Once upon a time there was a person named Maia and then another person was named Ariel. They taught together.
Maia: “Also I don’t really like when stories start with once upon a time.”
Carly: “This is about you’re guys’ life.”
Ariel: “Yeah!”
They didn’t originally teach together, though. The first time that they met, Ariel was crying in the kitchen doing dishes and Maia heard about it and gave Ariel space. But the next time, Maia taught Ariel how to clean up a classroom at the end of the day because Ariel had never done that before ever in their life.
Alice: “Ariel is making her bowl.”
Ariel: “I’m not a her.”
Alice: “Their making a bowl!”
Carly: “Cuz they’re not a girl.”
Ariel: “And also I’m not a boy.”
So, Maia was in Parparim, but Ariel wasn’t there because Maia had it handled, but then later Ariel was in Dubanim and Parparim and then when Ariel was in Parparim, Maia wasn’t there anymore because Maia was in Eitim with a really lovely person named Eli (he just got married. Like a week ago). And then when he leaved, Ariel came into Eitim. And Ariel and Maia got to teach together. And that meant some changes in our lives, mostly that Ariel had to become a morning person. Ok, but, what was really nice was that Maia and Ariel spent so much time together that we would go out in the world and see things and then they would come excitedly back to share things with each other and Eitim! From astronomy outings to local musicians and wildlife (of the green and BROWN kind)–teaching was the bestest of all worlds. If, I say so myself, we did some really cool projects. We encouraged musicians from all over to write our kids song lyrics into songs and here they are, professional artists. Both of us and our kids had amazing opportunities because we got to teach together. We did that Maia! That’s what we did! But also, it can be tiring to do all of that and I’m gonna miss doing all those things all the time even as I’m doing other things.
Carly: “How’s it going on the bowl?”
Ariel: “It’s going good, Carly, thanks.”
Carly: “It’s looking good.”
Ariel: “Thanks!”
Carly: “How many minutes are we having lunch.”
Ariel: “About two. Wanna go wash hands to get ready?”
That’s true. It’s a really nice love story. What story do I want to tell?
“Maia, you don’t know anything!” Noam had a broad, cheeky smile on her face. She knew she had said something funny, but she also knew she had noticed something important and wanted to know how I would respond.
We ask a lot of questions in Eitim. We wonder out-loud so others will too. Sometimes our wonderings are taken up and become research and sometimes they just float lightly until they settle around the classroom and make up the landscape of our time together. Questions are what makes us a learning community: Eitim are people who spend time together sharing our questions with one another. Here are some that I remember: Can I Play?, Water is Important, How Does a Well Work?, What does Native Mean?, Can We Tell you a Story?, Owtunes!, Buddy Time & Wrestling Time, Noticing Wild Things, You Can Say They, Hi! It’s Teacher Maia.
I have stayed in the conversation that is early learning for over seven years because it means I get to ask what it means to be a person everyday. I get to ask that with Ariel and with Eitim and sometimes even Parparim, Dubanim, Tootim, and Dagim (if we’re lucky and succeed in stealing babies from Holly!). I get to ask that with other teachers and with families–parents, siblings, chosen family and friends.
Our classroom is made up of so many people who don’t spend time in our class everyday but make up Eitim lives. It means Ariel and I get to work with every age! We are grateful to all of you!
When we talk about how we seek to support our youngest in learning how emotions live and move in their bodies and how themes of resilience, inquiry, and wonder are the fundamentals of Kindergarten readiness, we also get to share and remember that what we are practicing and learning in our classroom is what all of us (if we are lucky), at every age, are trying to understand about ourselves and others. We are all grappling with some of the same things.
Isaac: “The kids are being tooken away from their parents at the border.”
Alice: “Why”
Ariel: “Where’s the border?”
Isaac: “I don’t know.”
Maia: “My mama and I were talking about that this morning too, Isaac.”
Now it’s time to go. We have been very lucky. Keep in touch, please.
Love,
Ariel & Maia
Eitim Class 