I See You

I See You
by @eyedreemit

The Circus Barker
1916, Norman Rockwell

It seems that the most impactful moments affecting my behavior as an educator come through stories and from life experiences outside of school.

Her name is Kelly. We call her Kelly Barker, as in carnival barker. Whenever our neighborhood walk takes us past her post, she barks at the tourists and at us. Most of the time she compliments a hat, dog, or bicycle. Most of the time she’s ignored. Sometimes we smile or wave, sometimes we don’t.

Today when my husband was walking without me, he made a point to talk to her and learned that she’s a local, homeless, disabled, and yells at people so they’ll see her donation box. Kelly was concerned that he disapproved. He gave her a few bucks. She gave him a hug. He let her know he’d always say hello, couldn’t always give her money, but wanted her to know that we see her. She approved.

I’m wondering how many of my students or colleagues don’t realize I see them, that they matter to me and to our community. We all have students who are barking for attention, who have needs beyond the curriculum. When we strive for personalization of the learning experience, and in our relationships, we are conveying the message, “I see you.”