Teaching & Games
While I believe that learning takes effort I also believe that it helps to make it fun. It's easier to put in the time when you are enjoying yourself and there is a lot of research that shows that we learn and remember things better when we were having fun during the process. One of the best things our parents did for us was to raise us without a TV. The main goal was that we all become readers, and we all did. On top of all the reading we did to entertain ourselves, we spent countless hours playing games with each other and finding lots of ways to entertain ourselves that involved a lot of our own creativity. I always look for ways to make learning fun and have developed a lot of different language games over the years.
Before I went back to teaching I worked on Iñupiaq language materials, trained the Iñupiaq language teachers in how to use them and traveled to the villages to help them organize their classrooms and work with their students. While in the villages we had family game nights where family members came in and their children taught them how to use VIVA and how to play a basic language game.I love seeing students, teachers and parents enjoy themselves while learning. I love the connection I feel with my students when I play games with them. It is extra satisfying to know that the games are helping them learn.
One of my goals is that my students will see how much fun it can be to be a teacher. In order to do this, I take my students to work with students that are younger than them. My students sing with and read to ECE students at Uqautchim Uglua and Ipalook. They play games with students at Ipalook. These opportunities to work with children have convinced some of my students that they want to be teachers. Nothing could make me happier!
Before I went back to teaching I worked on Iñupiaq language materials, trained the Iñupiaq language teachers in how to use them and traveled to the villages to help them organize their classrooms and work with their students. While in the villages we had family game nights where family members came in and their children taught them how to use VIVA and how to play a basic language game.I love seeing students, teachers and parents enjoy themselves while learning. I love the connection I feel with my students when I play games with them. It is extra satisfying to know that the games are helping them learn.
One of my goals is that my students will see how much fun it can be to be a teacher. In order to do this, I take my students to work with students that are younger than them. My students sing with and read to ECE students at Uqautchim Uglua and Ipalook. They play games with students at Ipalook. These opportunities to work with children have convinced some of my students that they want to be teachers. Nothing could make me happier!
Iñupiaq language teachers having fun as they learn to play language games that they can use with their students.
A family enjoying themselves as they play an Iñupiaq language game at our family game night in Anaktuvuk Pass.
A family enjoying themselves as they play an Iñupiaq language game at our family game night in Kaktovik.
A family enjoying themselves as they play an Iñupiaq language game at our family game night in Tikiġaq.
Students in Kali having fun while learning to play one of the language games.
One of my Kiita students playing a language game with one of the Uqautchim Uglua students.
Some of my Barrow high school students playing Iqalugiaġiñ (Go Fish) with Ipalook students.