Whether we are teenagers or grandparents, teachers or students, at home or in temporary shelter, the first day of school is different for many of us this year. I have participated in this annual event since I was in kindergarten, but for Fall 2020, I have no first day of school. I am no longer working for a nonprofit, and although I will offer one-on-one sessions and lessons online, I miss the rituals I developed over my past several years as a college instructor:
- enrobing in ethical, sustainable, and/or secondhand attire set aside for the occasion
- checking and rechecking my bag for my lunch, laptop, and textbook
- spending my commute reviewing the ways my lecture and activities would highlight aspects of my teaching philosophy
- stopping by my office to sit my mug on my desk and hang an extra cardigan on my chair
- knowing I belong as I stride into a room filled with mostly unfamiliar people
- inhaling deeply before exhaling a greeting, a brief autobiography, and an icebreaker
This year, there are few changes between my late summer schedule and my fall one:
- eating breakfast at the table with my husband and our one-year-old son
- sitting my toddler in the pack and play while I put on a tonle dress or leggings and a top
- walking through the neighborhood with my little explorer
- climbing to the stairs to my second-floor apartment as I reflect on my next steps for growing as a mother and an entrepreneur
I am not in a classroom this year, but I have much to learn and much to give. My previous planning for motherhood did not include staying home full-time, but this option creates the most well-being for my household in this season. I never imagined losing most of my opportunities to teach or accompany in colleges, schools, or community programs, but my work in these spaces has prepared me to serve a wide array of people. I look forward to working alongside underrepresented artists as a tutor, composer, and speaker as we maneuver through the challenges of this and future seasons.
Ars Arvole 