AmeriCorps Members—Future Educators Bring New Energy to Red Cloud’s Classrooms
posted March 31, 2016
Lakota "Breeze" Fast Wolf working with some 1st graders in the classroom.
Early each morning in Red Cloud’s cafeteria, Lakota “Breeze” Fast Wolf loves to sit and greet her smiling first graders as they prepare for the school day ahead. As an AmeriCorps member at Red Cloud, Breeze serves as a teacher’s aide in the elementary school while she works toward her own degree in K-8 education at Oglala Lakota College. On any given school day you can find her on the floor of her classroom, sitting beside one of her students and working one-on-one to help them discover new skills in reading, math, and science. For Breeze, being a part of classroom life is driving her own studies in elementary education and preparing her for her career as an educator.
“The AmeriCorps program has given me such a great opportunity to see how theories I’m learning in my education classes apply in the real world. It gives me unique insight into what I’m experiencing in the classroom—seeing the milestones that my students are achieving, or the challenges they are working through,” said Breeze. “As teacher’s aides, we’re there for the kids from the moment they walk into the room until the moment they leave. We support teachers, but really we’re there to work closely with kids when they need help. And I try to make myself available whenever the students need me. It’s been so wonderful to bond with them and help them develop a love for education.”
Breeze is one of 23 AmeriCorps members who serve as key staff on campus, supporting lead teachers as teachers’ aides, coaching athletic teams, organizing resources as librarians, and so much more. Red Cloud’s AmeriCorps program is the largest in South Dakota: over 340 members have served on campus since the program’s launch in 2000. For their service, each member receives a modest living stipend and an educational award to support their own studies. But according to Red Cloud’s on-site AmeriCorps director Caryna Pourier, members’ contributions to life on campus far outweigh what they earn. They truly play an essential role in providing Red Cloud students with the best possible education, preparing them for college and beyond.
“Our members help to provide stability and support in the classroom. It’s difficult for teachers to have time to work with each child individually, so that’s a role that AmeriCorps members can play, and they end up building really deep and trusting relationships with many Red Cloud students,” said Caryna. “It’s truly a cycle of support: members help our students build confidence to succeed in school while also getting the chance to expand their own skills in the classroom. I’m really proud of the work they do.”
This is Caryna’s first year managing the AmeriCorps program and she says she has been amazed at the range of ways members contribute to daily life on campus. For example, one AmeriCorps member, Brittany Ross, serves as the girls’ volleyball coach, in addition to working as a teacher’s aide. This year Brittany ended up leading her team to the state finals.
“She put in so many hours a week to coach her team and her dedication was amazing,” said Caryna. “She really made an impact on the players’ lives.”
Member Lauren Big Crow, a fourth grade teacher’s aide, spearheaded a unique, educational field trip for a group of third and fourth graders to Oglala Lakota College’s STEM research lab. The students were given a tour of a star and planetary laboratory, observed animal dissections, and even took a look into the future. “The kids were able to try a hovercraft built by OLC students and they loved it,” said Lauren. “I get excited to see that the kids are far more interested in about science than they were at the beginning of the school year.”
After the field trip, Lauren worked with her primary classroom teacher to develop a lesson plan in science and taught her students about the placement and purpose of organs inside the body. In class, students worked together to create a large poster of a skeleton featuring visible organs and then learned to identify each organ as part their lesson. According to Caryna, Lauren’s work was just another example of the innovation and energy that AmeriCorps members bring to the classroom.
“During the field trip the students were able to have unique, hands-on experiences. Lauren’s lead teacher gave her the freedom to develop a lesson plan around the field trip—and as a result the students really excelled and learned in a new way, applying real-world experiences,” said Caryna. “As students themselves, AmeriCorps members bring an excitement about learning into our classrooms—and that energy makes a huge difference for everyone.”
For Breeze, being an AmeriCorps member has not only allowed her to connect with students—it has helped her develop strategies that will serve her as an educator, now and into the future.
“As a teacher, you will always have good days and bad days. But now I take the struggles as a lesson in preparation for when a challenging situation arises again. I try to take the more difficult days and just learn from them,” said Breeze. “I now have insight into what it takes to be a great teacher—and that’s something I’ll take with me. I’m really building the skills to give my students an education that will help them achieve their dreams.”
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Photos © 2016 Red Cloud Indian School, Inc.