Native teaching circle students are eager to learn

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It's Tuesday and a small group of Grade 3 girls eagerly gather in a classroom to open the teaching circle with a sweetgrass prayer. They are here to learn more about the Cree language, the legends and the values of Aboriginal people.

The group, made up of students at St. Patricks Catholic School, meet once a week in the teaching circle under the guidance of Marilyn Gladue, Native student counselor for Edmonton Catholic Schools.

"It is nice to catch them now because they are so much more open at this age," said Gladue. One teaching circle is offered for the boys and one is for the girls. This is because different issues influence each gender and a small group makes it easier to talk, she said. The teaching circle does not exclude any of the students, whether they are Aboriginal or not, Gladue explained. Students are given a choice to be part of the circle or remain in their regular class.

Usually the teaching circle includes a craft to keep little hands busy, but today the group is reading the legend of the great naming contest. Gladue explains to the students that the morals in the legend can be understood by each of them in a different way.

"Being aware of where we come from as Aboriginal people is important to teach," said Gladue about the value of reaching all children. Parents and teachers have come to take part in the teaching circle, she said. According to most Aboriginal teachings, it is in the circle that all are considered to have equal value in their contributions.

The students in the teaching circle get a chance to look at similarities between First Nation people and Metis people, said Gladue. Another important part of the circle is the teachings offered by an Elder from the community. An Elder comes to the teaching circle to be part of what is being learned by the children, explained Gladue.

"The kids needed the feeling of being part of the Aboriginal community. You often don't get that feeling in the city," said Donna Coulter, student counselor at St. Patricks.

Giving the Aboriginal children in school the opportunity to take part in the circle says they are important and they have a place here, said Coulter. At the beginning of the school year, Coulter suggested the idea of the teaching circle to Gladue. The circle began in October, she said.

"We saw the teaching circle as fulfilling a need here," said Coulter. As part of the Aboriginal outreach at Edmonton Catholic schools, Gladue would make home visits to the Aboriginal children and their families, said Coulter.

It is up to the school about how they want to utilize the Native student counselor. It was decided the teaching circle was something the school wanted to try, she said. It is also the first time St. Patricks has offered a program like this to its student. For now the teaching circle is only being offered to students from Grade 3 to Grade 6.

"I'd like to see it in other schools," said Coulter. She feels the school is very lucky to have someone like Gladue, who can speak Cree, to facilitate the teaching circle.

Most of the students in the circle happily agreed the best thing about the teaching circle is learning Cree.