We’ve moved on from November and it’s the last month of the year already. While the countdown for the winter break has begun in many minds, there are some things that catch my attention and I want to share some of them with you.
In our everyday spaces, we connect with, notice and wonder about things, and people all the time when we see them. Sometimes we ask questions and at other times based on what we think we know, we decide a response. I am sharing some questions that I have been asked in the past months that keep me thinking about their importance.
Who are you?
As the range where I collaborate with colleagues is K-12, I have the experience of meeting students who aren’t yet four and older students who call me Miss. When I enter a classroom or wait outside, students either ask me directly who I am or their eyes do without words. When invited by my colleague in the classroom, I introduce myself: “My name is Ms.Karnad. I am a teacher and I’m here to learn with you”.
Do you miss that?
The questions I receive are heart warming and they open my mind to all the things children think about.
Often I join children at their tables to work alongside. In a Grade 4 class a student asked me “Do you go from school to school because you don’t have your own classroom now?”
“Yes”, I said “That’s correct”.
“Do you miss having your own students?”
I replied in the affirmative.
“What is the first thing you will do if you have your own classroom again?”
I’m still thinking about that one.
Do you speak Farsi?
In a Kindergarten classroom recently, a student asked me to join them in play. They were gathering leaves to fill a small red cup, a blue teapot and a star shaped baking dish. I was instructed to guess how many scoops of leaves went into each one and I think I did rather well on that task. Then another student joined us and in a clear voice asked me “Do you speak Farsi?” I replied that I didn’t but I understood some words. “Come back and I’ll teach you some more words” she said and I’m looking forward to that. How wonderful it is when children say to the grown-ups in their lives “I will teach you”. What a promising world this will be!
Can you help me?
At another school when I was planning a pre-collaboration visit and standing by the door as it was a rather busy time, I felt a tug on my wrist. Looking down I saw a student who wanted me to walk with them. They began leading me by the hand to another space and pointed to a shelf higher up. “Show me”, I said pointing to the visuals as I had seen a choice board displayed prominently with large pictures for easy access (for visitors like me also). The student showed me the picture of their preferred item and I helped get it down for them. A friend joined in and they tugged my hand to sit also. Building with multicoloured magnetic shapes that morning was a lot of fun.
Do you know where you are going?
As we approach the end of the year and the start of a new calendar year, it is these simple heart-touching questions that point me to where I am going. Immersed as we see in the complexities of the work and the world, this simplicity is the gift that allows me to stay in the moment and touch that glimmering droplet of joy.
I see you
Many years ago, I was a Grade 7-8 teacher at the school with the beautiful sunrise. As I’d walk to the workroom downstairs on my prep, I’d pass an empty kindergarten classroom. Every day a rotation of women-mothers, aunties, grandmothers – and children would come in and attend a morning run by an Ontario child care programme. The women would sit cross legged and the children would sit in front of them. The service provider would play some songs while the women and children waited, listened and participated. It becomes clear for those of us who know educational pathways in Ontario that this was a school readiness programme for pre-kindergarten children.
In the early days, there would be hesitant little people being encouraged by the women and as time went by the children would begin to sing. As the workroom was nearby, I’d hear the voices change from whispers to hesitant voices to the silver sound of enthusiastic singers.
When they’d come in for their learning, the women and children would line up outside the room. On the wall, up high, were Grade 8 graduation composites. One day as I was walking by, a child was pointing to a picture here and a picture there. As his Amma smiled at me I stopped and listened alongside. “Anna (elder brother), Akka (elder sister)”, he said. They were his cousins, who had graduated from the school, I learned from the child’s mother.
As I was about to leave, the child pointed at someone else in the frame and whispered to his mother. I asked “Who is it? Whom do you see?”. The little one smiled shyly and pointed to me. His Amma said “He is saying, I see you”. Yes, I was there too and the child had recognized me from my tiny face in the large frame.
Now these photos have been moved to a connecting passage between the old wing where I started working and the new wing that we saw being built from my Grade 7-8 class. That moment stays with me years later.
I see you.
Such an important thought. I want to make sure everyday that I too see you, students and colleagues. That’s a great place to begin.
I see you.
With You, In Solidarity
Rashmee Karnad-Jani
Ahhh, this was such a sweet and relatable read. We’ve all had little interactions like this that help keep us going during the final days leading up to the winter break. We’re so lucky to have a job that repeatedly brings us back to a space of natural curiosity and wonder.
Beautifully written. Reminds me to slow down and really see the people around me.