I am from ‘Not Knowing When Her Car will Come Through the Snow’
Teachers can make incredible connections with their students that strengthen their learning and growth. But what happens when there’s a missed connection?
In this personal and moving audio piece inspired by George Ella Lyon’s poem “Where I’m From,” science teacher and Knowles Senior Fellow Kirstin Milks describes how an interaction with one of her own high school teachers echoed forward into her life as an educator.
“As a teacher, you have to be able to understand what stories might be out there in the world, so that you can recognize the underlying stories of the people—of the students—who come your way.”
Listen to Kirstin’s story to hear her describe how her experiences have affected how she supports her students, and learn more about how she’s grown from developing a personal practice of storytelling.
“These stories, my true stories, are part of how my students and I work together and how we talk together, and how I can be there for them.”
Content warning: This story contains themes of childhood trauma and mental illness.
Music Attribution
Music by The Marshall Cloud / Marshall Brown, used with permission.
Digital Media Citation
Milks, K. (2019, January). I am from not knowing when her car will come through the snow. [Audio file]. Retrieved from www.knowlesteachers.org/kaleidoscope.