Introducing the Confluence “Bite Sized” Professional Development Series
In these changing times and with more time being spent on virtual platforms, we recognize that finding the time to engage in full day training is not always possible, so we are offering a series of “Bite Sized” Professional Development opportunities. These training sessions will address individual topics, and highlight how your teaching can align with Oregon’s Senate Bill 13:Tribal History/Shared History and Washington’s Since Time Immemorial.
Bite Sized PD – Rethinking Planning and Teaching About the First Thanksgiving
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm PST – This training will focus on the experience of two educators who took on the challenge of rewriting and teaching through Indigenous voices about the First Thanksgiving for K-2 classrooms. Louise and Melissa will share their process, lessons learned, and guidance for creating your own lesson plan around Indigenous subjects, both historic and contemporary, which can be inspiring for those teaching at any grade level.
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm PST – Optional: Take a deeper dive with Louise & Melissa as they share more about their Wampanoag-Indians Who Met the Pilgrims curriculum
Trainers:
Louise Wilmes – Native Hawaiian/Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma
Louise brings 41 years in education, (K-2), Title VI Indian Education Coordinator into the discussion space. She is retired but serves our community by challenging history and stereotypes about Indigenous peoples, through education.
Louise shares “We are not going to talk at all about that fateful dinner called Thanksgiving.” The discussion will be focused around The Wampanoags: The People who Met the Pilgrims: A perspective of power and partnership (for grades K-2), and how you as an educator can learn from their experience developing this curriculum, and be a part of challenging history and stereotypes about Indigenous peoples.
Melissa Howard – Classroom teacher, Reading and ELL Specialist
Melissa has 21 years of service in education (K-6) working with elementary school students as a 1st and 2nd grade classroom, teacher, K-6 ELL teacher, and K-5 Reading Intervention teacher. She has spent the last six years working on broadening the scope of her learning and teaching to include more diverse perspectives and representation in the elementary classroom and curriculum.