1. Review Goals
Mr. Kirby: We’ve talked about quite a bit of information, haven’t we? You’ve been really helpful. I’m so glad you shared this with me.
Ms. Two-Rivers: I’m happy to help. Do you feel like you’ve met your goals for what you wanted to learn?
Mr. Kirby: To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what I needed when we started. I’ve been worried about my Native American students, especially Chaytan. I wanted to find some ways to bridge the cultural gulf between us so I could better reach those students.
Ms. Two-Rivers: Do you feel like you have a better grasp of Native American culture now?
Mr. Kirby: I do. You shared with me statistics about the inequities Native Americans face, which gave me some needed perspective about their challenges. We watched videos and talked about Single Stories. That opened my eyes to some of my own personal biases that may affect my teaching. You explained how those biases are sometimes communicated through micromessages, and you gave me some ideas to adjust my classroom communication to be more inclusive. You had some great examples of how that all works in an educational environment.
Ms. Two-Rivers: I’m glad you found those ideas useful.
Mr. Kirby: In terms of understanding Native American culture, our conversation about traditional values and indigenous knowledge was the most beneficial. I was completely unaware of how my values reflect the dominant culture, and how those values shape my classroom. It was just invisible to me.
Ms. Two-Rivers: I think that’s a pretty common experience. When you’re part of the mainstream, it’s hard to even see your own culture sometimes. Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?
Mr. Kirby: We talked about teaching strategies a little in the context of Native American values. Could we revisit those strategies and maybe look at some other next steps I could take?
Ms. Two-Rivers: Of course!