In the fall of 1978 two college teachers met in the back of a classroom at Black Hills State College, and from this chance meeting eventually started the Workshop for Reservation Language Arts Teachers. Jeanne Smith of Oglala Lakota College, and Dennis Gaspar of Sinte Gleska College were attending a workshop for college English teachers sponsored by the Black Hills State Colllege faculty. The two soon discovered that they not only shared problems and concerns with the English staff at BHSC, they also shared unique problems which were not faced by many English teachers. The ideas and concerns they shared inspired them to meet again later that fall in Martin, South Dakota to exchange ideas and draw energy from each other. The talks were so beneficial that it was clear they should continue, and that other reservation teachers could also benefit from similar opportunities to meet and share ideas.
In the fall of 1979 the first meeting of the Workshop for Reservation Language Arts Teachers was held at Oglala Lakota College at Kyle. Reservation teachers from elementary school through college met in small groups to first discuss what they felt were their major problems, and then to discuss what they were doing well, either as individuals or as teachers in a particular school which had developed a successful curriculum strategy or set of materials. The teachers, ordinarily isolated from each other by miles of vast prairie, as well as by four separate school systems: religious, county, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and contract schools, were often amazed to learn that exciting, innovative programs were being implemented in schools as close as 25 miles away. They also discovered that the seemingly insolvable problems which they confronted in their own schools were shared by many, and that at least some of these problems were solvable.
The group decided to meet twice a year in Martin, South Dakota, which lies near the boarder between the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations. They also decided that they wanted to spend most of their time talking to each other rather than in listening to lengthy talks which left a relatively short time for questions.
Subsequent workshops included a curriculum "utopia" workshop, but the preferred organizational strategy seemed to be small group discussions led by a specified group leader. Small group sessions in the past have included such topics as: the use of Native American literature in the classroom, ways to teach students to write poetry, "a Lakota linguist talks to language arts teachers", cultural journalism, "low test scores for Indian students: what do they mean?", teaching reading in the content areas, "a parent talks to language arts teachers", creative ways to teach literature, community involvement in the language arts classroom, and many more. Small group sessions include a half-hour presentation given by the group leader, and a 45 minute discussion led, but not dominated by the group leader. Leaders, in fact, are warned not to "overpresent" because the teachers who come to listen are also eager to talk with each other concerning the topic in question.
The Workshop has also experimented with other forms of information sharing. Speakers such as Ron Theisz and Stu Bellman of Black Hills State College have given presentations to the group which were enthusiastically received. Special films of particular interest to reservation language teachers have always received high praise, and a panel discussion focusing upon the effectiveness of language arts instruction on the reservation also received high marks from Workshop participants.
This spring, April 28, the Workshop will move to Little Wound School at Kyle for a one time only meeting. Last fall members expressed a desire to view first hand not only the new Little Wound School itself but also several innovative programs in bilingual education and community-school substance abuse awareness which they had heard about during the Workshop. An added feature will be a small group presentation by linguist, Dr. Hai Tran, who will discuss how children learn language with emphasis upon the bilingual child. Dr. Tran will be at Kyle as a consultant to the bilingual program there and has graciously agreed to add a day to his schedule so he can address the Workshop.
A new, very exciting addition to the Workshop has been the
increasing interest shown by directors, teachers, and teacher aides who work in a variety of bilingual programs on both reservations.
Increasingly workshop members have found that bilingual teachers share many of the
same concerns regarding curriculum development and the teaching of written and spoken language that language arts teachers
do. The Workshop also increasingly draws student teachers and college students who
are enrolled in education classes at Oglala Lakota College and Sinte Gleska College.
They, too, are an exciting and welcome addition to the Workshop.
Thus, the energy and communication which began with the meeting
of two college instructors in the fall of 1978 has now grown into a viable, active organization.
Anyone who shares our concerns and interests is welcome to attend our meetings.
For more information, please write or phone Jeanne Smith at Oglala Lakota College, Box 491,
Kyle, South Dakota; 605-455-2321.