I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

If you have been watching the Olympics, you may have come across a rather memorable Apple commerical played countless times between events.

Sometimes, we pass through life and we hear a lot of static, noise and chaos. Then, sometimes, we are lucky enough to not only hear spoken words but also to feel them within us. These moments are rare, and I knew after hearing the above words, I was on to something. This was going to be my class theme for the year. This was life. This was the environment that I tried to create within my classroom. This was the truth. After hearing the commerical, I took the time to actually figure out what it is I was listening to. Was it a song? Was it a poem?  Finally, I figured it out, it was a poem by none other than the best poet of all time-Maya Angelou. I felt silly in that moment. How had I missed this until now?

I love this poem for several reasons. What really speaks to me is this notion that differences create likeness and likeness creates differences and that creates the human family. This poem is paradoxical in nature but so beautifully written. She is so truthful in her message "The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight." Don't differences confuse us? Yet, how often do we actually admit to being confused? But can't they also create delight? A classroom is not making all students do the same thing, act the same way, say the same thing. We are puzzles and we should embrace the enigma. Otherwise, we aren't doing it right. Right?

As classroom teachers, stepping into a new year, it is always and should always be first and foremost in our minds: How are we going to teach our students the importance of the Human Family? Are we going to talk about our differences or pretend they don't exist? Perhaps the magic in this poem is Maya's determination to make us understand that family and sameness are not synonyms. A true family can be created when differences are connected to create a likeness of love. And isn't that the message we try to portray to our students every day?

Such magic.

I'm glad to have discovered it. 

Thank you, Maya.