Rachel's Blog Day 1!!!!

Today was such an awesome day filled with firsts that I will always remember. I worked with a teacher at the Dora Reed Children's Center and helped out with the 4/5 year olds in her classroom. The morning started out in the classroom by serving breakfast to the kids and after that it was basically a "free day". There were different centers set up around the room that included building blocks, a sand station, a pretend kitchen with dishes, dress-up, etc. Side note- I'm going to use symbols like !@#$%&*() in order to describe students! After breakfast was over I played kitchen with ! and @ which was a lot of fun because we pretended things were really hot and couldn't touch with our bare hands. I also played dress-up with !@ and # where we dressed up as an artist, firefighter, construction worker, and policeman. I played at the sand station with ! and $ which was really cool because it was red clay sand versus our typical sandbox sand. The classroom also had a gigantic tub of plastic animal figurines that all the kids including !@#%*) played with and were preparing for "battle". While all of this was happening our teacher was doing an activity with the kids where they were hand printing and foot printing paper that they later cut out and put on kites for each individual student. The kids were pretty preoccupied with tying strings around their foreheads and calling themselves the ninja turtles. When it got closer to lunch time our teacher had all the kids sit down and go over the months, days of the week, colors, and shapes they had been previously talked about. After this we all had lunch together and then it was nap time where I was envious of the kids because I was so tired by that point. I read Curley for most of that time and throughout nap time some of the kids got up to go out to the bus or that was just when their parents were picking them up. By the time nap time was over, the kids that were left had a snack and then we headed to wrap around where I mostly just pushed kids on the swings until it was time to go. It was definitely a unique first day because I've never had so many curious faces asking me so many questions at once. I'm excited to see what this week brings especially if it was as cool as today!

AMAZING first day!

We arrived in Cherokee yesterday afternoon. We got into the schools bright & early this morning :] I absolutely love working with the younger children - I've had a lot of experience with younger ages, thanks to a large family & a Teacher Cadet program at my high school. Today I had to option of working at Dora Reed Children's Center or Big Cove Head Start. Because Big Cove is a little deeper into the reservation, I decided to go there. There are only two classes there: 3-year-olds & 4/5-year-olds. I worked with an amazing group of 10 students. For most of the day, we played and worked with students on basic interaction behavior [just talking to & interacting with them, plus supervising their interactions with others]. There was a teacher & teacher's assistant in the class, both of whom were very informative & friendly. While there wasn't much time for them to talk with me when the kids were awake & running around, they both spent the entire nap-time talking to me about things like: federal, state, & tribal standards; kids' histories; their lives; the curriculum; etc. My teacher has even offered to let me do some things in the classroom [like "circle-time"]. We did have one mishap with a student, but [hopefully] that is on its way to being resolved.

Dr. Bryant had talked about switching up our classrooms throughout the week, but I have asked to remain at Big Cove with my amazing 3-year-olds; they are so happy & carefree. I would love the opportunity to get to know them [and the teachers] better throughout the week. I'm excited to spend the rest of the week learning more about the Cherokee culture & about teaching/managing children in an actual classroom.

~Kristy

Day One-Success!

We have officially invaded Cherokee!! Cassie and I departed from Charlotte around 3 pm and made our last stop in Starbucks on the way out of town. As we worked our way up the mountain the first thing we saw was snow... I have to admit that were not amused, however we found ourselves working our way back down the mountain and could not get over how beautiful of a drive it was. The roads were like something you see in movies, or on a postcard. The setting sun was reflecting off of the river that guided us into Cherokee. After first trying to check in to the wrong Holiday Inn, we spent the night meeting up with the rest of our classmates and settling in. Whitney arrived at about midnight and as girls tend to do we spent the night talking and knew that come Monday morning we would regret our decision to stay up all night!!

6:00 am was a pretty early wake up call. We ate breakfast as a group and then left for Cherokee Head Start. The facility was impressive. I was placed in the three year old classroom where I was immediately embraced by six bright eyed, smiling students. At first I felt a bit out of place, but it was not long before I was made to feel as though I belonged. I was so impressed by the student’s manners. They always said please when asking for something and thank you when they received what they were asking for. They could even open those complicated milk containers on their own!! Once they ate their meal they got up and cleared their plates and but them back on the cart. It was then circle time, and if I did not feel like I belonged before I certainly did then. All six of the children found a part of my lap to sit on. They wanted to know everything about me- my name, how old I was, why I was wearing a necklace, why my shoes were silver, etc. After, I played centers with each of the students. I dressed up as a fairy princess with Lily, explored all the patterns on seashells with Adrian, built train tracks with Wyatte, and explored life under the ocean on the computer with Eva. After centers we went outside on the playground where there were several other classes, including the class Sarah was placed in. The playground was huge and had so many awesome play sets for the children to play on. I pushed children on the swings, went down the slide a million times, played in the sandbox, and even found myself riding in a line of tiny bikes :) It was then nap time, and after all of the days activities I wanted a nap too! During naptime is when I got to spend a lot of time talking to the teachers. I found out a lot about growing up on the reservation and what they think of all of the change that has been coming lately. They told me about the great local restaurants, hiking spots and waterfalls, and other things to check out while I was in town. The most interesting conversation I had was with a man whose entire family had grown up on the reservation.

After our time was done at Cherokee Head Start I have to admit I was exhausted. However, Dr. Bryant took us to a spot where he spent time when he was younger with his grandfather. It was a gorgeous view. The water was FREEZING. Trust me, I attempted to walk around in it and was unsuccessful. We had dinner at a local park where we made the mistake of feeding the ducks and geese... they were not too friendly.

I would say that day one was a SUCCESS. I don't think tonight will be a late night; I am exhausted, but ready for tomorrow!
Until tomorrow....
Allie

Day 1

Today I got to work with two-year-olds at the Dora Reed Children's Center. I've never worked with kids that young, so I knew this would be an interesting experience for me. I was relieved that the kids didn't have the initial shyness I'm used to when I'm the new person in their classroom. They came up to me right away asking me all kinds of questions and wanting me to play with them. I was very impressed that a lot of the children already, at two-years-old, knew their ABC's, colors, shapes, and could count from 1-10. One little boy even knew what an octagon was. I also noticed that all the baby dolls appeared to be of Native American ethnicity. I also saw a small booklet that had counting from one to five in Cherokee. Today was definitely a unique experience for me and I hope to get to work with multiple age levels this week.

♥Lisa Lisa

Sarah T- Day One

Today I went to Dora Reed Children Center and their Head Start program. I was in a four-five year old classroom. There were nine kids in the classroom. The kids were great. They were so friendly and welcoming. They said hi to me as soon as I walked in. The teachers were really great too. It was an interesting atmosphere. It was kind of sad to see the evidence of the children in the low income families. I think it is awesome that the head start program provides breakfast, lunch and snack for all the children. The teachers had them working in stations. One teacher had them practice writing their names. They were also learning the days of the week and the months of the year. They were practicing working with others, and other topics. I can't wait for tomorrow!

Cassie's Blog.. Day 1!

The journey to Cherokee began on Sunday around 2:30 when Allie and I pulled out of the Food Lion parking lot in Mooresville NC. Our first priority on the drive was to find a Starbucks since we both doubted that there would be one in Cherokee. The drive to Cherokee was filled with amazing mountain views that Allie and I could not stop gasping at. We arrived in Cherokee around 6 and just talked with everyone the rest of the night.
Monday I began my day by waking up at 6 a.m. and eating a great breakfast in the hotel. I went to Big Cove Head Start which was an amazing school and a great first day experience. There are only two classrooms in this school and I was in a 4-5 year old classroom. The children in this class were incredible.. they did not stop moving the whole day. Children always amaze me with their openness to accept anyone into their lives. As soon as I entered the classroom every child wanted to ask me questions and tell me about their lives. We first ate breakfast and then proceeded to play time where the children were able to choose an area they wanted to play in. I was pulled in every direction by every child to go with them and to play with them. My favorite play area was playing with the legos. Next we went and played on the play ground which consisted of chasing children around and playing catch. I think everyone had a great time today. At the end of the day I was worn out but it was worth every minute. I had a great first day experience and I am looking forward to the rest of the week!

Whitney's Story... Day 1

I left Winston-Salem at around 8:30 after watching my Clemson Tigers suffer a tough loss at Wake Forest. I picked up Sierra in Hickory and we finally made it to Cherokee at around 12:00 a.m. without getting in a wreck on that crazy, windy road. Driving in last night I did not get to see a lot of the scenery, but this morning I realized just how beautiful Cherokee is! Today, I worked at the Dora Reed Child Care Center in a four and five year old classroom. All of the children were so wonderful and sweet! I walked into the classroom and all of the kids just crowded around and wanted to tell me everything about themselves. We painted rainbows, cut out an octopus, read stories, took a nap, played hide-and-seek, rode tricycles, and just had a lot of fun! I am now exhausted after being chased around the playground for an hour and pushing a countless number of children on the swings... It is about time for bed! It was an all around great day!! :)

Hey!!

Sorry this is super late! My computer is being revived, ugh! Anyway, my name is Sierra Yoder. I am a senior going on my super-senior year. I am from Hickory, NC. I have been to Cherokee once before and it was for a cheerleading camp. We went tubing down the river in the middle of the summer and about froze our hind-ends off, haha. Anyway I look forward to seeing everyone and working with the children!

We're Here!

WOO CHEROKEE!!

Hey guys, I'm Rachel Smith and I'm from Chapel Hill, NC. I'm super excited about this trip to Cherokee because I think it will be a great opportunity to be immersed in the Cherokee culture and I don't have much field experience in the classroom. A couple of random facts about myself if that I love to travel and have been to 44 states in the U.S. I was fortunate enough to visit so many of these places because of LPA (Little People of America) where they have annual conventions every summer.

Hey!

My name is Sarah Grzesik (on the right!), and I'm from Cary, North Carolina. I am a Junior elementary education major here at Appalachian State, and I love my major. Some of my favorite things to do are play and watch soccer, fishing, hiking, basically anything outdoors. I am so excited about our trip this week and think this is a great opportunity to get to go. I went to Cherokee last summer and fell in love with the town, and am really excited to be going back! See you all soon!

Blast from the Past

I found this picture of downtown Cherokee circa 1950s and thought I'd pass it along. The town has changed a great deal, but the basic character is the same. The Sequoyah Restaurant (circled) was a great place that my Grandpa Norris and I used to go to. They had the best country-fried steak in the world! The building is still there, but it is now a leather shop. Recently I was there with my family and I met the owner. I told him about how my Grandpa and I used to eat there and pointed out where "our" table was. He told me to hang tight and he would be right back.

When he returned he had a glass Sequoyah Restaurant ash tray that he had found weeks earlier while cleaning out the attic! He gave it to me to keep--a perfect example of the thoughtful hospitality I always find there. I don't smoke any more, but the ash tray is on my desk at home, a great reminder of some wonderful times spent with my grandpa.

Very Excited!

Hey everyone! My name is Cassie Gryder and I am from Mooresville NC which is about 20-30 minutes outside of Charlotte. I am very excited for our trip to Cherokee. I think that this is a great opportunity to work with children and learn about their culture that they live in. Our trip is only a few days away and I am sure we are going to have a blast. I can not wait to have fun with everyone and learn. Well I will talk to you soon!

Hey!

Hey :) My name is Lauren Pope, but you can call me Allie. I am from Charlotte, NC and this is my third year at Appalachian. I am very excited about the Cherokee Spring Break because I think it will be a wonderful experience. I have never been to Cherokee before and am looking forward to learning a lot and having a blast with my great classmates! Random Fact- I have some Cherokee in my heritage! It's almost that time... See you Sunday!! :)

Hey!

Hey guys! I'm Lisa Lisa (no, really!). I grew up in Cary, NC, but I was actually born in Clyde, NC (Haywood County) and spent the first several years of my life, followed by many summers and vacations in Maggie Valley, NC. We visited Cherokee on numerous occasions and it's been a long time since I've been there, so I'm very excited about this trip and the opportunity to go back. Oh! Instead of a random fact, I thought I'd leave you with an old picture of myself and my little brother at a show in Cherokee when I was 10... Yes, I'm rockin' that '101 Dalmatians' outfit :)

Hey!

Hey everyone! My name is Whitney Fisher and I am from High Point, NC. This is my second year at Appalachian State and I absolutely love it so far! I have heard wonderful things about the Cherokee Spring Break trip and I cannot wait to experience it myself. An interesting fact- I love playing and watching as many sports as I possibly can. See you next week! :)

Hey!

My name is Kristina Knowles, but you can call me Kristy. I, like Sarah, am from Waxhaw NC - we actually graduated high school together! I transferred to Appalachian from UNC-Wilmington after my sophomore year. I'm really looking forward to this Cherokee trip, in addition to being a great opportunity for those going, I'm pretty sure we're going to have a blast and come back to Boone with some good stories!! This will be my first experience blogging, so please bear with me. My interesting fact: I'm addicted to Cash Cab :] See you Sunday!!

Hey

I'm Sarah Teeter. I'm from Waxhaw NC. I transferred to ASU from a community college in Charlotte after my Sophomore year. I am excited about going to Cherokee this year because I think it would be a good experience. Not to mention, the benefits of not having to write a paper, finishing my service hours, and blogging every day... which I enjoy doing on my own anyway. An interesting fact about myself: I enjoy learning American Sign Language.

Meet the Crew

The students going on the spring break trip this year are: Sarah Grzesik, Cassie Gryder, Whitney Fisher, Lauren Pope, Kristina Knowles, Sarah Teeter, Lisa Lisa, Amelia Orr, Rachel Smith and Sierra Yoder.

Thanks for stepping up!

Coming Soon

We're gearing up for another great year and trip to the Qualla Boundary. This year ten RCOE students and I will be working at the Dora Reed Child Care Center and the Big Cove Head Start. I'm really excited about working in Big Cove, because that is where my Grandpa Norris was born and grew up. This will be our first year working there.

In the next few days the students will be introducing themselves to you, so please check back in. We'll start full time blogging about our Cherokee experiences on Sunday.