This blog is submitted by Meagan, a teacher in a rather remote region of British Columbia, Canada.
Tribes..
Tribes is a program that encompasses all of the teachings of inclusion, community, and diversity and concentrates them into one thesis about learning. I am personally a big fan of tribes and it has saved my life this year. I never understood the pain a child can go through till I met my students. It was through tribes that I was able to get through my students. Though it has only been a month into the school year I feel that my community has grown so much. My circle talk the other day went for 1 hour, and I let it go because for the first time they were listening and respecting one another. I am hoping that continuing to use the tribes resources, like the energizes, the people hunt, a novel in an hour etc. That my students learn to work together and start trusting again. Tribes allows students to have faith in the world, and hope in their future. Those are two of the most important elements. This is what makes students resilient, having them believe not only int themselves but in their future. Once we heal their souls we can nurture their minds to think and grow to whoever they may want to be. It takes a village to raise a child. Throughout history a child has been raised by village or an extended family, but we have strayed so far in that thought, that the children have suffered, because they need support. Tribes is that support. By showing the students that they can have a community where ever they are we provide them with something books, and test scores never can, a system of support that starts with them.
