Peering into the Looking Glass

(On “Becoming A Teacher” PART 2)

In my blog written on the 29th of August 2021, I wrote about Warriors and my students who represented such.

We were just returning back from a year of ZOOM and my stxents and I were getting to know each other in-person. (all over again)

I wrote about their resiliency and how I wished I could look into a Looking Glass into the future of their 8th grade year to see the results of our connection efforts made over ZOOM with them during their 5th grade year.

Well, the day has arrived!

In 2021 I wrote:

“I teach a yoga class following lunch. Twenty-seven fully masked 11-year olds enter a gentle moving music filled room; their frenetic energy slowly dissipating as they learn the routine of retrieving their assigned freshly cleaned mats and place them on the floor in the room. They lay down without instruction and soon listen more and talk less. This is a room of diversity; my special needs students are nestled in among the others fully included, welcomed and now, too, resting. We ground together before we begin the lesson.

Each day brings a new lesson. “Mindful Monday” (Mindfullness class), “Torture Tuesday” (Power class), “Wacky Wednesday” (Inversions), “Thoughtful Partner Thursday” (Partner class), “Fun Friday” (Student led classes). This class is an exceptional bunch. They consist of 25% of last year’s 5th grade PE class which was taught on Zoom for the first 7 months of school; I did not meet them in-person until March 1st, 2021. I KNEW them but not… They knew my dogs, my foster kittens, the colors of my living room, they knew I had a piano in my house. I knew which student recently purchased a new pair of toe shoes, who liked to have their younger siblings join our PE classes, who had trampolines in their backyards, who struggled with internet connection and who hated Zoom but loved our “Connection Games” prior to lessons.

During those 7 months, my home and my community merged.”

These once 5th Graders—and now 8th graders—have just returned from a week in the Teton Science School. They are the kindest of human beings. 

This calls me to ponder, “Did we indeed connect over ZOOM?” “Did our efforts then, indeed, not go to waste?” 

I worried about them so much during those earlier days, but perhaps there was no need. They have learned from this time period, as did all of us educators.

In the end, the Looking Glass foretold the future of Pandemic Warriors rather than of Pandemic Prisoners. 

This is the power of reframing our experience and where the joy lives. Keep an eye on your Looking Glass.