What Learning Looks Like

Just thinking about the title of this post makes my heart so happy. 

This was my Friday:  One of my students, RF was having a fantastic day.  He used to have a lot of displaced anger that he would take out on the other students and teachers.  This child has turned into one of my favorites this year, oddly enough.  During station time, he went over to every single child in our class (16 kids) and gave them a hug.  Not his usual "I'm going to try and squeeze you to death" hug, but a "I'm a normal, happy go lucky six year old".  I watched and my jaw dropped.  I started laughing with joy and one of the other kids after seeing my reaction said, "Miss Abby are you crying again," to which I responded with "Nope, I'm really happy."  It seriously made my whole week to see a child come from such an angry place to one filled with so much happiness.

Another neat moment of the day happened during my reading station.  One of my students, JC, will be retained because she is academically very low compared to the rest of the class.  I gave her a worksheet to work on that had four problems on it.  Each one had a picture on top and then two words to pick from.  Her job was to sound out the word and circle the correct one.  She did the whole thing by herself without asking for help!!!!  I was so shocked that I probably didn't breathe for that whole minute.  She talked to herself like this, "Okay, it's a picture of a bag.  B-A-G, bag.  Starts with B and ends with G.  Next one.  It's a picture of a pin, P-I-N, pin.  Next one.  Goat, G-O-T. Goat.  Wait, nothing starts with G, uh huh.  Try again.  Ram, R-A-M. Got it!"  I almost said, "Hell yah!" out loud but luckily I caught myself.  Even thinking about this moment makes me smile so big. 

Thank goodness for these kids. 

 

 

 

Second Year

It has been almost eight months since I've last posted.  Way too many days ago.

This year out at Pine Ridge has been very different than last year.  I'm a second year teacher, thank God!  I have plans to rely on from last year and that has been so beneficial.  My class this year has ten boys and seven girls compared to seven boys last year and thirteen girls.  More girls=more drama while more boys=more fights/what appear to look like bar brawls almost.  I've never witnessed a more active and violent group of five year olds in my life.  August through December was a whirlwind of emotions and complete chaos.  You never knew what they would do.  I've seen students backhand others in the face, children throwing chairs around the classroom,and children hit multiple teachers.  Yep, just another day in kindergarten apparently.  A few of my students have very difficult home lives.  Most have great support at home where they are disciplined and taught respect.

Although,

The beginning of January my students showed me how far they had come.  They finally understood that they had to take care of each other as a class.  Then, I got a new student from a public school.  Any new student at our school comes on a thirty day trial basis.  When he came, he started to act out just like his mother said might happen.  The last two weeks he has become extremely aggressive and refuses to do transitions, like going to lunch or PE.  I have had to physically pick him up several times and move him to different rooms.  On Friday, he refused to do another transition.  He began throwing things around the classroom.  I had my aide take the rest of my class on a bathroom break so that they didn't get hurt.  At that I removed the student from the classroom and took him to the office.  Once my class got back from the break, they all went back to sit in their carpet squares.  Two students got up and starting cleaning up the giant mess which was spread across my entire.  Here's the thing-I never asked them to do that.  My aide and I sat in complete silence.  All the sudden, the other fourteen students got up in unison and cleaned up the mess without a word.  I sat in my rocking chair and started to cry.  This simple action was a huge milestone for my class and amazingly beautiful to watch.  They got what I've been trying to teach them all year long-work as a team and be kind to others.  After they finished and sat down one of my little boys said, "Miss Abby we don't want you to cry anymore,".  I attempted to explain to them that they were tears of joy and that my little ones were growing up into such responsible kids which made me happy.  Even thinking about it now I can feel a smile coming to my face :)

In other news,
I got engaged in November to Brady and couldn't be happier.  He is the most consistent, hard working, and loving man that I've ever dated.  I feel so blessed to have him in my life and wish I told him that more.  We're getting married August 3rd in Valpo, IN where I grew up.  When I went home over break, we pretty much planned the whole wedding.  We only have a few things left to do like finish decoration plans, deal with the flowers, and send out invitations.  People kept telling me it would be stressful, but honestly it hasn't been too bad.  Part of it might be because I feel so much more content in my community as a second year and now know how to blend facets of my life together.  Truthfully some days it is very difficult to be in a long distance relationship out here.  It's mostly because I feel like I'm living two very different lives-being a young volunteer out on the Rez and almost being married.  I feel so old!

Another big blessing this year has been the Pourier family.  I had one of the kids, Precious, as my student last year and she will be my flower girl at the wedding.  I'm extremely close and attached to her family. They are my family out here who I visit at least once a week.  Whenever I go to their house it's always crazy, but I absolutely love that about them.  One of the three girls will play with my hair after dinner as we watch a movie.  They call it "Miss Abby Salon Time" from what I've heard.  Precious's grandmother's name is Alice.  She is from Santee, a reservation near where Brady lives.  In fact, whenever I go to Vermillion, Alice comes with me and I drop her off with her sisters. If you can't tell, I could talk about them forever.  They have kept me sane during my difficult and chaotic school year. 

During our volunteer retreat this past weekend I thought a lot about the double life that I lead.  I've already started to miss Red Cloud even though the school year isn't over.  Today my kids and I got into a discussion about Brady coming to visit next week.  Here are some favorite quotes:

Jhonna-"So, when Mr. Brady comes, will he bring you your baby?"
 Me-  "Umm, no.  We don't have a baby."
Jhonna-"Are you sure?" 
Me- "Yep.  I haven't popped one out."
Jhonna- "When you come back next year can you bring it?  Please?"

Kingston-"Is Mr. Brady a dog?"
Me- "No.  I can't marry a dog."
Kingston- "Oh ya, I forgot.  Silly me!"

C Tuff-"When Mr. Brady comes will he hold your hand?"
Me- "I can't hold his hand at school."
C Tuff-"Good.  That's my hand.  I'll fight him for it."

And that is why I love kindergarten.

Summer 2012

Summer school is halfway over.  I have 12 first graders and 1 second grader in my class.  They are pretty amazing.  Not as responsible as and independent as I thought that they might be.  But, the neat thing is that summer school is a really awesome version of learning.  We have a solid "learning" academic block in the morning, and then rotate through different stations in the afternoon.  I'm doing a science activity each afternoon.  Mondays-Wednesdays we have those activities and then Thursday we either do a whole group activity for two hours or watch a Disney movie :)  On Friday we go on a fieldtrip.  Talk about the best summer teaching ever, right?

One of my biggest highlights has been getting to know the other two classroom teachers out there.  Sister Rita (yes, a nun) teaches the 2nd/3rd/4th class.  She hais such a beautiful soul and has taught for over 30 years out here.  Sister Rita is one of the funniest and most creative teachers I've ever met especially being an older teacher.  Never thought I'd be friends with a nun, truthfully.

Brian teaches the 4th/5th/6th class.  He was a volunteer at 0LL for three years and is now a salaried teacher there.  Some how even then he is strict with the kids, he really makes them laugh.

This week I've gotten to hang out with my student Precious's grandma, Alice and Precious's dad,  C-Boy to go to a sweat and a ceremony with them.  My friend Claire got to come with me to this time.  I hadn't been to a sweat or ceremony in so long and it felt so good to be back there.  Yesterday we went to Sundance.  Sundance is a traditional Lakota ceremony that lasts four days where people pledge to dance.  Some men and women are pierced.  There is a lot more that goes into it but I don't necessarily feel comfortable explaining it.  Most medicine men each host one sometime throughout the summer if they feel a call to do so.  Our students's parent, Rosa, pledged to dance for the first time this summer and invited to come see her.  The whole experience was one of the most amazing things I'll ever see in my life, guaranteed.  The ceremony was beautiful and one of the Red Cloud 5th graders was dancing in it.  At the end of each day, the dancers do a particular dance.  Then, the people who are there to support them go in the main circle.  All of the dancers come by with either eagle feathers, a piece pipe or some just who use their hands for this part.  They touch the spectators with those objects on the shoulder or  on the head.  It is a very humbling experience to be a part of the ceremony and something that I will never forget.

I love South Dakota.  I love giant storms out in the Badlands.  I love my students and their families.  I love feeling like I'm finally making a difference with my actions out here.  I love feeling like I've found a family out here even though my actual family is so far away.  I love knowing I have at least one more year here.

It's Almost Summer Time

Sometimes it feels like I've been here in South Dakota for ten years even though I've only been here for 11 months.  Sometimes it feels like I've been dating Brady for ten years even though we've only known each other since January.  Sometimes I really like both of those feelings.

I'm officially done with my first year of teaching besides kindergarten round up!  This is when the new students come in to get tested for next fall and try to make it into Red Cloud.  It's crazy.  I have about 36 kids trying to get into 18 spots.  The parents so far have been great and it makes me feel like staying for a second year will make such a big difference since I have a real year of teaching under my belt.  I know what to expect, thank God.

This summer I'm teaching first/second grade during summer school at our sister school at Our Lady of Lourdes.  While I'm sad that I don't get to be with the kids that I know so well, I'm really pumped to get to have older kids for a month.  Don't get me wrong I love kindergarten but it's nice to have kids that are responsible.  Have to say though, I do miss second grade from time to time.

In other news: 

I've grown really close to several of my students' families this semester especially.  They've talked me in as a granddaughter and daughter in so many ways.  This makes me so excited for what could happen this summer-getting to go to Sundances, ceremonies, and to visit with these special people in my life.  I've grown particularly close to one of my student's grandmas or "unchi" as they say in Lakota.  She is such an amazing woman that's had a very interesting life and she's taken me under her wing to teach me more about traditional Lakota ways.  Each week I go over to their house at least once to sit and visit with the family.  As my student's dad says, "Don't ever be a stranger, you hear me?".  That's how much I love this family.  They are blunt, funny, and hard working people who put their family above all else.  It's a beautiful thing.

This month marks my two months dating Brady.  He's such a dependable, nice, funny and amazing guy.  I'm very lucky to have him my life and I couldn't be more grateful. God is good :)

Tractors, Cows, and the Nebraska life

Once again I'm a horrible blogger and can't keep up with life.  Another month flew by so fast.  This whole school has been chaotic and tested me a multiple ways.  Only a month until the end of school.  So much to teach my kids in so little time! 

We had last Thursday, Friday and Monday off for Easter Break.  I took a 6 hour long trip to Vermillion, SD to meet up with a guy that I've been dating.  He works as an engineer out there for now but really wants to move back to work on the farm where he grew up.  I spent a couple days out there with Brady in Vermillion and then we went to Bloomfield, NE to the farm.  Talk about the life of a farmer!  I went into their machinery shed and literally stopped in my tracks.  Everything was so much bigger then I ever imagined!  I got to sit in the combine (massive I might add) and helped him use the disc thrower to till part of their fields.  He said if I could drive a bus then I could drive a tractor.  Theoretically....

Even thought it's only been a few months since we've known each other it's already the healthiest the relationship I've been in for a number of years.  He makes me feel protected and needed.  We both work hard at the relationship and give the same amount.  Brady cooked me breakfast every day that I was there.  He makes me laugh until my stomach hurts.  We both have Crohn's and he knows what it feels like to "have a bad day".  We have so many similarities it still makes me nervous.  I know though that things work out for a reason and I can use what I learned from my past to make this relationship work.  Coming out here to SD has helped form me into the person I want to be and I did that being single.  I feel secure enough in myself now to feel comfortable in a relationship.  I'm lucky to have a guy in my life like Brady.  It's crazy how much life can change in a year isn't it?

Biggest Blessings so Far

Sooooo much has happened since my last post a few weeks ago:

1.  One of my students was dismissed from my Red Cloud.  We've worked very hard with this student all year long, but ultimately he kept making bad choices (throwing things, hitting people) and had to be sent to a different school.  In the end while I'm sad that he's gone, it's the best option for the rest of the kids in my class.  When one student consistently runs around the classroom, defies authority at every chance, and throws chairs/stools/benches every day it is very dangerous in a classroom setting.  Last week was the first week that he was gone.  It has made me into a happier and more effective teacher.

2.  Last Sunday, one of my students invited me over for Indian tacos which is a big deal around here.  Her grandma told me that she tried to call me at 9:30 the night before and started crying when her mom wouldn't let her.  This is a student that I have grown very close to this year.  Her grandpa died last year.  She was his whole world and it is still a difficult process to go through.  I think I've grown so close to her because my grammy died when I was in kindergarten second semester.  I would cry every day and my teacher would put me in time out.  She never asked me what was wrong to get to the root of the problem.  There are some days where this student just can't handle the world- she cries, stumbles around, and simply can't tell me what's wrong.  I know what's wrong without her having to say a word.  She feels that hole which is missing from her heart.  I get her.  Her family was amazing.  Dinner turned into the dad asking me to come with him to a sweat and a ceremony with the whole family.  It was the best blessing I've had this semester.  All of my hard work has paid off.  At least one family can see how much I truly love their child.

3.  Last night I went to a ceremony for Rosa's family.  Whenever we go to a ceremony with them I feel like a part of their family too.  Because of their hospitality South Dakota has become "home" to me and I couldn't be more grateful.  Next weekend Rosa's aunt, Teresa, will show several volunteers how to make a star quilt. 

4.  This week one of my camp friends will be in Oglala for a mission trip.  Next weekend another friend comes to visit all weekend.  The next weekend my parents come to visit and I can't wait! 

Well, I'm off to church soon.  Later today, Erin and I are going over to the first grade teacher's house to spend the day/night.  Miss Stacy's family all does rodeo so we get to ride horses and learn how to rope.  Here comes another busy month!

Puppy Soup, Ceremonies, and Dinosaurs

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to two ceremonies, one on Friday night and the other last night.  There was a small group of us went on Friday even though our friend Rosa didn't go.  It was exactly what I found out that I needed and especially last night's ceremony.  Last night I noticed that the rattle was right above me from the noise and felt a hand on my shoulder.  It was what the Lakota people call a spirit.  The spirit gave me a sense of relief.

On Saturday during the morning and afternoon, we celebrated my friends birthday.  We went to an awesome coffee shop and then to a park with huge ceramic dinosaurs.  This weekend was amazing with being in the local community from the ceremonies to Rosa's brother's birthday and then hanging out with the volunteers.  I'll fill you guys in on school stuff sometime this week when I have time.