7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching on a Native American Reservation

Thinking about teaching on a Native American reservation?

Before you spend hours researching and applying, be sure to read this first.

And if you decide you definitely do want to teach on a reservation, then I have a few recommendations for you:

1. Bookmark the article you’re reading now.
   You’ll want to refer back to it if and when you get ready to move! Some people choose to share it to their own Facebook profile so they can find it more quickly. That works too, or you can add it to your Bookmark Bar in Google Chrome. Or, if you’re more into Pinterest, you can pin this article there.
   
2. Read this other article.
   If you’re on a computer or a laptop, go ahead and open this in another tab now because it goes DEEP into my experience living and teaching on a Native American reservation for 5 years.
   
3. Come join our free Facebook Group about living and teaching on a reservation.
   It can be so hard to find other people on this journey! So it’s a great little community.
   
4. Get onto my email newsletter.
   You’ll get access to a FREE database that lists schools on reservations with teaching jobs. We’re constantly updating it for you.

Okay! Now, let’s get to the 7 things I wish I knew before teaching on a Native American reservation.

This Post is What I Wish I Had

This first section is a bit personal, but it really explains part of the “why” behind this blog, my brand, and why anyone should listen to me when it comes to this topic (though of course, that’s your choice in the end!).

Think of it was a foreword before the book starts.

It gives context to the contents of the story.

But also, if you want to skip it, I won’t be offended (I wouldn’t even know!).

There Were No Resources for People Teaching on Native American Reservations

It’s already rare to meet Americans who know what reservations are, and that there are teaching jobs on the rez.

It’s even more rare to find resources for people looking to make the move there.

That’s exactly why I’m writing this article, and it’s why I founded this blog.

I thought, “If I can even help one teacher or family be a bit more prepared, then this is worth the time and the effort.”

So, I keep going!

I share everything I learned from my time living and teaching there, as well as what I continue to learn through research, networking, and my personal connections.

I have many friends still living and teaching on the rez – both Native and non-Native.

It’s a Connection To My Heritage

My grandmother raised me, and she was Shawnee.

One might wonder if that doesn’t make me Shawnee, too – and we do get into things like race and identity here on this website.

But for now, and for the purposes of this article, I’m a white lady with blonde hair and blue eyes.

I don’t look traditionally Native American, I didn’t grow up with all of the struggles of Indian Country, and I’m still hesitant to claim any of that heritage as my own.

Yet, it IS a part of me – and it’s something I’ve always been interested in.

When my Grandma passed away in late 2016, I realized this was a part of her life I never knew much about.

So when I had the opportunity to get a job teaching on a Native American reservation just a few months later, I took it.

This move also put me closer to my biological mom – so moving to the rez actually put me closer to family than it might for others.

If you did read this section, good on you.

You’ll need a deep why if you’re going to survive and thrive through this transition.

Because it is one heck of a transition.

If you’re serious about making this move, definitely take some time to reflect on:

• What’s calling you to teaching on a Native American reservation?
• Do you feel compelled to move to or teach in a specific place?
• Is it a certain tribe’s history you want to connect with?
• Or are you looking to move to a certain destination (there’s no wrong answer)?
• What are you gaining by moving there, and what are you giving up?

I had a really deep and strong why.

Turnover is very high for teachers on reservations.

And while I believe it’s always worth beating the statistic, to beat it, you need to go in mentally prepared and focused on your vision.

Okay – let’s really dig into it now.

1. It’s Not a Local’s Job to Educate You

Please don’t take this the wrong way.

I’ve come across so many blogs about social justice, race, and equity in education that basically blame and shame the reader.

They come off super preachy and just leave you feeling worthless.

I’m not here to do that at all.

I’m a fellow outsider who, like you, wants to do things the right way.

I know you want to educate yourself and be respectful.

I know you want to contribute positively.

I know you care deeply about the lives you affect and the kids you would teach!

That you long to make a difference and leave an impact on the world that’s more than money.

But one thing I wish I knew, is that it’s not any Native American person’s job to educate me on topics like:

• Social issues across Indian Country
• The songs, beliefs, traditions, or rituals of a certain tribe
• The history of all reservations, or a particular one
• Why a certain band, mission, tribe, or clan does or doesn’t do things a certain way

This is another reason I made this website, and started this Facebook Group!

Those are two great places to find answers to your questions.

Whether it’s about teaching on a Native American reservation in general, or about a specific tribe.

2. Building Trust Takes Time

Throughout my 20s, I took all kinds of fun seasonal jobs to travel.

I worked at a summer camp in Hawaii, a flower farm in Virginia, and at an outdoor school near San Francisco for a year.

And I’ve never had a problem making friends.

But the transition to life on the rez was hard.

I knew a bit about the culture (White Mountain Apache) already, since I’d grown up visiting my mom in the summers.

Hanging out with Apache kids is different from living on the reservation, though.

As I mentioned before, turnover for teachers on the rez is very high.

Most don’t teach more than 5 years there, and many quit after just 2 years.

In fact, I saw several teachers quit partway through first year.

So looking back now, it’s totally understandable why they didn’t trust me at first.

They didn’t know how long I was going to stick around!

It’s a very sad, self-fulfilling prophecy, though.

Many new teachers have ideas and expectations of how it will be, so they’re disappointed if they’re not immediately accepted or well-liked right away.

They take personal offense, and then they quit – again proving to students and other teachers that they were right.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Knowing that ahead of time doesn’t really make it any easier, but it does make you feel more prepared.

If you end up teaching on a Native American reservation, you’ll know about the high turnover – and you can either keep expectations low, OR make sure you’re connected into a community (even if it’s not other teachers or your students’ parents).

3. You Need to Be The Change You Wish to See

This kind of goes along with no. 2.

When you’re teaching on a Native American reservation, you’re actually working within several different cultures.

You have the cultures of:

• The greater tribe of the people living on the reservation
• The specific town or city you’re teaching in
• The school you’re teaching in
• Your classroom
• Your grade level team, and/or your teaching team

You can see why all of these layers makes things more complicated!

Whether or not you can or should change a culture is a whole other can of worms (we talk about complicated topics like this all the time in my Facebook Group about living and teaching on a reservation!).

What I will say here – is that, if you really want to see something change, you need to be the one that makes it happen.

Want to have community dinners in teacher housing? Host one.*

*many reservations offer housing for teachers at a highly subsidized rate. I paid $360 for a 3-bedroom house!

Want to be invited out with other teachers? Be willing to be the first to invite them.

It’s super uncomfortable and I get it. But that’s how we network and make friends!

4. Teaching on a Native American Reservation Goes Far Beyond the Classroom

If you’ve been a teacher for a while, and/or if you’ve taught before, then you already know how important it is to build relationships with students.

That’s true in any classroom anywhere!

But I’d argue it’s even more important when you’re teaching on the rez.

Relationships aren’t usually built on work alone.

Take some time to really get to know students’ preferences, likes, and dislikes.

And show interest in their after-school activities!

I regularly went to the kids’ basketball games and robotics tournament because it was important to them. I wanted them to know I was cheering them on!

Kids often don’t have consistent adults in their lives.

So if you’re willing to be one, and if you support the work other adults in their lives are doing, it really goes a long way.

I started getting parents asking for their kids to be in my class because they saw how much I cared about their kids, and their kids’ academic success.

5. Keep Those Academic Standards High

I typically see two groups of people who come to my blog.

And they’re both thinking about teaching on a Native American reservation.

Which one are you?

1. You’ve been a teacher for years, and you’re considering something different.
   This may not be the only thing you’re considering, either! You might be thinking about teaching abroad, teaching English abroad, or just moving to a different state for a fresh start.
2. You’re not a teacher, but you crave adventure.
   And you’re willing to become a teacher (even if it’s just for a few years) to try teaching on the rez. By the way – I won’t get into this too deeply here, but there are loads of perks if you decide to teach on a reservation even for a few years! In fact, many schools on reservations will help you get your teaching license. Especially in Arizona (check out the TEACH program; you can get a free teaching license and/or Master’s degree at the 3 major universities).

Which one are you?!

If you’re a no. 1 person, then you might already know how hard it is to keep high academic standards in any classroom.

Many schools encourage us to “teach to the middle,” but I’ve never agreed!

I’ve always pushed students to reach higher academically.

And I’ve found that, by having high standards and believing in their ability to achieve, my class always had better results on average (for testing, for competitions, just all around).

So keep those standards high and challenge every student to achieve more!

Because you might be the only one there pushing them to dream and aspire to more.

6. Be Prepared For What You Might See and Hear

On my first full week teaching on a Native American reservation (and as a teacher overall, because that was my first year), a student told me that her father had killed himself overnight.

I was so caught off-guard that I had no idea how to respond.

I had done loads of training and I thought that I was relatively trauma-informed.

But there are so many things that are prevalent on reservations that just aren’t as common everywhere else.

In fact, I though I was pretty well-prepared between:

• Working at a community center in inner-city Phoenix
• Growing up in a trailer park with people addicted to meth
• All of the work I’d done at summer camps, outdoor schools, and in communities.

I was woefully unprepared.

Doing some research on the specific tribe and reservation is a great start.

But I’d also expand your research to general life and struggles across Indian Country before moving to any rez (to teach or even to visit!).

7. There Are More Resources Than You Might Think

This was one of the biggest surprises from my time teaching on a Native American reservation.

I assumed that, because I was living and teaching on a reservation, there was going to be a lot of scarcity.

On a personal and household level, yes.

It’s very common to see a lot of poverty on the rez.

But at schools and in districts, there’s actually a fair amount of money.

Salaries tend to be higher than at other schools across the same state off the rez.

And because the tribes and districts received so many grants, there was more money than I would have expected.

One day, I had an admin come into my room – and tell me I had about 3 hours to spend almost $10,000 on S.T.E.M. equipment.

I was shocked!

But pleasantly surprised, to be honest.

Though I still went out of my way to buy things for my students, all of the basic supplies I needed were COVERED!

And when I needed something general, they’d order more.

If you’ve been teaching for a while, I’m sure your jaw is on the floor right now!!

Talk about refreshing, right?!

There are loads of resources outside of school, too.

If you do end up teaching on the rez, take the time to learn which resources are available to you, students, and families throughout your community.

You might have some silent community partners who would love to be a part of what you envision for your classroom and the greater community!

Conclusion: Teaching on a Native American Reservation Isn’t Always What People Are Expecting

There’s a quote I really love that fits this topic perfectly:

“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.” by Jim Rohn

And how true is that?

When you’re thinking about teaching on the rez, it’s natural to start by looking for jobs.

But slow down a bit and really ask yourself:

1. Do you really want to teach on the rez?
   
2. Why do you want to teach on the rez?
   
3. What kind of experience do you need to have?
   
4. Which lessons do you want to learn?
   
5. What do I need to know before I commit to moving to another nation?

If you’ve read all this and you’re still excited, that’s a great sign!

I never share details to scare people away.

It’s actually the opposite!

I want future teachers to know what they’re getting themselves into.

That way, if it’s not right for them, they can avoid it.

And if it IS right for them, they can go in with both eyes wide open and have an even better time than I did.

Learn Even More

Considering a teaching job on a reservation?

Then you might find these other blog posts to be helpful:

• Everything You Need to Know Before Teaching On a Reservation
  
• Should We Say Indigenous, Native American, or Indian?
  
• The Perks and Benefits of Teaching on an Indian Reservation