This term has several new meanings to me. I came back to Indiana and got to see many people that have impacted my life. Seeing my camper Grace was amazing. We only got to see each other for a couple of hours but it seemed as if we were back at camp all over again. She has grown into such a beautiful young woman that clearly inspires everyone around her with her faith and passion. Then, I got to meet up with my youth director Kristin. I still remember when she came into our Trinity community several years ago. It was awesome to talk with her about life in Valpo, our church community, and my life out in SD. I've grown up with her and it makes me smile to see Kristin, prospering at church and with her little family of three :) After lunch, Kristin dropped me off at the school where I student taught, Baily Elementary. I managed to get there in time to surprise my cooperating teacher and my now third graders. I stepped out into the cafeteria and immediately heard shouts of, "Miss Garwood,"! It was so good to hear that again. Honestly, it's still odd to hear my kindergarten kids call me Miss Abby after all this time. I got swarmed and they all wanted to update me on their lives. Geez, my kids had sprouted! Maybe I'm just used to kindergarten kids, but boy were my third graders huge :) I was so happy to be back at Baily and it felt like I never left. After seeing my kids I went to visit my best friend's mom, Mrs. Callaway, who teaches fourth grade at Baily. On the way to lunch, she told me to go visit her daughter (my best friend Cassie) since she was at home just across the street. With my European backpack in tow I quickly ran over to her house, rang the doorbell, and hid behind the side of the house. Then, I heard Cassie laughing and screaming with excitement. It was so wonderful to see and surprise her after five long months a part. I even got to see her dad and toddler Leo too. I'm so glad that I didn't tell any of my Chesterton friends that I was coming back. Surprising them was so much better!
Today I got to see my other best friend, April. We've been best friends since our freshman year of college and don't plan on that stopping anytime soon. We met up at our favorite diner and swapped stories of being in a kindergarten classroom. I love being around April because I can really be me. She makes me laugh and inspires me to be the best person I can be. I'm so grateful that even though we're done with college that our friendship hasn't stopped.
On another note though this trip home has been a lot more challenging than I ever dreamed. My parents told me that they thought teaching on the Rez wasn't a permanent idea for me. They thought I would come back after two or three years and work in a public Indiana school. It's hard to stomach. I love teaching on the Rez and even though it is difficult at times I wouldn't change it for the world. They also said that I've changed into a different person. Yes, maybe I have. It's like my mom said, she's not used to a young person having this perspective of the world. Being on the Rez has taught me about what really matters in life. It makes me frustrated when people out here spend so much money on things that don't really matter-how expensive their TV is, getting a newer car, or buying tickets on luxurious events that my kids could only dream of. Many of the people in Valpo don't know how lucky they are. Many of them have worked hard to get where they are at, it's true. Living out at Red Cloud has made me more aware of what it means to live simply and intentionally. I don't want to be back in Indiana for an extended period of time besides the summer. It is hard to say this, but my home isn't Valpo anymore. Pine Ridge is now my home. I'm glad I got a chance to come back, but I'm excited to get back to Red Cloud. Time for progress reports, practicing Christmas songs, the Christmas party, crafts, and playing with my kids in the snow...
Friday, November 25, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
God I Love This Place
That's exactly how I feel about Pine Ridge and the school I work at. I absolutely love this place. Sometimes teachers get bogged down in the messiness of teaching itself-the curriculum, constant assessments, and the discipline. This school has such a sense of community. There are numerous cousins in each grade. All of the kids run around during school sports games. It's great. I can see several of my bus kids all at one event and their parents.
Today was one of the best days in a long time. I honestly just goofed off with my kids. For once I just let my teaching go for a bit and had fun with them. We sang camp songs on the way to morning mass. Yes, camp songs. We experimented with our geometric shapes and traced the flat surfaces. While it may have been chaotic they loved every minute of it. It was such a hands on activity that they almost didn't know what to do with it. We made a prewrite, first draft, final draft, and a title page for a book about leaves. They turned out awesome! The kids were exhausted after their day of writing so we had two half an hour recesses. That never happens. We played "around the world" with our sight words. We practiced our Christmas songs and watched a movie about Thanksgiving. I stopped worrying about what it meant to be a "good" teacher for a bit and let it all just flow. I let my creative camp counselor persona come back. It was glorious. We sang more songs on the way to the buses. The kids were giggling up a storm so we had to stop the line for a bit because they couldn't walk. They were busting their seams with laughter. God I love this place, my job, and my amazing kids.
I love teaching and seeing the kids grow up. Thinking back three months ago, I wouldn't believe that I could be at this place in my job right now. Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving on a Greyhound bus for Chicago to go back home for Thanksgiving. Truthfully I didn't expect to feel this way about leaving Red Cloud for a bit. At the end of the day I dropped my kids off on their buses. When I got to the end of the bus line, I had a moment of panic. I wouldn't see my little ones for six whole days. I immediately got back on each bus and asked for hugs from them. On one bus we have seven kindergarten kids. I got on and said, "I won't see you for a whole week." They swarmed me with hugs and a bunch of "We already miss you"'s. This is it. I'm turning into a real teacher. I don't know if I could ever work at a school anywhere else.
Red Cloud has become my home. These kids have become my own kids, all 20 of them. Amidst their laughter, tears, and questions these wonderful little ones have taught me what it means to truly care about a community and its' future. I want to see these kids graduate and go onto college. They deserve the best. So many of them come from unstable homes. But, my students are applying what they are learning in school. You can see their will to make the best of a situation. They will become amazing leaders of this community.
In less than 36 hours I'll be in Indiana. I'll be visiting with my favorite camper, Grace, and catching up on life. It's hard to believe that she's already 16. I still remember the days of sitting by the lake with her, eating pudding without utensils, sharing our hearts, pranking Wea, and knowing that we were put in each other's life for a reason. She makes me feel at home no matter where we are. Camp Tecumseh friendships are unique. They never seem to fade. It's hard to believe that we started our friendship journey when she was 12 and I was 19. Boy does time fly.......
Today was one of the best days in a long time. I honestly just goofed off with my kids. For once I just let my teaching go for a bit and had fun with them. We sang camp songs on the way to morning mass. Yes, camp songs. We experimented with our geometric shapes and traced the flat surfaces. While it may have been chaotic they loved every minute of it. It was such a hands on activity that they almost didn't know what to do with it. We made a prewrite, first draft, final draft, and a title page for a book about leaves. They turned out awesome! The kids were exhausted after their day of writing so we had two half an hour recesses. That never happens. We played "around the world" with our sight words. We practiced our Christmas songs and watched a movie about Thanksgiving. I stopped worrying about what it meant to be a "good" teacher for a bit and let it all just flow. I let my creative camp counselor persona come back. It was glorious. We sang more songs on the way to the buses. The kids were giggling up a storm so we had to stop the line for a bit because they couldn't walk. They were busting their seams with laughter. God I love this place, my job, and my amazing kids.
I love teaching and seeing the kids grow up. Thinking back three months ago, I wouldn't believe that I could be at this place in my job right now. Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving on a Greyhound bus for Chicago to go back home for Thanksgiving. Truthfully I didn't expect to feel this way about leaving Red Cloud for a bit. At the end of the day I dropped my kids off on their buses. When I got to the end of the bus line, I had a moment of panic. I wouldn't see my little ones for six whole days. I immediately got back on each bus and asked for hugs from them. On one bus we have seven kindergarten kids. I got on and said, "I won't see you for a whole week." They swarmed me with hugs and a bunch of "We already miss you"'s. This is it. I'm turning into a real teacher. I don't know if I could ever work at a school anywhere else.
Red Cloud has become my home. These kids have become my own kids, all 20 of them. Amidst their laughter, tears, and questions these wonderful little ones have taught me what it means to truly care about a community and its' future. I want to see these kids graduate and go onto college. They deserve the best. So many of them come from unstable homes. But, my students are applying what they are learning in school. You can see their will to make the best of a situation. They will become amazing leaders of this community.
In less than 36 hours I'll be in Indiana. I'll be visiting with my favorite camper, Grace, and catching up on life. It's hard to believe that she's already 16. I still remember the days of sitting by the lake with her, eating pudding without utensils, sharing our hearts, pranking Wea, and knowing that we were put in each other's life for a reason. She makes me feel at home no matter where we are. Camp Tecumseh friendships are unique. They never seem to fade. It's hard to believe that we started our friendship journey when she was 12 and I was 19. Boy does time fly.......
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
PE teacher versus Kindergarten Students
At 12:30 pm I walked into the concession area of the gym and stopped to tie my shoe. All the sudden I heard a loud, "Kindergarten!" accompanied by a bunch of screaming children. My aide Mando and I turned to each other. We both had the same feeling-something bad was going on in the gym. We slowly entered the room and saw a bunch of our kindergarten students running around with foam balls and something that looked like giant Q-tips. It was as if we entered a war zone. The kids were running around not listening to anything that the PE teacher said to them. Mando and I quickly called out certain kids' names in our sternest voices. Our class was going crazy! It really reminded me of that scene in Mean Girls where all the sudden the girls broke out into a fight as if they were jungle animals. My mouth fell open. I was amazed at how our class acted. I've seen them have rough days, but boy did this top everything from before. We quickly had the kids in a line and took them back to the classroom.
When we got back, I explained to the whole class that their behavior wouldn't be tolerated. For our discipline system I have a giant cardboard stoplight that we use. Each child has a clothespin with their name on it. When the child gets a warning, they move their pin to the yellow and when they get a second warning it goes in the red. Red means that they miss recess for the day (which in kindergarten is a HUGE deal). Anyways, I had to tell five kids to move their pins up one color because of their behavior in PE. This meant that they landed smack dab in the red. We talked about how the kids should treat adults and modeled how that should happen. When I told them that I was disappointed in them that sure did the trick. Their faces fell. Hopefully they learned a big lesson today. We'll see if they actually take it in.
BONUS STORY:
Admist all the chaos today we practiced our songs for the Christmas program. It's only 12 school days away....God help us. We're singing Jingle Bell Rock and All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth. The three of us (Mikey, Mando, and myself) made up hand motions as we went along. Best part of my day by far. I love teaching kindergarten because we teach so much of our material "repeat after me" style. The kids loved Mikey's hand motions/dance moves so much that one of them could not even do the motions. She was laughing way too hard :)
No matter how awful part of the day might be, you can't help but love kindergartens when they sing Christmas songs. Gosh darn those kids for being so cute!
When we got back, I explained to the whole class that their behavior wouldn't be tolerated. For our discipline system I have a giant cardboard stoplight that we use. Each child has a clothespin with their name on it. When the child gets a warning, they move their pin to the yellow and when they get a second warning it goes in the red. Red means that they miss recess for the day (which in kindergarten is a HUGE deal). Anyways, I had to tell five kids to move their pins up one color because of their behavior in PE. This meant that they landed smack dab in the red. We talked about how the kids should treat adults and modeled how that should happen. When I told them that I was disappointed in them that sure did the trick. Their faces fell. Hopefully they learned a big lesson today. We'll see if they actually take it in.
BONUS STORY:
Admist all the chaos today we practiced our songs for the Christmas program. It's only 12 school days away....God help us. We're singing Jingle Bell Rock and All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth. The three of us (Mikey, Mando, and myself) made up hand motions as we went along. Best part of my day by far. I love teaching kindergarten because we teach so much of our material "repeat after me" style. The kids loved Mikey's hand motions/dance moves so much that one of them could not even do the motions. She was laughing way too hard :)
No matter how awful part of the day might be, you can't help but love kindergartens when they sing Christmas songs. Gosh darn those kids for being so cute!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Sweat Lodge
Tonight I participated in what people of the Lakota tribe call a "sweat". Someone usually "calls" a sweat and it could be for various reasons. The last one was for a volunteer's birthday. This one tonight was called by a woman whose nickname is Worm. She had a dream about something and wanted the medicine man ( heyoka) to explain it. In the sweat there are four rounds. The heyoka pours water onto the fire in the middle of the lodge. Each round consists of something different, but some consist of praying and singing in Lakota.
All the sweats that I have been to so far this year were packed, so it was nice to actually have some breathing room in this one. Our sweat lodge at the school can fit about 30 people in there. Being in a sweat is difficult to explain. When the heyoka pours the water onto the hot rocks a bunch of steam comes off of them. The steam hits you like a down of bricks. You start to sweat in places that you didn't know you could.
Here's the best thing about sweats--the constant prayer and feeling of restlessness put at ease by the time it's over. I'm still attempting to understand certain friendships in my life/lack there off. I prayed a lot about it during sweat and about finding peace here in SoDak. Bottom line I know that I'm here in Pine Ridge for a reason- it's about the kids. While forming friendships is good, it's more so about making a difference in these kids' lives. It's not about me figuring out my life. My life is peachy keen compared to what some of my students are going through right now. That's what keeps me in check. It's that knowledge that this place has turned into a camplike state for me. It's all about LOVIN' THOSE KIDS. See, this is why I'm grateful for sweats. They make everything so simple.
All the sweats that I have been to so far this year were packed, so it was nice to actually have some breathing room in this one. Our sweat lodge at the school can fit about 30 people in there. Being in a sweat is difficult to explain. When the heyoka pours the water onto the hot rocks a bunch of steam comes off of them. The steam hits you like a down of bricks. You start to sweat in places that you didn't know you could.
Here's the best thing about sweats--the constant prayer and feeling of restlessness put at ease by the time it's over. I'm still attempting to understand certain friendships in my life/lack there off. I prayed a lot about it during sweat and about finding peace here in SoDak. Bottom line I know that I'm here in Pine Ridge for a reason- it's about the kids. While forming friendships is good, it's more so about making a difference in these kids' lives. It's not about me figuring out my life. My life is peachy keen compared to what some of my students are going through right now. That's what keeps me in check. It's that knowledge that this place has turned into a camplike state for me. It's all about LOVIN' THOSE KIDS. See, this is why I'm grateful for sweats. They make everything so simple.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Timing
We have today off and training for these two computer programs on Monday.
As a Garwood, I'm bad about having time off. I don't quite know how to deal with what they call "kick it" time here. Truthfully I would much rather be working in my classroom. But, one of my friends here said that I seriously need to stop working so much. The least three weeks I've been going into school at 6:30 and leaving about 7 each night. Maybe I'm becoming a workaholic....well, that's just part of being a part of my family.
Lately, I've been missing home a ton.... We'll see where this weekend takes me.
As a Garwood, I'm bad about having time off. I don't quite know how to deal with what they call "kick it" time here. Truthfully I would much rather be working in my classroom. But, one of my friends here said that I seriously need to stop working so much. The least three weeks I've been going into school at 6:30 and leaving about 7 each night. Maybe I'm becoming a workaholic....well, that's just part of being a part of my family.
Lately, I've been missing home a ton.... We'll see where this weekend takes me.
Monday, November 7, 2011
The Kindergarten Classroom as we Know it
Once again it's been a couple of weeks since I've been on here. A lot of it has been because I've been in my classroom. On Saturday I think I spent about 8 full hours working, trying to get ahead of the game. When we're in our Education college classes, we can only dream about how much work teaching is. Just as you think you've caught up, then you're thrown into a whole new set of chaos. Let me explain.
Monday we had a GeoDome presentation for 30 minutes, tomorrow we have a Badlands National Park ranger coming to talk to our class for an hour, on Wednesday five of my kids are going to a Speech Contest, Thursday apparently is our normal day, and Friday we don't have school. Today during our elementary staff meeting we talked about canceling what we call our DEW Day (it stands for Drop Everything and Write day) so that we can actually teach. This entire month is eaten up by all of the extra crap. Well, I'm pumped about the ranger coming in, but other than that it's really throwing a raucous into our schedules. Our kids don't know what a "normal" school day is anymore. In between all of this, I'm trying to assess where my students are learning. Wait, do we have time for our actual curriculum? Nope. Not to mention that our Xmas program is 23 days away..not that the veteran teachers are counting or anything.
On a more positive note, I have a pretty funny story. Today my kids came back from PE all rilled up. My aide, Mando, had told me that she could hear the PE teacher, Kevin, yelling at the kids all the way by our front building. After Mando had a stern talk with the class about it, one of my kids, Precious, said, "Miss Abby," very loudly. I turned and saw that she couldn't get her sweater over her head. She said, "Can you help me? I'm stuck,". I pulled her sweater back over her head and realized that her hair was seriously caught in the zipper. It caught me so off guard that I erupted in laughter and so did the whole class. Basically after some exploration I had to cut of a small chunk of her hair to get the sweater off. Thank goodness she laughed it off with the kids. Having moments like this make me realize how grateful I am to be a kindergarten teacher. Life wouldn't be nearly as fun without my 20 crazy kids.
Monday we had a GeoDome presentation for 30 minutes, tomorrow we have a Badlands National Park ranger coming to talk to our class for an hour, on Wednesday five of my kids are going to a Speech Contest, Thursday apparently is our normal day, and Friday we don't have school. Today during our elementary staff meeting we talked about canceling what we call our DEW Day (it stands for Drop Everything and Write day) so that we can actually teach. This entire month is eaten up by all of the extra crap. Well, I'm pumped about the ranger coming in, but other than that it's really throwing a raucous into our schedules. Our kids don't know what a "normal" school day is anymore. In between all of this, I'm trying to assess where my students are learning. Wait, do we have time for our actual curriculum? Nope. Not to mention that our Xmas program is 23 days away..not that the veteran teachers are counting or anything.
On a more positive note, I have a pretty funny story. Today my kids came back from PE all rilled up. My aide, Mando, had told me that she could hear the PE teacher, Kevin, yelling at the kids all the way by our front building. After Mando had a stern talk with the class about it, one of my kids, Precious, said, "Miss Abby," very loudly. I turned and saw that she couldn't get her sweater over her head. She said, "Can you help me? I'm stuck,". I pulled her sweater back over her head and realized that her hair was seriously caught in the zipper. It caught me so off guard that I erupted in laughter and so did the whole class. Basically after some exploration I had to cut of a small chunk of her hair to get the sweater off. Thank goodness she laughed it off with the kids. Having moments like this make me realize how grateful I am to be a kindergarten teacher. Life wouldn't be nearly as fun without my 20 crazy kids.
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