This year is full of these Ouroboros (see last week!) moments of returning to what was before, reliving it, grieving its passing, celebrating its regeneration anew. I was struck by this image of 3 women in front of a moon-like lighting effect, in what looks like a sparse, winter forest. They are intent on the generation of something, almost like the three weird women in the Scottish play! This time for me feels this way: magical, alchemical, as I conjure things with students past and present, remember my work of earlier times, and offer it in new ways.
I am in the middle of sifting data for a research project with one of my former students, Sarah Stapleton, who has returned to Laurier to do her PhD in Community Music. We’re doing a case study on the teacher-student teaching-learning relationship, combing through data we collected during her undergraduate years. We’re looking at various artifacts she submitted as part of her course work to me, and also examining my responses to that work. We’re looking at our relationship and how it affected both of our growth: mine as an educator and hers as a student, but also of our growth together as co-learners and co-educators. The process is fascinating and mutually nourishing.
I began reading through some of the documents yesterday, practice reflections I hadn’t read in several years. I realized how early on I had recognized Sarah’s gift as a scholar and writer, as well as her wholeheartedness and authenticity in those processes. In my response to her final self-assessment in her very first year of study, I commented on the richness of her reflection, and that I could imagine her turning it into an article–it was that good. I also said that I could imagine us writing and researching together, that I wanted to continue this dialogue. I had totally forgotten that I had seen that so early in our work together! It hit me so powerfully that the relationship we have built over the last 8 years (her 4 years of undergraduate study and the subsequent 4 since where we have co-written articles and co-created conference presentations) was forged so early on. Sarah and I will be publishing and presenting quite a bit about this case study I am sure, but just for the record, I want to note what a beautiful moment of returning this has brought for me in my final year of teaching. It’s a reminder that the work will continue on, that the creative relationships cemented with students can remain vital and generative for the rest of my life if I want them to.