Sorry everyone who has been reading this, I have just been super busy and haven't had the tune (or energy to make a new post. So to update everyone this might be a super long entry.

Well, first things first I have taken over most if not all of the instructional responsibility. so that is a new thing added to my plate. However I am still unable to use methods that I know might help the students. The reading program is so scripted the students are robots just repeating words and telling simple responses. Only a few of the students seem to really understand what is going on; the others just mouth along. The administrators say teachers should differentiation however, it is impossible because all the students are doing the same thing. It is a disappointment because I feel as though I am the teacher and have control over everything but this one thing.

There was a slight discipline problem in my classroom, I decided that I needed to do something to stop this problem. At then end of one day I asked all the children to write down what they thought was the most important rule that everyone needed to follow. I then typed out all the rules they told me and we talked about them. I told them these are the rules that they created. From there I asked them what they thought the consequence should be, they came up with very good consequences such as sitting alone, writing a note home, then talking to administrators. This is significant because I feel that it gives my students ownership over their rules and it also helps my students see someone who is there to help them, help themselves. It also should me as a facilitator not a dictator in the classroom. And it seems to be working really well, the students seem to be okay with writing a note home and telling their parents what they are not doing right.


With Tutoring from 6-9 things get frustrating, especially when we are with the boys. The boys react to us than the girls; we switch off tutoring the boys and the girls depending on the night. When we are helping the girls, they are all ready for us to help them. They come to us for help before we have the opportunity to ask them. It is great that they are seeking the help they know they need. However, with the boys we have to pull them away from whatever they are doing - watching TV, playing violent games on the computer - and force them to do their work. Some of the Dorm staff had to call over to the girls’ dorm because the boys lied and said they had no homework. It disappoints me because it makes my job, which is to help them, more difficult, and I feel like I am being a horrible person by trying them to get their work done.

Song and Dance- There was a Song and Dance fundraiser at the school. The idea of the song and dance originated from a ceremony that would go on until a bonfire would go out. At these ceremonies, people would dance in a circle around bonfire; the same way they danced around the table. It was very weird because the person that were announcing picked us out and asked us whom we were. The announcer also started to explain things in English for us; I guess we kind of stuck out. Overall, this was very interesting to see, although at first we were not sure what was going on. I really enjoyed seeing the traditional dresses along with hearing the Navajo singers, even though I did not understand what they were singing about. It sounded really awesome.


One of the highlights of past two weeks is when my class tried to give me a clan my first clan is salt. My cooperating teacher is the one who indicated it, but I told them that I wanted them to create clans for me then teach me how to say it. The Clan system is very important to Navajo relate to one another, everyone has four clans, your moms clan (your first clan) your second clan (your dads) and then your Maternal grandparents and your paternal grandparents. (i think that's write).

The Dorm students attended a Storytelling, as part of their culture night. We heard an elder, Jesse Daisy tell a story of the coyote and winter tradtions. Before he spoke, Dr. Yazzie explained about oral tradtions and word of mouth. He described the coyote as someone who teaches you and will help give balance in life and something that will try to trick you. I was unable to understand the speaker
however, he used his hands a little to give emphases to things he was saying.

Some people, will try to say anything to get something from people they see as an outsider. I was at Bashas (A grocery store), and someone asked me about my sweatshirt, it was the Cultural immersion sweatshirt, so I did not think much about it. However, he then said he was going to Gallup and needed a ride, he also asked for some money. I told him I could not help him and walked away.