well today i really got immersed in the cultural setting. They had an activity at the dorm called "dummy roping." Basically, this is lassoing, it was a very interesting experience.. given with my total lack of coordination I failed miserably it was a great way to learn about something new. There were two staff members who tried to help, and really wanted us to rope the fake steer; and the children.. well middle schoolers thought it was hysterical that they could get this and I couldn't. Yet that is the point of me coming out here. I get to try new things, experience things from a new cultural, and most of all gave fun with it.

As for my teaching, I have been talking to my class about Martin Luther King, I plan on doing a bulletin board where the students write there own "I have a Dream" speech. I have also been trying to do read alouds with the students. I don't feel as though they get a lot of authentic texts used with instruction. For me this is the total opposite of what I was told to do. Teachers here use scripted lesson plans for reading because of how low some of the test scores were. In math, the children are doing story problems. After going through papers I am really able to see the difference in abilities between students already. I hope as I take on more ownership of the classroom I am able to help the students by using more hands on activities. Although I am already starting to talk to my teacher about ideas I have it is only my first week. I am however reviewing differnt things with the students throughout the day.

as for out of school activities... from 5-6 I help serve in the cafeteria then we wipe down the tables. I find this really fun, the kitchen staff has become really helpful with many things, and trying to help me find food to eat (because of my interesting eating habits hehe). from 6-8 I will be helping in the dorms either tutoring or assisting/participating in more structured activities. I have been helping out some of the girls with their homework until I have an assigned group to tutor however, I feel they are becoming really dependent on that help. They know how to do the work, they just want someone there telling them if they are right or wrong. Another, school activity could end up be supervising an art club.

Other dorm related activities aside from tutoring will be helping with Parent Meetings. We will help create power-points to help parents understand varies academic portions dorm life and school life... such as understanding standardized exams and ways they can prepare their children for them, understand the scores, and knowing what is on them. I will was also asked to help create a news letter. in the news letter we will hopefully get students involved we will basically be monitoring it (with all hopes)

Lastly, we have already have had people invite us to various community events... one of the personal people wants to take us to a basketball game (rez ball)... one other person said he will take us to heard sheep (this was an example for what we can do for a service learning project. also we were invited to go with the residential director to pick up students on a Sunday, this would really show us the types of homes the student's come from. In Shonto, there are homes with no running water or electricity and it would be really interesting to see the wide range of home these student come from to really understand what they deal with on daily basis.