Teachers: How To Successfully Welcome a Native Educator Into Your Classroom
Click here for a downloadable pdf version.
Before the visit:
- During the planning please provide Indigenous Educator with the concept you want to explore to ensure the classroom learning matches the educators content.
- Prepare your students about the subject matter and what the educator will be doing
- If the educator is visiting multiple classrooms provide a schedule for the educator with room numbers, teacher names, number of students, and grade level(s).
- Organize volunteer help for workshops with more than 15 students.
- For larger groups or assemblies, there should be one teacher per 30 students.
- Make sure to build in set up time IF the educator needs it.
- Allow transition time in schedule 50 minute classes and 10 minute transition
- Create a culture of giving: Discuss your visitors as “honored guests,” and impart to students the importance of showing them respect.
- Prepare guiding questions in advance and pose a question to students and educator throughout visit.
During the visit, please provide these forms of hospitality:
- Assist in setting up or breaking down.
- Drinking water
- Introduce educator
- Bathroom/set-up breaks between sessions
- School lunch for educator, if sessions go through mid-day
- Classroom teacher present at all times
- Provide volunteers for groups over 15 with large class projects ( basketry, beadwork )
On field Trip:
- Allow a minimum of 1.5 hours to 3 hours for a field trip.
- Groups should be no bigger than standard classroom size for one Native Educator. Arrange for additional Educators or support to accommodate rotating stations for large groups.
- Stations should rotate every 35-45 minutes
- Allow transition time and lunch break.
- Allow question time.
PLEASE:
- Be aware of the cultural differences you will be experiencing with your guests as cultural teachers not classroom teachers.
- Express your gratitude with a handmade gift or something from your school to present to Educator.
- When students create their own artwork, stories, symbols, songs, etc., it is important to change one or more elements of the art form they have seen or heard from traditional educators and to acknowledge the person or group from which the inspiration came.
- Ask permission to take photos, use symbols, songs, stories, or dances.
