Elementary Lessons

It’s been a while since I set foot to teach in an elementary classroom, and let me say, it’s good to be back. I was right when I made the decision that this was something I wanted to pursue, I was right when I decided this was indeed something for me, and that this is where my future lies. Not in a deterministic way, but in a this is my passion kind of way.

I say this a lot, but having 4 significantly younger siblings has taught me a lot about life. It’s taught me that nothing is ever that serious, that the best medicine is laughter, and that anger is best quashed with a smile. This is what kids teach me, this is what many adults forget to practice as they get older. Kids are golden, they are little intelligent treasures that have the power to change the world, and when the time is right, they do.

I’ll be honest, when I hear kids laugh, when I hear them sing, when I hear them play, when I see their “aha” moment in learning, I get teary eyed. And it makes me feel awesome. All that hope is there, all that learning takes place, and the universe of possibilities opens up in my mind again. Teaching isn’t always about the students, it’s about what we can learn together. Many times, it’s about what the students can teach the teacher. Many times the terms ‘student’ and ‘teacher’ are interchangeable, many times there is no distinction. This in my opinion is the very best type of education.

I do regret one thing today. I was asked a lot by the kiddos whether I was a boy or a girl. I sort of just laughed it off, and would shrug without a response. Then I thought to myself, who am I to be policing my own gender identity, and by extension policing theirs. So I’ve decided that the next time I get that question, I’ll answer 人間. Interesting note, the kanji means “person” and something like “inter-.” Essentially, it means “human,” but has neither the character for boy or girl. So I prefer this term, it is beautiful, is a common term, and definitely grasps the essence of who I am. A short Haiku I thought of:

女でも
同じ人間
男でも

So yeah. I then fell into my big sibling role during lunchtime recess when the kids (by their own accord) started calling me お兄ちゃん(big brother). ‘Twas cool, but we’ll work on that whole gender thing. Then the tag started, then I had other kids join, and then we ran around the school playing tag and laughing. Kids are magical, adults are too. When we remember to laugh, to work at what we truly love, and to basically be ourselves without being afraid of who we are, while at the same time always taking society into consideration and trying to improve our lives and the lives of others, life is quite nice.

These are the lessons that young folk teach me. And these are the reasons why I love being a teacher.