Who am I and What am I doing?

My name is Morgan. I am an English Education major at a small liberal arts school. I have dedicated myself to the art of teaching and the challenge of life-long-learning.

For the next eight weeks I will be living and learning with the Eastern Band of Cherokee in Cherokee, North Carolina. This experience is a part of an Education Studies course entitled "Enriching World Visions".  As a (future) teacher it is essential that I am able to teach all of the students that enter my classroom and not just those students that have the same type of background as me. A previous course, "Education and Culture", was a venture in understanding just how diverse my students will be and the different ways that I value, understand, uplift, and connect with them.This summer is my opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and experience the "otherness" that many of my students will experience during their schooling.

A large part of our focus in the education program at my school involves understanding and embracing diversity. This course experience is designed to immerse each participant in a culture where they are the “other”, allowing each of us to experience the cognitive dissonance that comes with that experience. By adding depth to my understanding of diversity I will be better able to promote equality in my future classroom. By extension I hope to instill a respect for diversity and human kinship in each of my students who, in turn, will pass that respect on to the people that pass through their lives.



What will I be doing:
1. I will be working with Cherokee historian Davey Arch to create a cultural garden trail.
2. I will be working inside the Ocunaluftee Village assisting with craft classes and learning the history of the Cherokee people
3. I will be assisting with the Unto These Hills drama production learning how the facility operates and getting to know the crew.
4. I will be spending time with the people of the Cherokee Tribe and getting to know them personally.

What are my goals:
1. To more clearly understand the history of the Cherokee people from their perspective
2. To develop a sense of how modern Cherokee people in this area live
3. To develop an understanding of the impact that Cherokee history and culture has on these people and their experience in the world
4. To help the Cherokee Historical Association in their  mission to "perpetuate and preserve the history and culture of the Cherokee People"
5. To expand my understanding of diversity to include the feeling of "otherness" in order to more effectively and respectfully create experiences for my students that foster a desire to become life-long learners
6. To grow as a human being in ways that will positively change the world that I live in


The goals that I have listed here will surely expand and change as the summer unfolds. Through this blog I will attempt to relate and reflect on my experiences with the Cherokee People so stay tuned...