Map

Mapping care in the classroom.

After speaking with a number of instructors about what resonated with them from the original ZOMBIE Guide, a few themes began to emerge. An ethic of care runs throughout the guide, and many shared that they found this comforting but worried about how sustainable their teaching practice without clear boundaries.

In reflecting on how to create a sustainable teaching practice during a time of crisis, I went through a bunch of iterations before landing on an island. Perhaps it was inspired by the current feeling of isolation we're all feeling or that it felt like a solid setting for a zombie apocalypse. Either way, rather than making it about people trapped on an island with no escape, I decided to think about the island as a metaphor for our teaching practice, in which water as a resource becomes a metaphor for care. Through this lens, the ocean represents a sea of emotional support, an expected thunderstorm showers you with comfort, and the spring on the island is your own source of care.

This metaphorical framework incorporates three key points, and discusses the interactions amongst them:

1. Care ethics (the water-based resources - spring, river, rain, ocean, etc.)

2. Arts instruction (the earthy part of the island land - dirt, rocks, sand, etc.)

3. Technology use (all the other available resources)

If your teaching practice is an island, then your care is a spring running through it.

This layer of the metaphor intentionally doesn't label your students, because I want you to think about yourself and your needs.

Over Branching = forces inside of your classroom and inside of your control. (stretching yourself too thin amongst your students needs)

• Needs for healthy boundaries

Fallen Tree = forces inside of your classroom but outside of your control. (i.e. Failed technology)

• Zoom crashes

Earthquake = forces outside of your classroom and outside of your control (i.e. second wave, sudden illness, et)

While mentorship is fulfilling, keep in mind that your emotional energy is lower than usual simply because we're living through a pandemic. Be kind to yourself first because ultimately this will enable you to be kind to your students in a much more sustainable way. And remember to conserve some of your care for loved ones like friends and family. You are more than your labor.

Water cycle as teaching practice in action.

SUN = students (because it is important for you to understand that they come and go) This idea of them not always being present is really important.

CLOUDS = work made / precipitation is when some of that care comes back to you. Understanding that you will not always receive care back from your students is an important step in building boundaries. And it's also important to remember that you might be visited by an unexpected thunderstorm (see an artist talk) or make your own fog (your own work) that returns water back to you.

COLLECTION = this is the care that you pour into the class and everyone has access to.

EVAPORATION = is when your care connects with your students.

CONDENSATION = care is absorbed by students and supports their ability to create work.

PRECIPITATION = when your students sometimes return care through their work in the class.

(insert water cycle here)

A few notes on ethics of care and education

Technically this is considered an educational framework, but that sounds pretentious.

SOURCES / CITATIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS