One of my first memories that has left an imprint on who I am as a teacher began immediately in a Kindergarten class in a BC elementary school. This lived experience of navigating ‘difference’ was one of the most hurtfully profound moments in primary school - when my teacher encouraged me to not include my grandmother (Bebe ji), an integral member of our family (our third parent/caregiver who lived with us until she passed away) in my ‘family portrait’ assignment. Until this day, the memory evokes emotion. I wanted to shout back, how dare you tell me my Bebe ji is not part of my family! She is! I tried, I remember, but her gestures, facial expressions told me that was not what she expected. I was silenced. I became silent.
Why did she not ask me why I thought our grandmother was part of our family?
Why did she not offer encouragement to express my thoughts?
Thank you for your time. This post is an excerpt from my thesis: Pre-Service Teachers in an International Teaching Practicum: (Im)possibilities, Interstitiality, and Encounters with Difference. If you'd like to learn more, you can click on the link below to download a copy.
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