Category: Wisdom

I am so grateful for the words shared by our elders, Linda Belardi, Selina Everson and David Katzeek today. There is so much they shared about their life experiences and world view that is directly related to and vitally important for anyone who intends to teacher in Alaska’s schools.

The advice Linda share that resonated with me the most was in regards to the 10 Common Principles by the Coalition of Essential Schools (essentialschoools.org). Linda touched on three of these 10 principles:

1. Teach children to use their minds well.
2. Personalization – Know your students.
3. Schools should have a tone of decency and trust.

Each of these principles feel essential to the teaching profession. As an aspiring science teacher the first principle, teach children to use one’s mind well, is especially applicable. Encourage students to question everything and to provide evidence to support their thoughts and opinions.

Personalization is important in the decision course content and delivery in such a way to create an engaging and safe classroom environment for all.  This can only be done well after there is an understating of who your students are, where they are from, the culture that shapes them.

The third principle Linda share, Schools should have a tone of decency and trust, ties to one of the Southeast Alaska four cultural values Wooch. Yax – Balance, Reciprocity and Respect. Within the framework of this Multicultural Education course I feel this is at the core of transformative approach I hope to bring to the classroom.

Selina Everson shared her powerful and heartbreaking life experiences as an individual who experienced the direct impact of boarding schools. Selina and her siblings were a part of a generation stripped of their language who, then in an effort to spare their own children from that pain, did not teach their own children the language. I have heard these feelings of guilt expressed by many indigenous speakers, including my own grandmother. It is this generation that is also a part of the current resurgence of Native culture and language in Alaska. That even after the traumatic events of their lives, still believe and teach respect for all people and all cultures.

David Katzeek shared so much! His passion for the education and encouragement of youth is inspiring. Two themes David reiterated were of building confidence in students and the characteristics of some of his greatest teachers.

David’s words,

“How much my grandparents loved me to plant that seed of knowledge in me. To help me feel good about myself – that is the essence of education”

speak to the importance of acknowledging student’s ability to do and learn anything as a powerful message, that many children do not hear often enough. This acknowledgement of the individual and the belief in the child is something I hope to convey in such a compelling way as expressed by David.

The first characteristic of great teachers David shared were that of great orators or storytellers. Storytellers connect you to what you are learning about and make you a part of the story. Drawing students in and engaging them in the content. The second characteristic David did not explicitly state, but alluded while contrasting his academic survival of high school to his success at the collegiate level. David credits his success to his college professors allowing him to apply what he already knew, drawing on his background as a strength instead of a deficit.

I appreciated the words of all our elders shared with a cohort of aspiring teachers. Especially the words of encouragement as we take on a challenging, but reward profession.

“The most important thing for me. Do all that you can do to build confidence in another human being. Tell them that they are okay, that they are all right, that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that they can’t learn. It’s not easy, but it’s fun.”

We are not living in two worlds, there is but one world.-David Katzeek.

This message in particular resonated with me because your cultural world is not something you just step into and out of when needed. However, I imagine some people attempt to, and in doing so they are not fully present in and preserving their culture. This is an important thing to consider for a multicultural education. While listening to the Elders its easy to see the oppression they endured but it’s difficult for me (although I try) to empathize with a people who have lost their lands, languages, traditions, and values. I just have no frame of reference to draw from, its almost unfathomable. I cannot imagine the difficulty in trying to live one culture at home and leaving that behind when walking into school or work. But I think living by David’s message might be even harder.

By using the on/off switch method of living you can protect yourself. You can pretend to be assimilated into the majority culture to save face and avoid the culture shaming that still persists even today. The only white culture example that I can come up with to illustrate this idea is the movie Mean Girls, in which a kind smart and caring daughter is a conceited bully at school to fit in with the culture of her peer group. She turns on and off the act until she almost loses herself.

Although this example maybe silly its an example of living in two worlds. The challenge with living in one world is that everyone else will try to change you to fit in. They will try to impose their ideals, ridicule your clothing, and require the correct language to be spoken. The only choice you seem to have is to use the on/off switch or to completely despair and forsake one culture or the other.

Thats where our job as multiculturally aware teachers comes in. We need to celebrate the different cultures we have in our classrooms. Allowing our students to be proud and joyful at bringing their culture to school with them, not leaving it at home. It’s our tone that will also set the stage for our students to revel in their beautiful differences.

It was a real honor to have Selina Everson, Linda Belardi, and David Katzeek open their chest of knowledge in front of our class today. I truly believe that what makes each culture unique are the stories, advices, and wisdom that are transmitted from generation to generation through elders.

We have an interesting saying in Romanian : “ Cine nu are bătrâni să-şi cumpere“, which basically is translated: “ Who doesn’t have elders should buy some.”  Where do we buy our elders? What this really means is that the richness of people is not measured by material things, but by the elders who are our connection to the past and our bridge to the future.

 

Listening to “ Grandma Selina” speaking about her experience as a child, being forbidden to speak her native language stroke a sensible cord in me. I remembered my grandmother talking about her childhood and annexation of Bessarabia, Romanian territory to Russia. That had a huge impact on her family because all use of Romanian language was phased out, and substituted with Russian. People were not allowed to speak their language, which is such an important element that defines the identity of a culture. I admire Selina Everson because she is a survivor, she fought for her values and beliefs.

 

There are a few things I’m taking with me from today’s experience that I want to use in my classroom.

Firstly, David Katzeek’s advice to give students the confidence that they can do whatever they put their mind into. A great teacher knows how to build confidence in another human being.

Secondly, Selina Everson’s lesson about not giving up in front of hardness, and respecting every culture. It is really important to me as a person to preserve my culture for my kids and I would try to infuse that feeling of preserving the cultural identity in my classroom.

Finally, Linda Belarde’s words to love your students, to get to know them, and their stories.