teaching is: all about love

for many of us, this call emerges because others first responded to the call.

the first time I thought about being an academic, I did so because there weren’t many academics of colour in my institution – I later thought that was an insufficient reason to want to be an academic. I no longer fear my freedom.

for many of us, our emancipation emerges with the liberation of others who once sought their own freedom.

and so, I do not take this privilege for granted.

knowing where I have come from, I do not take this privilege for granted.

and this undulating journey so far has not been easy.

juggling multiple jobs that occupy much of my time and trying to keep my practice alive – in the way that I once knew it took its form.

luckily, I find myself working in a community whose formation and practice are engulfed in the will to care, particularly for students.

a community whose presence thoroughly shaped my student experience in my undergraduate studies and continues to do so through my teaching practice and pastoral responsibilities for my students.

in essence, I see my work in this non-academic environment, as coordinating learning for students beyond the classroom.

thinking through how this undulating journey full of sacrifice can be sustainable, I stumble on these words:

“When we work with love, we renew the spirit; that renewal is an act of self-love, it nurtures growth. “

this quote from bell hooks has become significant in my everyday call to care in both spaces and for myself.

for many of us, teaching is; all about love.

and it sees our practice as we once knew it, morphe into other forms.