On which competency within Diversity-Equity-Cultural Competence will you focus on addressing the identified challenge?

Why is this important?

The ability to Collaborate Purposefully is very important when tackling the challenge of supporting students as they transition through the school system. Not all teachers and administrators will take the time to educate themselves in the learning styles and strategies to help support our unique learners, but through collaboration we can work together to share ideas, attitudes, and hopefully change perceptions in order to make changes in the current system.

Foundational Competency:

*Diversity, Equity, and Cultural Competence

Collaborate Purposefully:

Developing:

*Develop and exhibit an appreciation and acceptance for the differences among, between, and within cultural groups.

*Explain the value and benefits of including other cultural groups in their collaborative groups.

*Explain the strengths and limitations of their skills and /or organizational practices when interacting with other cultural groups.

*Engage in ongoing self education and self improvement.

Evidence:

*Create learning environment for students and/or adults to include and value cultures beyond their own.

Through my work with the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian I was able to develop my knowledge of culture of the Plains Indians.

ARTIFACT:

Essential Understandings

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Native Knowledge 360° Essential Understandings about American Indians is a framework that offers new possibilities for creating student learning experiences. Building on the ten themes of the National Council for the Social Studies' national curriculum standards, the NMAI's Essential Understandings reveal key concepts about the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and contemporary lives of Native Peoples. These concepts reflect a multitude of untold stories about American Indians that can deepen and expand your teaching of history, geography, civics, economics, science, engineering, and other subject areas.

https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/pdf/NMAI-Essential-Understandings.pdf

*Involve students, parents, colleagues, and/or community members from various cultures to create opportunities and activities that celebrate and value cultural differences.

Every year our school provides a week of instruction on the Crow Tribe. I have incorporated the work I did at the museum as well as the pedagogy for American Indian Children to rework the social studies curriculum in order to provide the students with information about their own governments and the influential leaders that paved the way for the tribe. I used primary resources to provide students with two points of view of the history of the United States.

Artifacts: See Below View Points of the United States, Native Nations, and Treaties

*Explain the limitations of their skills and practices when engaging with other cultural groups and take steps to adjust behavior based on self reflection.

On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing the identified challenge?

Why are they relevant to this particular challenge?

These competencies are relevant to this challenge because in order to change the system we are currently working under as the students transition to the middle school it is important that I can model reflecting on current practice and the positive and or negative impact it has on students while also being able to effectively communicate with my peers so as to make change happen.

Two Chosen Overarching Competencies

*Reflective Practice: Help to create conditions to encourage reflection among colleagues and administrators.

Engage in leadership opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom and school.

Make strategic plans that are informed by data and reflective analysis.

Evidence: Increase awareness of teacher leadership and growth areas by use of needs assessment, formal surveys, and or informal surveys.

Serve as a teacher leader both inside and outside of the classroom and or school.

Improve practice and or professional growth by using data analysis or SMART goals.

Organized grade level meetings in order to develop trust and understanding between individuals with different backgrounds so we could learn about each other and our perspectives on teaching and learning.

*Communication:

Acknowledge the challenge of successful teaching and learning and willingly address and meet those needs.

Share messages to inspire others.

Evidence:

Understand school’s challenges and needs that impact teaching and learning and/or system effectiveness.

Developed better listening skills in order to empower my fellow teachers to take ownership of change in teaching styles to better meet the needs of the students.

Which competency in the Instructional Pathway will you focus on in addressing the challenge?

Why is it relevant?

In order to effectively make change the community needs to be aware that the stakeholders are from a different background and culture than the leaders of the School System. The Stakeholders are not equally represented in decision making and lack the advocacy to make changes which will benefit their students. Due to historical trauma many of the families do not see themselves as having the ability to advocate, it is a cultural suppression from past experiences, not a lack of caring.

Instructional Leadership Competencies:

Community Awareness, Engagement, and Advocacy:

*Emerging: Recognize the unique needs, culture, and context of the students and advocate for their learning and well being.

*Demonstrate awareness of their community by advocating for unique students needs with sensitivity to culture and context.

Evidence:

Leader on the Montana Behavioral Initiative committee. Through this I affected change in bringing the teachers together to encourage students and use brag tags to provide positive feedback for student behaviors.

Artifacts: Sampling of the material available on Native Knowledge 360

With whom will you work in addressing your identified challenge?

In addressing my identified challenge I began working with my fifth grade team. I was then able to bring in the music teacher and our Crow Language teacher to support the teaching of cultural relevant materials. By building relationships with my colleagues I was then able to collaborate and build strong discussion focusing on the unique learning styles of our students and in turn bring in the administration at my own school as well as the Middle School.

Which resources do you have to address the challenge?

I have received grant money to support academic programs that focus on traditional learning. I also have the support of my principal in bringing in resources to support the education and professional development of staff as to the impact generational trauma can have on our students.