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HelPing Hands

" Helping Honds"- This title depicts a baby sitting and holding an

eagle feather. He is waiting to be taught and brought back to the

traditions of his grandparents. Around his head are helping hands

in the four colors, red, white, yellow, and black. The helping hands

signifies the realization that educators of all walks of life, need to

focus on the needs of our First Nation children; teach them about

whom they are as First Nations people and bring them hope for the

future. Each child is a gift from the creator. They are our future.

Helping Hands was made by 2nd year HBed Aboriginal Student Joan

Esquega.

Layout and Editing: Callen Banning

Editing: lolehawk Laura Buker

L-- eheadUNIVERSITY

Lakehead University955 Oliver Road

Thunder Bay, ON

P7B 5E1 Canada

Phone (807) 343-8110Fax (807) 343-8023

r'laleneail Uniucrslu llB[ll 2130 - Teachers oJ A[original learners

July 2009

The second summer of Honors Bachelor of Education in Aboriginal Education coursesbegan on Monday, July 6th, 2009. This yea; the HBED 2130 course focused on learningstrategies that are currently working for Aboriginal students and how as educators, wecan support the "whole child" to be successful in our northern classrooms.

The uniqueness of the HBED program is defined by this First Cohort of Educators thatlive in the vast north where the landscape is formed by lakes, streams and forests inthe communities they call home. The rich narratives shared in this cohort are atestament to the importance placed on language, culture, the land and the community.Each educator in the HBED program is deeply committed to the success of each childthey teach, as well as, the need to inspire and "lift up" our children's dreams andsupport them through graduation and beyond.

fhe "Sharing Our Thoughts On Education" publication resulted from thoughtful dialog,discussions, presentations and reflections within our group. Together, we place ourchildren at the centre of the learning circle with this written work.

It has been a privilege to continue this journey with the First HBED Cohort. Our childrenare in good hands with these pathfinders.

Respectfully, Professor Lolehawk Laura Buker

SharonfllenHonouring and Nurturing

Positive Self Esteem

The first week in class we discussed the

importance of creating a learning environment thatwould honour and nurture positive self esteem for

students. There were discussions on differentapproaches and different presentations from the

class. I found the group participation aspect and

the sharing to be verY insightful.

When instilling honour in the classroom, the

teacher must have a sense of who the students

are, to relate to the students. Most often the

students are not familiar with their own identities

and do not have a sense of pride in theirbackground. Classroom guests such as elders,

parents and community members and honouring

them for their contributions and maintaining our

culture and identity will provide the students the

opportunity to learn to begin what honour is and

what it means to be who they are and where they

come from.

tt has been said time and again that Aboriginal

students are visual learners, so to instill a sense ofhonour and pride the teacher could perhaps praise

the students verbally on a daily basis, to encourage

the use of manners "please" and "thank you".

Students learn what they see; the students learn

what they hear and will thus practice what is

taught thr:ough their listening.

Students enjoy sharing once they have reached

their comfort level.

rn. As

Many students often feel a sense of racism in the

classroom and retreat into themselves and refuse

to engage in the learning environment of the

classroom. This point is crucial to the success of

the students; teachers in these classrooms must be

aware of this transition and come up with

strategies to make the students feel welcome,

honoured, wanted and resPected.

Sadly, in our society today many of our young

students are subjected to harsh social problems

and at the same time trying to successfully learn all

these exciting initiatives of honour, respect, dignity,

culture, Many students are hurting and need

someone to talk to, not necessarily to have social

services to intervene but to have someone listen to

them and to have them know they are not alone in

their troubles' ln some instances, a student will

trust a teacher who is not of the community, and

once the teacher leaves and goes down south

never to return, the student experiences a sense of

desertion. The students are our future and they

are speaking to us by way of their actions and we

need to listen to the students' By listening to the

students and including them I believe this will

boost their self esteem'

I recently went out with some students who were

on a camping trip; they enjoyed the teachings of

the land, the fire side stories and welcomed the

responsibilities that were given to them' There

was no mention of junk food, television, gossip,

internet or XBOX 360. The students engaged in this

type of learning, there were hardly any behaviour

instances and most of these students had not been

in an outdoor setting as much as they could be

considering the remoteness of our community' The

emphasis on being in the outdoors and the culture

\Mas well received.

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, the

i",#',:,6iieselfabout how to go about the best way tol'rr'ii.'.'t$broaah

a student. The phrase "treat everyone't' how you would like to be trdated" is important

what they we.re'used to growing up in.

Ilaine BoyGe

Many of my students learn best through stories,narratives, and our old and new stories. As a NativeLanguage Teacher, I had been inspired by mystudents as they learn to speak and write theOjibway language. I have learned that they are shy

to share it with others. They can speak theirlanguage. The most meaningful way to support ouraboriginal students is to know their attitude andbehavior. Some students like to share stories. Forinstance, stories about going on outdooradventures, funny stories, sad stories and scaryones. Students will share their laughter and jokes

too. Some students will help and workcooperatively together. Students learn to showrespect and show kindness to others. Somestudents are polite and showing their responsibilityin the class. Students socialize in gathering places,preparing for the work and taking turns. I havelearned that the youth in my classroom respect meand trust me like a mom, friend or big sister.

Students show their support and comfort whenthey know that I am down or quiet. These studentsare angels and they are very intelligent.

Everyday language: Ojibway everyday and greetingto them saying "Booshoo Kaakeenahl" Theirresponse is Booshoo Elaine.

When I first started teaching in the fall, I thought"What am I going to teach them to learn in theOjibway language in the first term? My teachingstarts with introductions and conference, The nextstep is to start on the review, a.pd my first day inthe morning class, I see, I hear, I think and see !h1$students in front of me and I said: "Boosho! NiinElaine Boyce, niin ka anishinabay ,,r-

Students looked at each"'bthe;Lwith surprised lookson their faces andThe students were

ow what I said.

bilingual in order for them to understand mylanguage. We had a review in class, and after 40minutes the class was over. lt was quiet and I

quietly stepped out of the classroom and thinkingmaybe they will respond tomorrow. As I enteredmy next classes, I was welcomed and greeted with"Booshoo!" I stand in front of them and said thesame thing to them. "Booshoo Niin Elaine Boyce,

niin ka anishinabay kekenwamageekway ohwaykeenoniwin" and then I said, "Giin tas, shinaaniigiin aashinigassoyan?" They respondedquickly and answered my questions. We completedall work tasks and we all had a good day. My daywas easy. They were amazing and showed theirconfidence. That's when all the students started tocommunicate with me. I am their role model,friend, mother, sister and teacher. When we aredone our class I say, "Bahnamah wabakn Miinawahgawbamin." They respond to me with 'Ah haw."

Translated in to.... I shall see you again tomorrow!

Meeway, miigwetch.

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ke ke nwa ma geekway ohway kee n o n iwi n.11. -l

we n.-t,,.'.

on to say: "Giin tashiip,..4p,niigiin aashinigassoyan?" ,

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Idueation BringsU$...

I

I

I

Curiosity Hopes

Dreams RoutinesRituals Limits

Anxiety Fantasies

CompetenceEncouragements

Motivation

AdjustingCollaboration

Compromiselndependence

Sense of belongingSelf-Advocate

MentorshipTransition

Decision-makingOpportunitiesAcknowledgement

Self-evaluationChallenges

EnthusiasmDetermination

DynamicContentmentHarmony

ResponsibilityRewards

CompassionSelf-ldentity

Dedication

Gloria GoasterMy Own Reflection

Education always plays a role in my life. Children in my community inspire me. They inspire me to do more

in education. The more I can do for myself, the more I can offer to them.

ln the chart, I enclosed a circle diagram Education Brings Us... lt consists of four parts Elementary School,

HighSchool,College/University,andLife. lneachsection,ithaspointsofwhatastudentgoesthrough. lhaveused a similar diagram which I show to the students. I drew the four parts as an Educotion Focilities and whatgrades each section has. I explain to the students, this is what you will do as you grow older. The visual chart

makes it easier for the children to understand why Education is important.

'tix :

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Ghclul llaneMrs. Miller

The first image that comes to mind after readingthe phrase 'nurturing positive self-esteem' is Mrs.Miller's class. Mrs. Miller taught Grades One and

Two back in the early eighties. Her classroom was

a fun, comfortable place that children thrived in.Mrs. Miller would encourage and cheer on herstudents, but at the same time silently commandrespect. She was never forceful, loud ordemeaning. Mrs. Miller's class was always openand available for students.

There are several key elements that definitelycontributed to the success of Mrs. Miller'sstudents. Mrs. Miller was organized, kind andgenuine. ln her class there were clear expectationsof her students and also, of herself. Mrs. Millerembodied the ability to make all her studentsrecognize their own worth.

First, Mrs. Miller was organized. Her classroomroutines were carefully planned and includedstudent input. There was just enough formal sitdown learning conjoined with informal playlearning techniques. Mrs. Miller captured theattention of all the students. She was able to causea hunger to develop in her students for learning.Mrs. Miller would use different techniques toassure that all her students grasped the conceptsfully. When a child struggled she would spent thetime to encourage and help the child grasp thelesson. Everyone in her class was very smart.

was kind.irll:;, ii: . irr. :

Her kindness was not surface.of her heart. The

her fair

had finished Grade Two, they knew no matter whatcame ahead they could do it.

Finally, Mrs. Miller was genuine. She did what she

said, and she walked her talk. Mrs. Miller was

dependable, reliable and trustworthy. Peoplecannot mimic being genuine. Mrs. Miller kept oursecrets and could be trusted. Her classroom was

an extension of the woman she was. Children

thrive and flourish in an environment that is safe,

comfortable and giving. The students of Mrs.

Miller's class are concrete products of a wise

teacher.

Mrs. Miller definitely knew the importance ofcreating a learning environrnent that honours andnurtures positives self esteem for her students.Twenty-eight years later Mrs. Miller's classroomstill is a vivid image in my mind. That class was aturning point; I realized that I have worth.Hopefully, one day I too will embody the qualities

that draw the best out of my students. Mrs. Millerdefinitely impacted my life. lt is my hope that oneday a girl, just like me, will remember a specialteacher whose name was Mrs. Dane.

tIIIIIIIIIIIII

flngela laco[Bringing Back Our Ways

My name is Angela Jacob and I am from Webequie,Ontario. I have been working at Simon JacobMemorial Education Centre for nine years. The firstthree years I worked as a Tutor Escort and thenmoved on to be a Classroom Assistant. I have justrecently graduated from the Native ClassroomAssistant Diploma Program from NipissingUniversity. The reason why I took the program wasto further educate myself in the field that I amworking in. I believe that we can make a change inhelping our aboriginal students learn by creating a

learning environment that honors and nurturespositive self esteem of our students.

This year I worked with the Kindergarten Teacherfor the Junior and Senior Kindergarten students.We had two classes; the Junior Kindergartens camein the mornings and the Senior Kindergartens camein the afternoon. We had thirty-five students alltogether. One thing that was noticeable with thesefour and five year olds was that almost all of thesestudents were fluent in the English language.

As the months went along, the teacher startedteaching in both languages (Ojibway andEnglish).ln circle time she asked them questions inboth the languages. First, she would ask a questioniii Ojibway and then she would explain to them in

:iE'nBlish what she had just said. I found that the.'Students paid more attention when spoken to in

ffijibway language. Mainly because they wereJeatning new words in the language.

We successfully kept the language alive within ouryounger students. Our language is the mostimportant part of who we are as Aboriginals.

During the last half of the school calendar theteacher and I made plans to invite Elders to cometo our classroom to teach. To get our studentsready for the elder visits we talked to the studentsabout why it is important to respect our elders inthe best way the students could comprehend. Theclassroom teacher and l, the classroom assistant,role modeled how to show respect by using goodmanners. We taught them how to say Hello in thelanguage and we also focused on showing thestudents to use their listening skills.

The elder visits were successful in our classroomas the students enjoyed having them in their class.Each of the elders that came to our classroomtaught the students about our lifestyle and ourculture. The students liked listening to the storiesthat the elders told and they really liked learningthe games that the elders played in theirchildhood. Our student's began to look forward tothe elder's visits and ask us when they werecoming back again.

All in all, I believe the student's school year was apositive and a successful one. By creating aclassroom environment that shows respect for ouraboriginal perspectives benefited both theteachers and the students. The students learned intheir own environment which made them seemeager to learn their own native tongue and learneda lot of knowledge from their Elder's teachings. I

believe that if the teacher is willing to makechanges in promoting our aboriginal lifestyle boththe student's and the teacher will have a successfulschool year.

*&When we did calendar time, the teacher made

in that she would teach the calendar in botheagerly participated in

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Geeilia laco[I believe that teaching our Aboriginal languageneeds to be student centered and studentresponsive. Students that learn actively seemedmore engaged in using the language.They focus onthe meaning of the words, phrases and everydayspeech. Learning the language from ideas,

interests and unique talents of each child seems tobe a positive approach and strategy.

When we read chapter five, "Learning Strategiesfor Aboriginal Students" in the book Our Words,Our Ways, l've learned about using the effectiveinstructional strategies that will support thelearning needs and strengths of our students.

The teacher's relationship with the students is atthe heart of Aboriginal approach to education. ltcan also be in the other way too. I was in this class

once and when we were put into groups of four,and then each group read the chapter. The teachergave us a question to answer to that chapter. I

found it much better to understand a conceptwhen working to together to gain knowledge.

There was this teacher I knew who taught gradeone. She was of non Aboriginal status. She knewwhere the students came from and did a lot ofreading to her class. She had interesting centersput up for hands on activities. She was also a

mentor to me. She had high expectations on herteaching style for students to learn to read.Because of this, I know the Aboriginal students shetaught are now good readers in our community.

Another strategy l've learned and want to do in theclassroom, or show the parents when I go back tomy reserve, is the P-M-l chart. This is a veryinteresting format for organizing information, andevaluating the student's knowledge and ideas.

"Why we should learn our Aboriginal language."

I know most Aboriginal students are losing theirlanguages, and it happens everywhere. I know it ishard to understand where individualfamilies comefrom. Another quote: "l think learning my languagewill help me understand better what is means tobe First Nations." This is hard work to learn,especially if you are a non speaker. There are

teachers out there who are willing to teach thelanguage. I am still speaking my own language andwilling to teach it to whoever wants to learn itfrom me.

As I reflect on my own education journey, I nowunderstand that my learning is informed throughobservation and demonstration. We have excellentteachers here at Lakehead University and I hopethey will continue to do a good job for the futureof our people and other nations.

Students can use this tool to collect data andJL(ILIEI lL5 Ldl I U)E Ll ll) Luul Lu LullELL LjdLcl Cll lU , tii.!organize information to make informed decisions. i

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loan tsuuegaGiving our Children a Voice

As educators, we need to learn the importance ofcreating a learning environment for the needs ofour aboriginal students that honours and nurturespositive self-esteem. We set the stage for ouryoung learners to come in and be who they areand to feed their thirst for knowledge. A studentshould feel a sense of belonging before they canthrive in the classroom. Once that student hasbecome comfortable within the class, only thencan we begin to uncover their hidden gifts. Eachstudent brings many different gifts to theclassroom, and as teachers we need to encouragetheir strengths by finding ways for them to use thatgift in the classroom.

For me, the highlight of grade school was the hourwe spent each day in our Native Language class.

We got to hear legends, make bannock, crafts,learn to sing different songs and most of all wewere taught basic words and meanings of ourOjibwa language. I remember one particular year;our whole Aboriginal student body went on acamping trip. We played games, swam, listen tostories around the campfire and most of all we gotto eat all the delicious traditional foods. I lookback at that trip and have many wonderfulmemories. lt made me feel good to know that ourelders and parents made the time to take us onthat trip and made it a fun learning experience.

effects of drug abuse.

I can envision a classroom with many profiles onthe walls of Aboriginal role models that havealready endured and achieved successes. We canshow them that we have our own role-models tolook up to and be proud of. These may be anyonefrom doctors, lawyers, dentists, trades people,

teachers, sports figures, artists, actors, people whoare not necessarily famous but have also continuedtheir education to reach their goals. We also haveto highlight the successes of our students and givethem incentive to work towards their own goals.

lncentive could mean, praising them in the schoolnewsletter or giving them prizes or certificates fortheir efforts; show them that we are payingattention to their hard work.

I have a genuine love for children and theircuriosity, so my classroom will consist of a sharingcircle where each student will learn to share theirthoughts, ask questions and learn to pay attentionintently to each other's ideas. I call this learning'respect.' I also want to incorporate the knowledgeof our elders into our classrooms. We need toutilize our Elder's teachings so we can all learnfrom them. lf our students are taught to be proudof their culture then perhaps we can lead them inthe direction of hope and prosperity. I hope toteach my students that they have the ability toovercome and endure life's challenges as they go

out into the world. I can do this by teaching themthat their culture and way of life is a veryimportant part of who they are.

Most of all, I hope to show my students that I canbe trusted as their educator and that I care abouttheir dreams. Dreams are an important part ofour lives. lf we do not have dreams, then what dowe live for?

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Nowadays, our community,,,Iakes all the studentson a geese rally. The elde them out andteach them how to huntTh&{o'ok forward to

and cogk the geese.

tsvery..year.

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$hirleu llleftanalrBuilding Positive Self Esteem

Back in our reserve in Webequie First Nation, thereare about 139 students in our school. I haveworked over five years as a tutor escort at myreserve school.

I find that therb are always a high number ofstudents that have low self esteem in every schoolyear. The most important thing to do in thebeginning of every September, first day of class isto build the relationship with individual students. I

begin by sharing a story about myself andeventually, the class begane to share stories too.From this positive beginning, a trust takes hold andour students can rely on somebody. When theyhave a problem or feel scared to tell anyone aboutthe problem, they can share with a teacher theytrust rather than feeling helpless or stay home andnot coming to school. As educators, we can helpget to know more about the students. Forexample, play games, role plays, puppet shows,bring an Elder to talk to them. Another way, wouldbe gatheri n g i nformation th rough conve rsati onswith students, parents and other teachers fromprevious teachers for their weakness, strengths,dislikes, likes and observing students in a variety ofsituations. Also, observing student's approaches tolearning, interactions with other students and howthey respond to feed back would be helpful.

Be generous with praise. Use what is calleddescriptive praise to let the child know when theyare doing something well. You must of course beaware of situations in which the child is doing a

good job or displaying a talent. When you observethem showing a talent you might say, "That lastpiece you played was great. You really have a lot ofmusicaltalent." Don't be afraid to give praise ofte,n,even in front of family or friends. Also, use praise '

to point out positive character traits. Fsr instahie,,

"You are a very kind person ." ar, "l like the way youstick with things, even when it seems hard to do."You can even praise a child for something he didnot do such as "l really liked how you accepted myanswer of 'no' and didn't lose your temper."

Lastly, I would like to discuss reward programs forthe students. There are a lot of ways we as

educators can go about this program. Studentsreally like get[ing rewards. They will do what isexpected of them and if they make a wrong choicethey lose the privilege to get the points or they willnot be given the points, it all depends what caused

them to lose their points.

There is a lot more we can do in the classroom.Using positive self esteem activities will help thestudents bring their self esteem up to where theywillfeel comfortable to fit with the other studentin the classroom.

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Glara tllissewaoeBuilding Self Esteem

At the beginning of each school year, my personal

approach to creating a meaningful and positive

learning environment is to establish trust and

friendship with the students. First, I each student

into the classroom and set out some get

acquainted games etc. and take command by

letting the students know that while they are at

schoolthey are expected to follow rules and

routines. The rules are simple and easy to followand aim to show respect, compassion and to help

one another.

By doing so, my students learn to be respectful and

obedient and this creates a meaningful learning

environment. The children can also have some fun.

As an example: Circle Time is part of the routine

we do every morning. At this time, we begin our

day reciting our daily exercises e.g. Calendar,

Weather and Reviewing our day plan. Also at this

time I ask the children if they have any story oranything to share to encourage dialogue with thestudents. At times it is very hard and challenging

to have all the students to participate, so I create

an.honor system and reward those students who

have parficipated and contributed to in class

disetiffi.,6rq:i$ji a sticker and a novelty eraser.- . .;,jt+:i? rl

Also, not tci'i6,ave out those students who are shy

9r lhe student3$'at'.Q{-e ot ready to contribute to

'd them with a sticker for

day and to encouragein us 6gain the next day.

helps those whoconfid.ence toi'fig''bnolto

a child's daily life at school. I am with the children

all day and they have learned to trust me. lt isimportant to treat each child as a person first and

that each person has feelings. I am always praising

any little accomplishment that the child has made

whether by attending class that day or by helping

around the classroom or participating in class

activities.

I also find that using the reward or incentive

system in the classroom can also hurt those

children who have learning disabilities such as

speech impediment, lack of language development

or too shy. As a result, these children lose

confidence and self-esteem. Often, they will most

often just sit back and watch. To address the

unique needs of the students, I sometimes

assigning a buddy for support or someone to help

him/her build up the courage and build up enough

confidence so that they can participate and do

what the other students are doing. By adapting a

buddy support, students often overcome theirshyness. This builds up their confidence and

self-esteem.

At the end of each day, I gather the children forCircle Time to recap and reflect on the day. I will

ask the children some questions such as: - What

they remember most for that day and what was

learned and what was fun to do and learn and

what was accomplished that day. I also thanked all

the students for joining us that day, and to remind

them that "We are allfriends here and that we

must carry on respecting each other as we leave.

We have all enjoyed learning and helping each

other today and that we learn together by helping

each otheL and have a fun and safe evening.

See you alltomorrow."

This is the model I set out for myself. Each and

every day, is to ask our Creator for guidance and tohelp me nurture my students that have come towalk on a positive road in their learning journey

from the beginning, to the end of the school year.

Ii

important in

lloreen tllissewaGGRivers of Education

Rivers are connected to

Streams, creeks that reach

To lakes, ponds and oceans

Rivers flow slow, fast,

Wide and narrow straight and windy

Rivers have shapes in many ways

Rock slides, banks high, and low, they split,

Brushes, grass and cliffs

Rivers have rapids, falls

Whirlpools and islands

Rivers have many obstacles

This poem is about education. We have many opportunities in education. There are sa

for our families, friends and home. There are many feelings that appear through your life andwe go through. The obstacles you go through, how time goes slow in the beginning and when theto finish you wonder "boy that was fast?" That's the way I see myself. Riding in the river where you have

through the calm, then slowly travel the rapids and go up and down the waves and see a beautiful lake orisland. Taking the portages to carry your load of supplies and gear, bringing along with you your family to takethis ride with you. As you take the ride, there are precautions of the dangers of rivers. As you go through tle.c5ftriver taking the dangers, the hard work, you will be glad that you made it. I always tell my children that's t,rgmm

life is: "You will have hard times and all the feelings you will feel." This poem is dedicated to my family that ry

supports me, the group of learners, the teachers, friends, and the generations to come.

tllaru0'l[eesGMy Learning Life Style

How did I learn? What is this question really

asking? ls it asking me how I learned in a school

setting or is it asking me how did I learn thetraditional way. I am going to answer both ways.

Traditional Teaching:

I was born back in 1962 in a small village called

Naybeemagang. We had six families in the littlesettlement. I remember living in a one room cabin.

There were eleven of us living there. We had no

televisions or electricity. We were lucky enough tohave a six horse motor and a small chestnut boatwhich was rarely used only for hunting or checking

the fish nets. ln the winter time we used dog sleds

to get around. My parents and grandparents

started teaching us when we were very young. I

must have been around five years old when theystarted to teach me. I remember my grandmother

telling me to sit by her at the fireplace outside her

house. She had just gotten fish from the fish net.

She then started to tell me stories and legends. I

really liked to listen to her story telling time which

was usually at night, just before we go to bed. I

never got tired of hearing her stories or legends. I

watched her cutting up the fish at the same timelistening. She used to do this to me when she gets

her fish, I watched and listened to her. She wouldalso go with me when she went into the forest toget moss or berries. When one of the men killed a

moose or caribou, the women would come

together and divide the kill equally. Mygrandmother brought me to this gathering and I

watch and listened to them talking. I use towonder when she was going to let me cut up thefish and the meat but I kept silent and kept

watching. When I started my own family, I feltnervous because lthought I wouldn't know whatto do and my partner expected me to know these

things. We went camping for two months on thetrap line and everything came back to me. I was

able to cut fish and moose meat just like my

grandmother. I finally questioned my mother about

the way my grandmother taught me. My mothersaid, "That it is the way or custom to teach ourchildren."

Around the year when I was about eight or nine

the reserve #64 was established. They built aschool which was called Fort Hope Day School' This

man came to our settlement and talked to ourparents and elders. They were told that we had toattend school every day. Also, we had to move tothe reserve to qualify for government handouts'

They said that we would be getting new houses.

They also said that was the only way the men can

get jobs such as carpentry and to go tree planting

or firefighting. We had to pack up and move. That

fall I started my first day of school. I was so scared

but they told us that they were going to teach us

things that will help us live better lives' My first

teacher was a pretty white lady. She greeted us at

the door with a smile and said some stuff which I

did not understand. But as soon as the door closed

she changed her attitude. She turned from an

angelto something else like she had twopersonalities. When I was told that I was going tobe taught to learn I assumed that I would just sit

and watch. Boy, I was wrong after the first day ofschool. I felt bad because I did not understand

what she was saying. You see my first language was

Ojibway. lt continued on and we tried so hard toplease hen S-he also said that left handers are from

the devil,gg.Orlr{'E.s,,f-orced to write with my right

hand. Thatwhite .from

thatmentally. I learn from-a hands on learner..

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uictofla 0shagPositive Learning

"Touch their spirits with the feother ofencourogement, whispering: You can, you will,

You must, your people need you"

Gilliland, Hap.Teaching the Native American4th edition.Dubuque,lA Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 1999 pg. 100

I believe the positive effort from a homeroom teacher determines a successful learning environment. Ouraboriginal students respond in a positive manner to a teacher who motivates, demonstrates caring and helps

students in all aspects of their learning. When the students are asked to identify what best describes theirfavorite teacher. They would use these words: * happy * motivated *honest *funny * understanding

*friendly *interesting xdedication. lt is the teacher's personality that is the singlemost important aspect in promoting education success.

When a teacher exhibits their traits, the path is smoother. Students are interested and actively participatingin learning. ln every school, there are teachers for whom the students do the work. lt might be the only class

for which they do homework, but do it for that one teacher. The students are not always looking for the easy

way out.Frequently, they are unable to do the work due to learning challenges and abilities.

Therefore, it is vital that a teacher prepares materials to built up skills and confidencefor the student. Some examples for promoting learning in our community are one on one tutoring, using

visual materials and oral repetition.

The students need to establish a vision for setting goals to complete for completing school. lt is like

establishing a birth in a child's mind to have a positive encouragement to start a journey towards success. One

mind set is "l can do it and I will do it". lt is important to have a strong foundation in the choices made in life.dt

,r.,

llaisy SlimeliaGftBuilding Self-Esteem

Reflecting on my teaching experiences as an

Aboriginalteacher, teaching in my own community

of Eabametoong First Nation has been an honor for

me.

When the classes begin in the fall, the children all

come with smiles on their faces and eager to learn

new skills. These are the aspects and the valued

words I use when I am teaching children' Children

come into my classroom in their own little different

packages, there are special and unique in their

*ryr.io, example, some children are jolly'

enihusiastic full of anticipation and ready to tackle

learning new skills. On the other hand' some

children are shy, not so eager, or enthusiastic as

the other children. They come into the classroom

and sit themselves in the corner'

from their assignments' At the same time' I often

have manipulatives available for their use

throughout the course of the daY'

The children enjoy listening to stories during

story-time. They like to listen to stories that are

cultural related. I tell stories about my trapping

i.yr, ..rping, and outdoor experiences' And I

intergrade these stories to solve problems in Math'

lrngirg., Social Studies and Science subjects' A

favJuriL story the children enjoy hearing is the

bit "

,,ory. I find this story very encouraging to the

students who enjoy riding bikes' I would like to

share this storY.

Normally I would start by asking "who can ride a

bike? Or "Who would like to learn to ride a bike

some day?" then next question "How did you

learn to ride a bike? Once upon a time there was

this little girl, she really wanted to learn to ride a

bike. But ift" OiO not have a bike yet so she spent

most of her days at her cousin's place because her

cousin had a bike. As the days went on she tried

and tried to balance and take off on her own'

HONOUR NURTURE

(H)haPPY

enc(O)uragee(N)dure

(O)opennesslea(R)n

patie(N)ce(U) unique

p(R)aise

(T)tolerance(U) understand

(R) resPect

acc(E)ptance

was riding on her own! She was so nappV:

home .nJ totd her father' As for a rew€rdfr@;$;;;

The two mottos I use to encourage the students

are LOOK, LISTEN, AND LEARN and PRACTICE

MAKES IMPROVEMENTS

I highly believe children learn best through play'

hands-on activities, visual and oral' Normally' the

set up in my classroom is educational posters -alphabet, numbers, colour, shape words' calendar

- months of the year and days of the week' Also' I

display the children's full names and their drawings

effort, her father and uncle bought hera

followingweek. ' ',-l

ln a brief summary, I feel it is importantlo-

welcome and treat each child eqLlelly'

have praise and respect' The'parents have

irrii*t, in the teacher to pru'in" acaderfi

and healthy and safe environment for,ffichildren.

'i:'

',Li:*)' --.::11;P'E

llorman $hewau[iofiThe Learning Place

Hello my name is Crying Wolf, tutor escort forSimon Jacob Memorial Education Center. I work inthe Special Education Department.

To me the "Learning Place" is where children canexperience learning in a safe encouragingenvironment. I believe that when we are teachingthem to learn, we must approach the child as awhole.

There have been times when I have witnessedteachers that simply write students off as unable tolearn. I knew a teacher who insisted a studentneeded IEP (lndividualized Education Program) ashe could not do math. She requested a meetingwith the parent and requested that I be part of theprocess.

I sat and listened to the teacher talk and I was veryupset with the way she talked about the child'sabilities. I asked if I could have "Johnny" fortheday. The teacher and parent agreed. So I went withJohnny to the Northern store. There I bought a

magazine. I asked him if he knew what it was. Hetold me, "yes it was a sport magazine." We beganto have a conversation about s[orts. He told me heloved hockey and his favourite team was thePittsburgh Penguins.

I mentioned that there was a game that nightand he said yes that Pittsburgh was playing Detroit.So I suggested that he watch the game and comeand see me the next day. The next dayJohnnycame to see me and I began to ask him about thegame.

I asked him first who won the game. He told me it '',,j,.;. ji*t.:I.:.

was 2 to 1 for Pittsburgh and that they won with a _. -i1

shot in the final seconds of the game. ,,1...'*i,;ffi

We talked about his favourite player SydneyCrosby. So I asked about his stats for the game. Hetold me "shots with 54 assists", so far he replied.

Then I asked him how much that was all together.He told me 88. After we meet I went on Google tofind the NHL.com and the stats for Sidney Crosby,all the numbers that he told me were correct.

At that point I told him that he did not need anIEP that he knew how to do math. Johnny waspuzzled. I told him when he added the shots andthe assists he was doing math. Johnny saw that hedid know how to add, it was just a different way tolook at it.

So the teacher discovered that if she presentedthe math in a different way for Johnny he wouldunderstand. Eventually, he learned how to do mathquestions without having to think of it as hockeyscores or stats. But the encouragement I gave himhelped him to realize that nothing was impossible.

A whole child approach is to teach each child that a

"l can" attitude will go way farther than someonewith the "l can't" attitude.

When you a the enthusiastic positive approachtowards what you are teaching the students, it iseasier to engage understanding and at same time,the child feels safe.

A Learning place is where students don't shutdown. A Learning place is where a studentwants to go to school every day to learn.

_,'ffi

Bo[e]t, lila[oosoln RetrosPect of Learning

As I begin my second summer of my Aboriginal

Honours Bachelor of Education program, I begin to

appreciate the hard work and effort it has taken of

Aboriginal People to offer a University program

taitored towards Aboriginals learning' lt has taken

a lot of effort for Aboriginals to challenge the

Canadian Governments' White Paper of 1969 (a

policy to eliminate the lndian Act, and Aboriginals

to be placed on equal footing as all Canadian

citizens).

Today I am grateful for the freedom as an

Aboriginal student to be able to determine my own

course of studies' I look at my children's current

educational needs in my community, and there still

is a great deal of effort needed to close the 28 year

grpio be in parallel with the Ontario Provincial

school standards.

New initiatives are guiding us into better ways of

teaching our own people' The current Educational

Gap stems from the resistance of former

neildential School students not allowing their

children and grandchildren to attend school

outside their communities' As history has taught

us, our parents and grandparents were subjected

to attend Religious Residentialschools, whereas it

was an attempt to assirnilate orlp',ipfople to', confofrn,to',fu rmqtn,s! earn,::-- E r;

it ,.,i-t i., l;. ..::::...::..1.,:t:.:.::4,:ilit;r,..: rtii.r::".;,,t.: .:l::1, :,:

To conform our people, the Government had

sanctioned the main Religious groups (Roman

Catholic and the Church of England)to educate our

people in their ways. The children were forced to

:r..it+end residential school at a young age and were

the parents and communities:The only

They left their Parents, siblings

children, parents and grandparents must have felt

that day. To this day these victims will not talk

about or share their experience in attending these

schools. This has blocked some of people in

continuing the education goals' My Mother was

against me leaving to attend high school outside

our.o**unity. How fortunate we now have

schools in our communities'

I remind my children how fortunate they are to

attend school in our community and to share a

little of my Mother's and my experience of being

sent out to school. Once you were sent out to

school, you stayed there until the school year

ended. There was no way of communicating to

your love ones and family members' There was

iiatl" or. no news from home' Today, my children

have the privilege of the telephone and better yet

the lnternet and instant messaging on internet

messengers.

Today's learners have the advantage of technology

to help with their studies' In my Mother's

schooiing, it was chalk board, pencil and notebook'

tn my eaily years it was the same as my mothers'

but there was typewriters and access to books and

libraries. Today my children enjoy the use of

technology in their school' They are able to access

a lot of information from the online libraries and

online database. The future learner will have

greater access to books and materials' as entire

Iontent of books and material will be available

online.

As I refleCt on my past educational experiences' my

Mother's, and my children's, I wonder what types

of teaching methods and delivery does the future

hold for our Aboriginal People? I have great

optimism that New Aboriginal accredited

University programs will be developed for our

peoples. As time passes, the Canadian

Government will again introduce a Policy or Paper

to try to relinquish our Rights, but by then our

peoples will be ready to challenge those

:, :, Governme.nt Policies.

IIIIT

I

t

Lakehead UniversityHonours Bachelor Education (Aboriginal) PI

All rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced, storedin a retrival system or by any means, without the prior permission ofthe publisher o6 in the case of photocopying or other reprographic

copying.

Copyright 2009 by Lakehead University Faculty of Education,Aboriginal Education

IItilttttttttI

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