This post is week 6 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.
I have to be planning for a school year like none other this year. The first semester, I will volunteer at the school where I’ve been for eight years. I will continue and expand the literacy screenings and tutoring I did last year. However, in January, inshallah, we will be moving from Bahrain to California.
When I saw the prompt I got nostalgic thinking of my time here and how it is coming to an end. I took time to do art–this Art Date with Ms. Kate was a grounding activity where we drew a tree in the style of Gustav Klimt’s Tree of Life.
Life’s Trees
What
will
I keep?
I will keep
my love and
prayers for
Al Raja School’s
children and my hope
for this School of Hope.
That they will grow into a
new chapter even richer and
fuller than all the ones that
came before. I will keep my friends
and family. I will keep my love for
lifelong learning and creating, along
with my zest for life. I will keep writing
and cooking and baking and being hospitable.
I will keep my faith in God and a commitment to
love,
joy,
peace,
hope,
mercy
and
justice.
What
will I lose?
I will lose seeing my
friends daily, chatting on
WhatsApp like we aren’t in
a pandemic. I will lose the
Al Abraaj hamour dinner, sweet
mango juice and shawarmas on the
street. I will lose climbing to the
fifth floor and living in a diverse
culture which has become home.
I will lose our walks to the
souq. I’m afraid
I will
lose my
place
for a
while.
What
will I try?
I will try to find
a new place. A place
where I can continue
to teach children English
and how to read and write.
I will try to make a home in
California after forty years of
living away. I will try to do my
part to fight injustice
and to dismantle
white
supre-
macy.
I will
try
to be.
Aww, I love this! What a neat way to respond to the prompt. It is really cool how people can see a prompt and take it in such different but amazing ways! I focused myself on technology with this prompt but I love how you focused on connections and people. Beautifully written.
Thank you, Amy, for reading. Yes, it was a very different year for me teaching in the pandemic. I felt like I was there more as support for the fulltime teachers–what a job they had!
This is so unique! I love the tree theme and the way you made your poems into shapes. I know how hard it is to plan for next year when there are still so many unknowns.
Susan, yes, it is hard to plan. I’m thinking it’s not easy to write this week’s post either–what PD do I need next year! Hmmm.
Oh, this art writing idea is so sweet. I wish you a wonderful school year.
Thank you, Theodora.