Field Trip #1 Farmington Indian Center
Today we went to the Farmington Indian Center and learned about what the center is and the services they provide for our
community. Mr. Smiley (the director) welcomed our class with open arms and shared information about the center, as well as
some personal experiences. It was awesome to hear Mr. Smiley tell about the all of the people that are able to get help from
this center ( 42, 426 people were served in 2007!!). It was great to be exposed to a resource that I didn’t even know
existed.
Field Trip #2 Sycamore Community Center
Our second field trip was to the Sycamore Community Center. We met with Natalie Koehn and she gave us a tour of the facility.
Then she spoke with us about how the center came to be, the services it provides and what is in store for the future. It was
inspiring to hear talk about the center and her involvement. I could tell that she was truly passionate about her job and
loved working with children that come there. Natalie is a great role model for teachers! Her passion and enthusiasm is contagious
and her heart is with the children, as any teachers should be! Thank you Natalie for welcoming us and reminding me why I am
choosing to be an educator!
Field Trip #3 ENLACE
Mabel and her co-workers
Today we visited ENLACE and met with Mabel Gonzalez. She showed us around the facility and explained to us what ENLACE
is and how it serves the community. I learned that this program helps to encourage and empower the Latino/Hispanic community
to pursue a higher education and also provides a meeting place where anyone can go for various support. GED classes in
Spanish, English as second language classes and assistance with college enrollment are just a few of the ways that ENLACE is
assisting our community. Mabel's presentation was very interesting and informative. (I could have listened to her talk
all day!) She is very enthusiastic and her commitment and dedication to this program is undeniable. When I left
ENLACE I felt like I had just added a great tool to my teaching toolbox. Now that I know that this program exists and the
services it provides I can use this as a resource in my future career to better communicate with my English language learners
and their families.
Field Trip #4 Riverside Nature Center
Today was the day for my field trip. We visited Riverside Nature Center and it was such a beautiful day to do so! The sun
was shining and the birds were chirping! Bobbie, a friend of the Nature Center was there to greet me and show me conference room.
She showed me around the building and then let me look through several scrapbooks that students and teachers who visited
the center had made. It was so much fun! I loved seeing all of the possibilities that the Nature Center offers
for teachers and students. When the rest of the class arrived, Bobbie told us about the programs available at the center
and gave us helpful handouts. After her presentation, the class debriefed and Ms. Francis graciously let us bask
in the sun for the rest of class. I hope that this field trip will inspire all of us future teachers to make a field
trip of our own once we have our own classrooms and allow our students to enjoy and embrace the outdoors!
Field Trip #5
I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for ICE CREAM CAKE!!!!
Thanks for the super fantastically delicious cake Ami! Today we met at Cold Stone Creamery in celebration of Ami's birthday
and was spoiled with a chocolate, coffee ice cream cake. UMMMM!! Anyway enough about the cake! We were all able to share our
experiences as coaches at Apache and it was great to hear how everyone was doing. I love it when we are able to talk about
what is working, what is not, and to hear suggestions from others. Ami and Valerie gave their presentations and we discussed
their topics. Oh and there was cake!
Field Trip #6
Today we went to the E3 Childrens Museum and Science Center. The place was full of children and I could feel the
excitement in the air! Our class met and discussed our student coaching at Apache. We then had Dr. Peele-Eady from
UNM's LLSS department as a guest speaker (see my Guest page for more info). It was a great experience to go to the museum
and to be in the audience of such an amazing guest speaker. Another great day!
Field Trip 7
Next we went to the Navajo Preparatory School. Though
I have been to the new Wal-Mart locate across the street, I have never been to or even known about this school. It was a great
experience to talk with the Dean about the history of the school, the advancements that are currently taking place (a huge
remodel) as well as some common questions about the everyday life of the students that live and attend school there. We were
also able to visit a classroom where the students learn Navajo. It was very interesting to listen to the students and
"read" the posters on the wall. This language is much more difficult that I had previously known! After our tour we were able
to gather in a meeting room where we discussed the major themes throughout our text book. We also had a grand conversation
about the places we come from and why we think and feel the way we do about differen scenarios and situations. It was very
entertaining and informative. Now that is what I call learning.
Field Trip #8 The Ice cream Store!!
Today we went to the ice cream store on 20th.
We had the privilege of trying some really yummy treats and partaking in equally delicious conversations. Sam and I presented
highlights from our assigned chapters and Rebekah lead the group in a Socratic seminar in which we discussed the different
ways to teach mathematics (through hands on activities and technology). This
was another great day outside of the classroom!
Field Trip #9
Today we went to the LDS Church and had a tour of the family history center. It was very interesting to see all of the
many different kinds of resources housed there and great fun to hear about the experiences of the women who worked there.
I left feeling inspired to find out more about my own family history.
