighbourhood school and see the numbers, does this harsh reality connect differently.
Although my children are no longer in school, I entered the names of schools in my neighbourhood.
I sat and looked at the screen for a long time.
These are my neighbours’ children and grandchildren, these are the students who ride their bikes and wave to me as I walk in the park, these children are the future.
What Can You and I Do?
We can show up. We can participate. We can invite others to join us.
You do not have to wait long because All Member Meetings are happening.
All Member Meetings
Find Your Meetings here, register to attend as needed, do tell your colleagues and friends from across the province, share on socials.
If you are a member of my ETFO local, I will see you there.
It is February already! Since September, it has felt as if the school year is taking huge strides that go from one Friday to the next.
In the midst of this hectic pace, I am delighted to share the Welcome to ETFO booklet for members in their first 5 years
it is very easy to follow even in your busy work day or after work with a cuppa.
Layout of the Booklet
I especially connected with the layout of the booklet because right on the first page is the link events.etfo.org Here, you can access information about programs and conferences that support members’ understanding of ETFO, to support your involvement and leadership growth.
Then, some key programs and upcoming dates are listed.
Upcoming Programs in the Welcome to ETFO booklet.
The next page has some key messages that guide the work of our union. I am sharing below a small section of each of the following.
ETFO Equity Statement: It is the goal of the ETFO to work with others to create schools, communities, and a society free from all forms of individual and systemic discrimination.
ETFO Human Rights Statement: Harassment and discrimination on the basis of a prohibited ground are violations of the Ontario Human Rights Code and are illegal. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario will not tolerate any form of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code, at provincial or local Federation sponsored activities.
ETFO’s Equity Initiatives: ETFO is a union committed to social justice, equity, and inclusion.
Definition of an Anti-Oppressive Framework: An anti-oppressive framework is the method and process in which we understand how systems of oppression such as colonialism, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, and ableism can result in individual discriminatory actions and structural/ systemic inequalities for certain groups in society.
ETFO Land Acknowledgment
ETFO’s Land Acknowledgement
Letter from Your President highlights that ETFO is the largest union representing teachers with 84,000 members. In the inspiring and warm message this reminder stands out: “Your current central collective agreement expires on August 31, 2026. Preparation for the next round of bargaining is well underway. ETFO has established class size as a significant bargaining issue. Look for our Smaller Classes, Big Difference campaign advertising in your community and help spread the word to ensure the public is informed and engaged in our fight for students.”
The table of contents lists the different sections that are hyperlinked for easy access.
I highly recommend staring here because “How your union works for you” is a very important section that you need to remember and also share with colleagues even if they are not in the first 5 years of educational work within ETFO.
The booklet reminds you that, “You will need your ETFO ID number to register. If you do not know your number, please contact Member Records at memberrecords@etfo.org or 416-962-3836/1-888-838-3836 extension 3806.”
Did You Know?
As per the provincial guidelines of ETFO, “the costs for member release time, travel, meals, and accommodation are covered for these conferences.” Do check out the programs and conferences that support your goals and sign up!
I am sure you will find lots of connections with the material shared in the Welcome to ETFO booklet.
Please ask at least two people if they have read it and please share widely.
Although this booklet is addressing members in your first years, there may be many who have worked longer and have not had the opportunity to access all the resources and information. It is never too late.
November is here with all the busy-ness that this month brings. Progress reports done, family-school partnerships are getting stronger and the conversations among colleagues on how to support our learners are ongoing. In times like these, the weekend beckons.
Sunshine and Snow Covered Trees
Busyness of a Different Kind
I don’t know the circumstances of others’ lives, and can just speak for mine, at least those that I choose to share.
On weekdays, especially when we have turned the clocks back, going to and returning from work usually happens when the sky is dark. It is also not unusual to come in to a half cup of coffee left on the ledge of the powder room sink, or the plant shelf in the front hallway or even the salt tote on the front stoop.
Weekend Treats
To re-charge and clear my mind, get ready for the week ahead, I have some weekend routines that I shall share below
I always make myself a special breakfast either poha, upma, idlis, dosas or a fancy omelette on the weekend
I then eat this delicacy in a leisurely manner with my coffee
The second cup of coffee is usually with a wander outside, dressed for the weather that allows me to peer at what my botanical friends are doing at this time of the year.
One day is for professional and academic writing and catching up on correspondence with family and friends, in the GTA, and around the world.
I sometimes pick up holds at the library as it is more relaxed than rushing over after a work day.
One day is to prepare my home and me for the week ahead – meal prep etc.
Yard work plays a huge part of my weekend at this time of the year because I diligently gather leaves to make leaf mold for the spring time planting.
Looking Inward, Looking Out
Everywhere around me, in order to allow me to enjoy my weekend treats, the world is at work, so to speak. The library is open, the grocery stores are stocked and serving customers, other services are up and running. if I were to go to the hospital for myself or to support a friend, that ecosystem would also be filled with people working away.
So how would it be if I were to ask students tomorrow: “What did you do on the weekend?” if their parent or caregiver were working in the spaces that make my weekend possible?
This is the mirror I am holding up to my privilege today.
I have a weekend.
Not everyone else has the same reality.
I just wanted to leave that here with my steaming cup of coffee.
I hope you are well. As the growing season comes to a close in our part of the world and I begin these conversations with you for the 2nd year through this space, I wanted to share how delighted I am to spend this time with you.
Coming back to a new school year is challenging for me/us as it is for our students, sometimes. Colleagues ask me sometimes “Is it me?” and I do my best to listen, just listen and if the connection allows, I reassure them that it is not them. It is all of us together, trying to figure out the complexities and the joy of this work one day at a time. As I was thinking about my day and week recently, I said to myself “this feels like I am pouring water on sand”. I sat with that idea for a while, had a cup of tea, went for a walk and I felt lighter afterwards. I had some new ideas about whom I would reach to, what I would continue and what I would reimagine. I let the words flow like the water I thought I was pouring on sand.
It is 5 years this June since I was hired for a centrally assigned position that I started that September. Fortunately, as my role in this school district is designed in a way that I can co-plan, co-teach, co-debrief and co-reflect with my colleagues, I am not distanced from students. Yet, I feel a twinge on my heartstrings when I pick up a picture book or find something exciting to share as I do not always have a classroom to take this back to right away, the next day.
So I rely on a quiet activity called “Remember When?” to keep alive the fond memories that keep the 21 years in this work as a teacher well irrigated so that they can continue to bring me joy. I am sharing one such memory below, deeply rooted in intentional planning and pedagogy.
The Corner Cafe
Karnad-Jani’s CAFE Board
I have taught in 2 schools in my 21 year career.
At the school with the gorgeous sunrise, I was a Grade 7-8 science teacher then a Special Education Resource Teacher in an Intermediate Student Support Centre. Our core focus was literacy and mathematics, social skills and advocacy skills among others.
With the deep commitment to support my students, I had planned and intentionally set up the CAFE Bulletin Board based on the the skills development focus on Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expand Vocabulary outlined in the CAFE Book.
What Does CAFE Mean ?
In the book mentioned above and in the pedagogical process planned around it, CAFE means
Comprehension
Accuracy
Fluency
Expand Vocabulary
It Is Not “Just A SERT Thing”
Some colleagues with whom I partnered and co-taught also used this template to set up similar CAFE boards in their classrooms. Students, when integrated in subject areas saw the same skill building supports. They did not see this board as “Just something we do in the SSC”. My colleagues and I participated in authentic partnerships incorporating Tier 1 practices for the benefit of all students (and occasional teachers who worked alongside when we were away as the classroom was the 3rd teacher). Such partnerships are possible and work well when it is acknowledged that SERTs also have subject specialities.
It was not “Just A SERT thing” or something some students needed. We all used it. As a cricket and basketball fan, I would ask my students to recommend readings for me to demonstrate my understanding. We would use this space to document my wonderings around hockey and baseball, two sports with which I am not as familiar and students saw me as a comprehension constructor and fluency builder as well. They could give me feedback about what they saw me doing and bridged over to what they would like to try. Deconstructing my comprehension challenges and examining how I made meaning opened up space for students’ learning journeys.
And Then I Moved…
After 2004-2018, I decided to move to another school, after much thought and soul searching. When I got there, my 3-4 SSC was in a much smaller space. Students at this school did not know me and their previous teacher had left the school so they were not comfortable with change, I learned.
To support them as much as me, I set up another CAFE space at my 2nd school.
Here with the added emphasis on critical thinking but with younger students and a smaller space, I also incorporated individualized Q Charts where students could ask questions from their everyday lives. We moved to other topics through the year that aligned with their science and social studies classes so the pre-teaching of content vocabulary and comprehension access happened before and side by side with their subject classes. We CAFE’d everything.
A student placing sticky notes on a Question Matrix
Students Remember
The Corner Cafe became a beloved and effective Literacy Hub at 2 schools in The East in a large publicly funded school board in Ontario. You did not need an IEP to work in the CAFE. We worked together so that students felt stronger to transfer their literacy and mathematics skills in other settings. Our walls were rich and instructionally strategies were intentionally planned and implemented.
I attended the Grade 8 graduation ceremony last year at School 1 and 2 and plan to go again this year as my then-Grade 3s are graduating.
Soon after I left School 2 to take up my centrally assigned work, I would get emails from The Cafe Students. They set up their own “Cafe Classroom” and emailed me to invite. So, we organized a virtual visit through their teacher and I got to hear all the wonderful things they were learning and doing.
“We remember The Corner Cafe”, they said. Then after some “tell her, tell her” whispers, they added “And we practice CAFE”. That was a warm cuppa joy for me.
Some Guiding Questions
How am I using the CAFE framework to strengthen student learning?
Any others you may come up with as you continue your work through your career.
If you decide to or have already set up a CAFE in your school, please take a peek at the instructional areas highlighted above.
Things Change: Please Engage Professionally and Responsibly
Although research and practice have changed in Ontario and elsewhere over the years, when I did this work, some things were different. Now, there are new resources and conversations that guide our work as ETFO members and different school districts will likely have their own supported initiatives.
I therefore invite readers to see this writing and sharing as a window into that classroom where students and I strengthened our practices. We used this board and this mindset to strengthen content literacy as well because as a J/I teacher first and foremost, I was also mindful of the importance of being able to read and comprehend subject areas like science, social studies, history, geography and mathematics.
The concept of CAFE is not my creation.
I applied it to my classroom programme and students ad have shared the sources I used to develop this learning space in two schools.
If you choose to set up a CAFE in your school, do reach out.
If you have already set up a CAFE at your school, and want to discuss ideas, please connect.
I’ve written in previous posts about the wonderful opportunity of learning from and with students when I’m invited to collaborate with educators who work with students from kindergarten to age 21.
This past week as we approached the end of a cooler-than-usual April, the sun shone warmer and a long awaited Spring peeped out from behind grey clouds that had greeted us in previous months. One Friday afternoon before the long weekend, I was in a Grade 7 classroom. I arrived during lunch and went upstairs as pre-decided with the teacher. I found a corner to work until lunch time was over and the teacher came back.
Soon, the students came in also and the two nearest to me asked who I was and as always, I respectfully mentioned that I’d introduce myself when their teacher invited me to. As always students had questions – my name, where am I from, what’s my favourite food and so on. I usually stay with 10 questions so the teacher’s planned lesson can continue and we review classroom expectations prior so that students remember that every person who enters their class deserves respect.
Something To Think About
One student asked me what is the most important thing about my job and I said that I get to experience hope and joy when I interact with students. They asked me if I was part of their history lesson and while I was not co-teaching it, I could be. Our lives as people are interconnected after all. I enjoyed the interaction among students during their history lesson that was about the fur trade in this land now known as Canada. There were many deep questions they asked their teacher.
Moving On To Other Topics
Then it was time for their reading buddies to come in. There was a bustle of activity as everyone was excited. Their teacher reviewed the expectations for them and students prepared to welcome the younger students. One student whose ancestral heritage was different from mine at first glance to them, approached me and said, “I have one more question: Do you like sooji ka halwa?”
I replied “Yes, I do. But I don’t call it sooji ka halwa”
“Really? What do you call it then?”, they asked.
In my mother tongue, we call it sheeraa” I said.
“It is cool that sooji ka halwa has another name. I have heard some people call it just sooji then?” the student said. “Yes”, I said. “Why is that?” the student asked.
I replied from a knowledge I had received over the years, and which has grown stronger since travelling far and learning from many. “Languages are beautiful. They grow and change over time and become richer also. The same thing can have many names and be experienced in many different ways by different people”
“Sooji Ka Halwa has many names then!”, the student remarked with a smile.
“And you know, sooji is semolina, so sooji ka halwa is “halwa/dessert made from sooji. Sometimes it’s called sooji also”, I said.
This was an unexpected sweet moment in my day and that evening, to commemorate that day, I made some sheera (or sooji ka halwa) following the recipe I learned from my Amma. I am sharing it here.
Perhaps if we meet sometime, we can connect over conversation about food that we know and love, even if they have different names. I am looking forward to those times.
Rashmee’s Amma’s Sheeraa Recipe
Ingredients
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 cup sooji (semolina)
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder
Method
In a kadhai (thick bottomed pan or wok), add ghee and let it melt
Turn the heat down and add sooji gently
Keep stirring until the sooji changes to a pinkish colour and becomes fragrant.
After 3-4 minutes add two cups of milk and keep stirring until the mixture cooks well
Add sugar and elaichi powder and keep stirring
Put the pan on a frying pan for indirect heat (so it’s not directly on the stove)
Cover it
In a few minutes remove the lid and stir again.
The sheera is ready to share and enjoy!
I wish you many sweet experiences and special interactions in your travels…
With you, in solidarity
Rashmee Karnad-Jani
P.S: Before I left, the student smiled and said “I also like your shoes”
