My bag tells a story of my daily life and some of the roles I that inhabit. For example, as a secondary school teacher many of the items that I carry are tied to my work routines. Here we’ll examine how I use these objects, how some of them serve as “texts,” and what they reveal about me and my world.
The items in my bag serve distinct purposes throughout my day. My laptop is used for lesson planning, grading, and other work functions (although sometimes it’s also used for watching YouTube videos during my prep!). My keys unlock the doors to spaces where I teach and live, while the whistle is used for managing soccer practices. The clear file with work papers keeps me organized, and my wallet carries my cards for financial transactions and personal identification. I carry a granola bar for food on the go, headphones so I don’t disturb others in our shared department office when consuming media, and a presentation remote for slides that I use in lessons.
Several items in my bag could potentially constitute as “texts.” Namely, my laptop, presentation remote, pen/highlighter, and clear file. Each of these serve as tools that facilitate the creation, storage, or dissemination of language and communication. The laptop enables me to craft documents, deliver lessons, and engage with students digitally. The presentation remote is used to sequence through slides that contain visual and auditory information. My pen and highlighter allow me to annotate, emphasize and connect ideas. For each of these tools, they are used to denote the information and ideas that I deem to be important.
The contents of my bag also highlight the multiliteracies I navigate daily. Digital literacy is evident in my use of the laptop and remote, while print literacy is reflected in the papers, pen, and highlighter. Some items are also used to respond to physical and social environments—such as coaching soccer (i.e. whistle) or managing classroom dynamics (i.e. remote so that I can circulate through the classroom). Furthermore, the narrative of my bag aligns closely with the image I outwardly project as a teacher, as evidenced by my school’s logo on its exterior and its contents that are primarily used for teaching functions.
Fifteen or twenty-five years ago, my bag might have looked very different. For instance, a paper agenda and textbooks could replace my laptop and online planner. Handouts and essays for marking would also be found in my bag, as opposed to the digital forms that I use to grade today such as Google Classroom. These changes reflect the evolution of technology and common practice away from analog tools (although for another teacher in my department, her bag still contains many of these earlier tools as she has been teaching for over 20 years!). Conversely, if an archeologist were to analyze my bag in the future, they might view it as a snapshot of early 21st-century life. They might note the coexistence of digital and analog tools such as my laptop and clear file documents, which could be interpreted as evidence of a society in transition from one to the other.
In sum, my bag is more than a collection of objects; it’s a reflection of my roles and the technologies that shape how I interact with the world around me.