Hi everyone! My name is Jodee, and I’m a Grade 1/2 teacher in the Richmond School District. This is my 7th course in the MET program. Above is a picture of the contents of my work bag: my laptop, district fob, laptop charger, planner, phone, sunglasses, Advil, chapstick, car and house keys, and a small purse with ID, debit/credit card, and cash. I also often bring weekly plans or other materials to prepare over the weekend.
Daily Needs
Each item in my bag supports my work and daily routines in different ways. My laptop and charger are central for both professional and academic tasks. My planner helps me track school events and due dates, while my fob, keys, and small purse are practical for accessing spaces, driving, and managing daily responsibilities. Even small items like Advil or chapstick reflect daily needs that make my workday more manageable.
Items as Texts
Several items in my bag can be seen as “texts.” My laptop, planner, phone, driver’s license, and bank cards all hold information about who I am and how I interact with the world. My district fob in particular identifies me as a teacher, linking me to my professional community. It also signals the district I work in (Richmond), hinting at my location and cultural context.
Text Technologies
The “text technologies” in my bag include my laptop, phone, fob, and bank cards. These tools enable me to engage with language and communication in various ways: completing assignments, emailing parents, collaborating with colleagues, messaging friends and family, and making purchases. My phone has replaced the need to carry many other items, such as bank cards, since I can now pay digitally. This shift shows how communication and transactions are increasingly streamlined through technology; a good example of how everyday tools continue to change the ways we interact and organize our lives.
Literacies and Identity
The items in my bag reveal the literacies I use daily. My laptop and planner reflect organizational and digital literacies, showing my reliance on technology and systems of planning. My phone demonstrates media and communication literacy, but unlike my laptop and planner, it connects both sides of my life. Professionally, it helps me stay organized and efficient, while personally it reflects my interests. For example, Spotify shows the music I enjoy, while Instagram reveals some of my travel experiences. In this way, the items in my bag highlight my professional identity, while the apps on my phone provide a window into my personal life.
Past and Future Perspectives
Fifteen to twenty years ago, my bag would have looked quite different. Instead of a laptop, I would have carried notebooks, pens, and textbooks. My phone would have been a basic flip phone with limited communication functions. I had a driver’s license, but no car yet, so no car keys. In many ways, it would have looked more like a student’s bag than a teacher. At that time, most students didn’t typically carry laptops as they do today, so paper-based tools such as notebooks and pens were more central.
Looking ahead, if an archaeologist examined my current bag, they would likely see evidence of a highly digital society. My laptop and phone would stand out as essential tools for communication, work, and daily living. The fob would signal my professional role in education, while the mix of digital and practical items would illustrate how work and life were interconnected in this period.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the contents of my bag highlight how central technology, organization, and my role as a teacher are to my daily life. The apps on my phone and the photo of me at Machu Picchu reveal personal interests, like travel and exploration, that aren’t visible in the physical items I carry. That photo is especially meaningful to me because visiting Machu Picchu had long been on my bucket list, and it reminds me of the value of curiosity and exploration beyond the classroom. In this way, my bag illustrates how I navigate both my professional and personal worlds.