What’s in My Bag?

When I empty my school bag, it feels like a snapshot of my life as a Grade 2/3 teacher, graduate student, commuter, and parent. My laptop, charger, clipboard, and a copy of The First Six Weeks of School are the essentials right now, helping me plan lessons, set routines, and keep up with MET coursework.

Mixed in are items for comfort and survival. The massage roller balls, muscle ointment, and Japanese relief patches are must-haves after biking, standing all day, or playing sports. They remind me that teaching is physical work and that self-care matters. Earbuds and sunglasses make commuting easier, while a guitar pick at the bottom of the bag hints at my creative side. My keys, always clipped to a lanyard, are the obvious marker of daily responsibility.

The $100 bill tucked away is deliberate. It’s my emergency backup, something I hope I never need but that brings peace of mind knowing it’s there. I guess each of these objects acts like a “text”. For example, the laptop and earbuds show digital literacies, the clipboard and book show print literacies, the health items point to physical literacy, and the cash signals preparedness. Together, they reflect the many roles I balance and the cultures I move between in Canada and Japan.

What stands out to me as I look over these contents is the mix of digital and analog tools. I rely heavily on my laptop and earbuds for teaching and studying, but I also carry a clipboard and book because sometimes pen, paper, and pages are easier and more grounding. This blend mirrors how education feels right now: digital-first in many ways, but still rooted in traditions of print and face-to-face interaction.

If I think about what’s missing, the absence tells its own story. There’s no lunchbox in the photo, but on most days food is another essential. There’s also no phone in the picture, though it usually travels with me. That absence points to how much I value it as it’s often in my pocket rather than in the bag. I guess what I choose to carry, and what I don’t, says as much as the items themselves.

Twenty-five years ago, my bag would have been full of paper notes, maps, and a Walkman. If someone found it years from now, they’d probably see the blend of digital and print, work and self-care, and the everyday realities of a teacher trying to juggle work, study, and life.