Siyo!

Hello! I am extremely honored to join the Cherokee Language & Culture Team here at Colcord Public Schools! I come here with 28 years of education experience. I have taught at all levels of K-12th grades, adult education, and graduate school. My most recent experience is working at Rogers Public Schools, where I worked with 24 different schools in supporting the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program. In this role, a few of the tasks I have done are developing a curriculum, ensuring compliance with federal laws, and supporting teachers through professional development. I also work for the University of Arkansas as an adjunct professor in a special program to help teachers achieve their ESL endorsement.

I can not tell you how excited I am to start the journey ahead of me. This opportunity to support students in learning the Cherokee language and culture is vital to the Colcord community and the growth of our students. Recent research on being bilingual shows that students who learn another language can:  better understand others and the world around them, have more job opportunities, have better focus, decrease the chances of dementia, increase problem-solving skills, and better differentiate sounds, to mention a few. How blessed I feel to work with this amazing team of people who see the value in helping students to grow uniquely beyond regular school content.

As I have been digging into the Cherokee language, I have learned it is no easy task. But I have also learned how closely tied it is to our Cherokee peoples and who we are. Being a Native, I now feel a responsibility to create a knowledge of language and culture to not only keep it alive, but also to foster a unique love and understanding for our peoples. I have been placed here for a reason, and I can not wait to see where this great adventure takes me in connecting through my roots.

Wado! I can't wait to build relationships with students, parents, and school staff!

Tanya Patterson