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A newly qualified teacher is excited to teach English in a virtual setting. The log-in details as well as the instructions for students are clear and concise. Today's lesson is on punctuation in the English Language. Prepared and trained in various highly accredited, expensive certification programs, the teacher is confident in their ability to explain and demonstrate the asterisks, periods, commas, and apostrophes. As a result, the students' imaginations would not "run on" to imagine alternative ways of punctuation, of being in school —in life. The teacher repeats the slogan, "gotta get them when they're young" as waiting room on the virtual platform is filled with elementary school children awaiting to enter the ICU —intensive classroom university.

As the students are admitted and the audio is connected, the teacher notices the black screens and reminds each student that video participation is mandatory. Soon, custom virtual backgrounds begin to appear as the location of the ICU is transported to Space, to the worlds of cartoons, to the forests, and to the North Pole. Still, the teacher waits. Instead of elementary school children, the teacher notices adults —the people who care for each child. Frustrated due to the time that is ticking, which is now lost, the teacher questions, "where are the children?"

The adults are surprised for it seems that the teacher forgot to say Good Morning! as well as the excitement of the exclamation mark that goes with that greeting. However, they respond, "Our children are out sick today, we are here in their place even though it is a Saturday. Please begin"

This is not in the manual. Parents are not supposed to be in elementary school. Where are the children really? Are they really sick? The teacher continues to think thoughts about all the training that does not respond to this moment. As the teacher thinks, a direct message appears in the chat:

when you take away the punctuation
…
you take away its finality
opening the possibilities of other futures

-Craig Santos Perez, Chamoru scholar and poet (as quoted by Voeltz, 2012 and by Tuck & Yang, 2012)

As the teacher gazes at the direct message, the punctuation lesson seems to have lost its ground. The time lost cannot be received again. In a fit of frustration, the teacher rage quits. Since, the teacher is the host of the virtual platform, the entire class is kicked out of the ICU…

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References

Tuck, E., & Yang, K.W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1). 1-40.

Tuhiwai Smith, L. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples. London, JK: Zed Books

Smith, L. T., Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (2018). Indigenous and decolonizing studies in education: Mapping the long view. Routledge.