Choosing to teach as a career did not happen until later in my life. All past career moves had occurred on my reservation, otherwise known as “home.” Being a full-blood Jicarilla Apache, I've taken seriously my obligations of family, community, and culture. Pursuing higher education has been the only reason to leave the “rez.” At the end of 2004, I received my M.A. in English, and immediately began plans for the pursuit of doctoral work. Upon my return home, I was asked to teach at my local high school. This public school is the same one that I attended and graduated from.
In the efforts to persuade me to teach at home, I was told how my presence in the school system was badly needed. Our students needed positive role models. The State was looking for "quality" teachers. I accepted the offer, never thinking twice about what was to come. Working in this capacity would enable me to actively contribute to my Tribe. My assignment was to teach 9 th grade Language Arts/English, and a course geared toward the improvement of reading skills. I was also asked to teach a section of sophomore English, and a literature course. The student body for this high school consists of over 96% American Indian students. During both years of teaching, my classes were overloaded, crowded, materials lacked; but what we lacked in resources, we strived to maintain in enthusiam, positivity, compassion, and a sense of collectiveness.
My first year of teaching contained all the expected trials, frustrations, and setbacks. There were successes, but the days carried a determination on my part to impart on my students the importance of a good education no matter what school they attended. On many occasions, I would glance around the room looking at the faces of my students, and I was able to tell what family they belonged to, the educational backgrounds of these families, and family structure. I knew that sharing the same heritage, educational background, and traditional beliefs as many of these students enabled me to establish a special rapport and respect that is needed in all classrooms.
It was important for me to share my experiences with my students, especially those of an academic nature because I had once been on this same journey. I had struggled to overcome being labeled, tracked, with low expectations in the academic arena. I wanted my students to know that achieving success did not come easily. I talked about responsibility, discipline, setting goals, and most importantly, that the education they were receiving now was crucial in whatever they decided to do beyond high school. In respect to the 21st century, it is amazing to know that many of these students will never leave the reservation, not even in attempt to see the world or challenge higher education. For those who do succeed, traditional values such as family and culture will help set this precedent. But for others, the lack of family support, education, and the failure to believe in oneself will overcome any attempt to leave the reservation.
One of the major debates in Indian Country continues to be that of improving the educational quality for our students. We are continually searching for new ideas, strategies, methods, anything that will help our Indian children succeed. Our elders have continually stressed the importance of education, and now the challenge includes keeping our youth off drugs, out of violence, and guiding our youth back to cultural traditions. I have seen the efforts. I have contributed to these. I believe that each one of us contains an inner strength and desire to overcome the obstacles in our lives. Therefore, having the willingness to incorporate innovative, productive teaching methods and curriculum geared toward young Indian minds will remain a constant and has proven to be successful in various parts of the nation. More specifically, relating cultural, tradtional, environmental, linguistic, and other aspects of Apache way of life into teaching our students will help them succeed no matter what they choose Recent local academic challenges include the improvement of reading and math scores. Other challenges include aiding those students who bring the "baggage" to school, which hinders concentration. I have observed the lack of family support and participation. School has become a place to "drop off the kids," forgetting that family participation is still needed. I have seen how high turnover in teacher capacity adversely affects our students. They need continuity. They want to know that you will be returning the next year. Lastly, they want to know that there is someone who cares about them, someone who will encourage, guide, listen and share, enabling improved self-confidence, thus contributing to the improvement of academic skills and retention of knowledge.
Questions for Discussion:
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What can we learn from working with Native American basic writers today?
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What are important measures to take in working with Native American students?
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What are suggested strategies and/or methods we can incorporate into the teaching of Native American students?
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How can we help Native American students adjust to academic expectations while still considering the importance of cultural aspects which play an essential role for many of these students?
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How can we better prepare Native American basic writing students for college?
Sources
Teaching Basic Writing Home Page
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