The Space Between Then and Now

In 2022, I had the privilege of being nominated by students to deliver the first teacher’s address to the graduating class at the high school where I was teaching at the time.

It was a full-circle moment — one of those rare times when you realize just how much you and your students have grown together. We had all entered that school as newcomers, and through years of shared laughter, struggle, and resilience, we had built something meaningful.

As May approaches, I think about how a new full-circle moment is here.

The last class I taught before leaving the school is about to graduate. These students were in Grade 10 when I was their teacher, and now, as they walk the stage, it marks the closing of a chapter — not just for them, but for me too. Until I find myself teaching in a school again, this will be the last graduation where I can cheer for students I once taught as a teacher in a classroom. As one of my now-Grade 12 former-Grade 10 students shared with me at the basketball game I attended this year, “Ms. K, these Grade 10s don’t even know what they missed in your class! They don’t even know!” I so miss the freedom of those liberated and educational classes, along with the environment we co-created as teacher and students.

These students are still very much in my life, as many students I have taught throughout the years are, even though I have not been a teacher at their school in some time. This year, a friend and colleague reached out to me to tell me that my name had come up the other day. A former student of mine, now in my friend’s senior Grade 12 Social Studies class, had been on their phone during class time. When he asked the student to put his phone away and inquired as to what he was watching so attentively under his desk, the student sheepishly turned the phone to show that he was watching the headlines of Democracy Now! to stay informed. My friend said that he had thought of me immediately as he affiliated me with that show and, sure enough, my former student was quick to say that we would watch it all the time in my Grade 10 Social Studies class. My colleague ended his email with a triumphant, “Your legacy lives on!” It made my day and made me miss being in a classroom more than anything. The students are always the best part of being an educator. This year has been a reminder that time keeps moving, that the spaces between us shift, stretch, and sometimes close completely — but the legacies live on.

Even as this chapter closes for the time being, I am reminded that the roots don’t disappear — they grow deeper. The connections we have built, the lessons we have shared, and the spaces we have held for one another don’t vanish; they simply transform, carrying us forward into what is next. What we build together doesn’t end, it always grows with us.

I wanted to share this speech again — not only because of the memories it holds, but because the message still resonates with me. Former students and their families have reached out recently asking for another copy, saying they still find themselves reminiscing about the uplifted energy of that day, even years later. We had all been through so much while walking through that school each day, and this was one of those rare moments where we paused, connected, and held something meaningful — together. It’s a moment I won’t soon forget.

We often focus on the milestones, the finish lines, the titles we earn, and the places we land; however, life is built in the spaces between. In the waiting, in the unexpected turns, and in the quiet moments that shape who we become.

To my former students — whether you were there in 2022 or are graduating this year —never forget to go boldly, be kind, and take up space.

This one’s for you.

With love, gratitude, and an endless belief in you,

Ms. K

The Spaces In-Between (2022)

When I was first approached to give this speech, I could not help but think that we were all freshmen together. When you were in Grade 10, I was starting at this school, and so this moment is one that is deeply personal and heartfelt as we come full circle at this moment after sharing three years together.

I remember asking our principal if there was a theme that our graduating class had chosen or if they had determined that “Mad Max: Fury Road” was the most appropriate theme to sum up the last couple years! He informed me that our yearbook committee was exploring the theme of “the spaces between us,” which is a beautiful way of summarizing the last few years. 

The three years we have shared together have been unlike any other. They have been tough, not only from a school perspective, but a life perspective. We have been through much together and apart, sharing space on screens and in classrooms, trying to maintain our connections to one another even while the space between us seemed so vast and insurmountable. But your graduating class taught me a valuable lesson about the spaces between us. The spaces in between can be those moments when you were beyond stressed out and you found a moment to share a laugh with your friends and teachers, even as it felt like the walls were closing in like Indiana Jones. You taught me to remember that the space between can be fleeting and wonderful, like catching a friend’s eye across the room and sharing a knowing laugh. The spaces in between could be those days when we took a moment to pause and take a mental health break, to enjoy the sunshine on the field, to gather together and celebrate the good we have and the gratitude we share. The spaces in between are those moments between the school day ending and the after-school gatherings beginning: with clubs, competitions, plays, music, choir, games, and sometimes just hanging out and talking about how life was going. The times where we transitioned from being teachers and students to enthusiasts and support systems. It was in those spaces between us that we created a community which sustained us. 

The space in between is where you are at, right now, sitting in that chair, sweating profusely under a polyester robe. It’s this period where you are about to land into the next phase of your life, releasing the past but still having not met the future yet. These moments of transition can feel uncertain or as if it is a period of our lives we must rush through quickly in order to meet the next benchmark. We like to think that benchmarks are the signposts that tell us we are truly living and successful. We forget that it is the spaces in between that are the moments we cultivate self-knowledge and are the most humanizing and thrilling parts of life. A hero who encounters no challenges or moments of feeling lost, those tough obstacles that must be overcome through inner strength and integrity, is no longer a vibrant story of human resilience and revival that teaches us about the complexities of the human condition, but a checklist of errands being met but with no deeper meaning. It would be the equivalent of turning on the movie of your life and someone reads out a to-do list for an hour and then the credits roll. Practical, sure – but a bit of a bore, am I right? 

We like to think that it’s the benchmarks we meet, the grades we acquire, the jobs we are in charge of, and the people we influence that dictate success. However, if the role of life is to find out who you are and, in doing so, be of service to others or at least being of service to something bigger than yourself, then the spaces between are the most critical to truly living. That time when you were hustling for an opportunity and were growing more frustrated the further it seemed? Yes, that was when you learned the depths of your determination and fortitude. That night when you were hanging out with your friends as you went from one party to another, bopping along to see where the evening took you? Years later, you’ll realize that the time spent with your friends driving around turned out to be the best part of your night that you’ll remember long after you forgot whose party it was you were going to in the first place.

The space between is the length of a room when you lock eyes with the person you think you’re going to fall in love with one day – and that moment will be a moment in time and space you will want to not rush through, but savour and enjoy. It is the spaces in between that you begin to know yourself and adjust your direction. 

I hope you remember that even with the world feeling fast-paced and chaotic, it is in your power to create the spaces in between. Remember to connect with those deeper parts of yourself. To take a moment to pause and reflect on how far you have come and how far you have to go. Remember that anxiety can sometimes be excitement. Remember that sadness can be a reminder that you have a heart of gold. When times get tough, remember a time when they were tough before and remember that you found a way to laugh again, remember how resilient you have been in the past in order to be resilient again. After all, sometimes rejection is protection and redirection. And that the best piece of luck is sometimes not getting what you want the first time so that you can dream even bigger and bolder the next time.

Remember that in the end everything will be okay and if it isn’t okay, then it isn’t the end.

Remember that the way you end things is as important as how you start them. And that in those moments where you took time to find space for your loved ones, or for an act of compassion and kindness, that was the moment you were in your greatness.

After all, a ladder with no spaces in between does not take you to the greatest heights.

Remember when you look to the night sky that the spaces in between are the reason why the stars seem to twinkle so brightly so that we may wish upon them.

And finally, remember to think of the sun rising and the sun setting…because the space in between is your life.

And it’s happening: right now. 

To our graduating class of 2022, thank you for allowing the staff at our school to be a part of your story of becoming more of who you are.

The best years are ahead of you and we cannot wait to see what you do with them.

We send you off with love and wish you way more than just luck!