little boxes, little boxes

Community Voices: Henry Walker

the circle and the box

I love to work with learners,

less as a teacher, more as a guide,

as an opener of doors,

one who works to free-up stuck doors,

a cheerleader who supports the Light within

to find its way out,

to help the tenuous realize it is rugged,

to celebrate each victory of self to become better,

the classroom for us is where the circle dominates, unbroken,

each of our eyes upon the others,

and we begin to see who each of us is

and share the feelings which rise upon the other

which then wash over us, and we connect,

the audience in our new theater

sit in rows with as much curve as we could manage,

the theater consultant supporting us

away from the regimentation of lines

toward the embrace of the circle,

for then the audience sees each other,

feels each other’s laugh, sadness, joy

as performance comes to life,

such a community can be challenged hard in distance learning,

where the whole becomes more tenuous,

as the artificiality of cameras with us in boxes

can pull us away from each other,

with fear and anxiousness powerfully resting on us,

with the way back in to the others, into the group,

less beguiling than escaping away,

back into what comes more easily,

our individuality simpler, less risky,

yet in this world of Zoom, of distance learning, I

can still be moved by the spirit of the student,

who wants to do well,

who wants to learn, to achieve,

who still can find a way forward

to make tomorrow better than today,

each step forward a bit harder,

the view of the path murkier,

yet the light within each of us is just as bright,

and I joy when the beams will not be denied,

and the journey forward continues,

it is a privilege to be there in the digital woods,

and to help self and community find paths forward,

wholeness continues to be built and rebuilt,

the circle longs to be unbroken.

Henry Walker teaches language arts, science, and history in the Middle School. He started teaching at CFS in the fall of 1971, and both his sons are graduates of CFS. Henry is well known in the Middle School for his coordination of Science Day, poetry, photography, direction of the Middle School play, helping students develop entrepreneurial skills, and Smokies trips with students.