A Journey Into Teaching: Through an Indigenous Lens

This ethnography of my first-year teaching experience takes you on a journey through two different school sites with contrasting school environments as a critical social justice educator. As a Native American Fellow, I analyze the prospects of teaching Native American children with love and the knowledge of my own cultural background. My three focus students help me connect to the experiences of the wide variety of students that make up our classroom communities. Focus student 1 is a shy and quiet English Learner who is also an asset to the classroom. Focus student 2 has a vivid imagination but has a difficult background. Focus student 3 is a bright individual who adds to the liveliness of the class community. Toward the end of my experience, I look at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with my students, their community, the Native American community, the LGBTQ+ community, and myself regarding distance learning. Though the pandemic did not allow me to realize my full potential as an educator, I concluded that I have grown into a more confident and capable educator with the skillset, vocabulary, and drive of a warm demander who identifies as critical social justice educator. How can I translate my teaching experience to teaching children in a community with a rich cultural heritage