As the semester approaches its conclusion, the merry-go-round is still in motion, though moving slowly. It’s been a long time since we last saw our students. We are missing the final rituals of a typical academic year. The final exams. The hugs good-bye. The graduation ceremony. The celebration of a year’s worth of accomplishments. Without all of this, the end of the academic year seems anti-climatic. At the last minute, the exquisite white horse emerges and begins its rotation. Murano glass is considered the finest in the world, representing the timelessness of beauty. The white horse does not disappoint; it is the climatic moment of the experience. The reality is that my students are thriving. In fact, we are all thriving in our bubbles. Although my students won’t have their white horse moment of physically walking across the stage, the scene plays out in my heart. They have worked hard all year long, especially with the shift to distance learning, and they deserve their moment to shine. I look forward to the day when the lives of teachers and students intersect again. I recognize that life will shift after the coronavirus pandemic, and perhaps what we knew as normal will no longer be, but I look forward to continued engagement with students when we return for the fall semester, whether that be in a physical building or online through a computer screen. The horses on the merry-go-round will continue to spin and move forward, as will we.
Suzzanne Pautler is an international educator. She works under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation, specifically at the Academic Bridge Program.
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