September 11, 2024 • 63 mins
Join us for an insightful discussion with Maestra Irene as we delve into the multifaceted challenges of the education system. This episode explores the intersection of education, indigenous modalities, and healing, addressing the struggles faced by students and educators alike.
Maestra Irene shares her personal journey, from her heritage to her extensive experience in the classroom. She discusses the importance of social-emotional support, the impact of current societal issues on education, and the critical need for community involvement in schools.
Discover how indigenous teachings can offer solutions to modern educational challenges and learn about the concept of restorative practices. Maestra Irene also touches on the realities of safety protocols in schools, such as the "Run, Hide, Fight" strategy, and the emotional toll these measures take on teachers and students.
Whether you're a parent, educator, or community member, this conversation sheds light on the pressing need for holistic approaches to education and the power of being present and involved. Don't miss this opportunity to understand the deeper issues within our education system and how we can collectively work towards healing and improvement.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hi, everyone. Hi from the feed, or if you're listening to this on the podcast, hello.
We are just minutes away being joined by Maestra Irene, and we have a really
exciting plática planned for you all today.
(00:20):
Today, it's going to touch upon education, indigenous modalities,
how one manages healing in education,
not just as, you know, individuals that have gone through the education system,
whether when you were in elementary to higher education and sort of healing
(00:43):
from that and also if you're an educator.
So we're going to talk about a number of different things, and we're going to
also touch upon where we currently stand.
I think this is a very pertinent conversation at this time. So I hope that you'll stay with us.
(01:09):
This has everything to do with you, whether you have kids, you know,
are an educator, or have already gone through, you know, this is for community members.
So if you are looking forward to stimulating conversation, just give us a minute.
It so maestra in it you have
(01:31):
to press the the video there's like
a little video icon on the very bottom that has a plus symbol
on it you need to press that so you
can join all right just give us here we go all right she's joining us right
now there we go i wasn't quite sure or how to join.
(01:58):
I was just giving everybody a little bit of a preview of some of the topics
we're going to cover today.
So thank you so much for joining us.
And this is very exciting.
I hope that you've had a great day and are ready for this little platica. How are you? Thank you.
(02:23):
I am. I'm good.
I actually wasn't in the classroom today. I was in a little meeting,
like a training meeting.
So it was actually pretty, pretty relaxed morning.
Well, let's get started. Would you mind introducing yourself and just giving
(02:46):
us a little bit of background information, especially in regards to this conversation today? Okay.
Well, my name is Irene Martinez Sanchez, and I come from two very distinct but beautiful people.
My father, Jose, comes from the Arizona-Sonora area, and my mother,
(03:10):
Rosalia Martinez, comes from over here, Baja California, by way of Mexicali.
I am the 13th child, and I am the first to have gone to a four-year and finish
a four-year educational program.
(03:32):
Two of my brothers finished two-year junior college, and I'm also the first
one to have two master's advanced degrees.
I have a BA in Spanish and a bicultural certification.
(03:53):
I have a master's degree in teaching and learning.
And I have a master's degree in administration, leadership, and education.
I am a student of life. I have connected to my Indigenous ancestors later in life.
(04:14):
The universe has blessed me the opportunity to find that beautiful part of me later in life.
And I've spent the last about 15 years learning a bit more and connecting to
that beautiful space that is my Indigenous heritage.
(04:36):
Gift that has been buried deep inside.
I've been in the classroom. Oh, yeah, I've been in the classroom. I almost forgot.
I've been in the classroom 25 years this year, and I've been in three different districts.
(04:57):
In two different public educational settings in a charter school for three years
and for the past 22 years in public education in two different traditional public
education systems in two different districts in Riverside,
in Temecula, California for one year and 21 years here in Escondido, California,
(05:24):
North County, San Diego. Wow.
That's a long time. That's a lot under your belt.
It's been a journey.
Well, thank you. Thank you so much for enlightening us on what your background is.
And would you mind, well, I don't even know how we can get started on this topic.
(05:51):
So we met previously and we sort of landed on this topic and we were already
planning this before the recent events,
you know, but I think the recent events definitely impacted the direction in
which we were going to take this conversation.
So initially, we were going to speak about the intersection,
(06:13):
education and healing and the application of indigenous modalities now.
And so why don't we begin there and sort of expand there how current events are relevant.
It then okay you know it was funny
(06:33):
because I was listening on the way home to a
podcast I can't remember the name of it but it's a bunch of it's teachers who
are two of them are comedians and one is still in education but he's not so
they do this comedy tour and they were talking about how much education has changed and you know.
(06:55):
Education in itself, I believe, now one
of the major differences in education is we're beginning to see that invisible
foundation of what the educational system really was built for and created to do,
(07:18):
which is to turn out workers.
And that foundation was very, very well disguised in many different ways.
And I believe with all the changes that have come up, especially all the violence
that has come up in schools,
(07:38):
it has kind of uplifted this veil of what education is.
Is we think about educators, and there's so much that is put on educators,
on facilitators, on teachers who are in the classroom.
And the violence continues in many different forms.
(08:04):
And it takes such a huge, unthinkable act of violence, like the school shootings
that have been happening for many, many years to get people to notice.
And then if you think about it, it's not even that big of a deal anymore.
At least I feel like the conversation.
(08:28):
It's already old news. It is.
It's becoming almost an insignificant byproduct of education.
It's insignificant because there's no solution as of yet.
Nobody has really had an idea of how to find a solution.
(08:53):
And part of it is because I believe right now, first of all,
social emotional support for our students is barely coming into mainstream educational
programs in local schools.
It used to be, it's always been there, but it used to be for those extreme cases.
(09:13):
But I can speak for my experience, these last two years, three years,
all schools in the district now have hired social workers and school psychologists. colleges.
And for example, this past two years, we even have what we call a wellness center
(09:34):
where students can go and relax.
And when they feel overwhelmed or anxious, they don't need a pass or a note or anything.
It's self-directed by the student, self-requested.
But look at how long it's been since we first started seeing these major acts
(09:56):
of violence in schools, right?
It's been too long.
That I think is an issue. On things that are so simple, but we never talk about
them because it has to do with education and has to do with schools.
And we all know that everybody needs to be in school.
(10:18):
School but what's happening in the school that's the
question that i would last i would like to ask does anybody
know what happens in schools anyone who's not on a daily basis in education
what do you all think happens in school i think there's that's a big disconnect
you know it's it's one of those things where you go you drop off your kid you
(10:39):
know you pick up your kids yeah you know
they do their homework but what is actually
going on in the classroom and you know what one
of the words that is really standing out to me
from what you've just said is this idea of a byproduct you
know the the the school
within itself I feel that there are bigger societal issues
(11:01):
you know whether things going on at home the
way that things are structured and you
know all these kids are going to school you know these individuals the teachers
you know the administrators you know the at the end of the day these are people
you know that are also subject to what's going on in the world society etc and
(11:23):
of course i feel that the output is going to
be weird or not be.
I guess not have some sort of like, algo que lo ensucia, no sé,
like it's not going to have impurities, you know, of course it's going to have impurities if.
(11:46):
I think this is a larger societal issue of healing and addressing the real issues at hand.
And, you know, these individuals and these kids are just going to school and
it's manifesting itself there.
You know, but is it really like an educational issue?
I mean, at the end of the day, everybody sort of gets educated or even these
(12:08):
administrators, they go through the education system.
But, well, obviously there's a disconnect, there's a failure.
Well, I believe that it's almost like our education system and institution was
built with one end in mind,
right, to produce workers in the beginning.
(12:30):
And there has been so much change, not only politically, socially, but culturally.
And when we talk about healing and we talk about our students,
I think the narrative has been the same.
We still have students who come to school and they've probably done three or
(12:53):
four adult like activities per se.
I mean, adult like activities, like maybe they had to feed their siblings.
Maybe they'd have to drop them off or maybe they had just, you know,
had to do some work to help their parents for something or another.
And then they have to go to school.
(13:15):
We still have students who get out of school and have to go to work and they
have to go to work, not because they want to buy a car, because they want to buy clothes.
They have to go to work because they have to pay their rent because maybe they're
unaccompanied minors who are immigrants from another school.
Or, you know, we have kids who are in the system that we call the system.
(13:38):
They live in group homes or, you know, and with all the implications that all those things carry.
Right. So that, I think, has been a constant. But now you add the issue of fear.
Now you add the issue of where am I going to find peace?
(14:03):
That one place where I can truly rest, where I can take a nap because I've been
up since four o'clock in the morning helping someone or taking care of someone.
Or I went to bed at three because I got out of work at that time.
Where can students find a space to do that and still acquire some kind of learning?
(14:33):
So I'm not sure, I'm not quite sure if the public understands those things.
And then what is that impact for the person in the classroom,
for the teacher in the classroom, where you have this mix of students who you
might be having a student who has so much support at home and their parents,
(14:58):
you know, make their lunch still.
They drop them off and then you
might have this other student who has to work to pay for his or her rent and
buy their food it is it is like you got to juggle so many things in the classroom
because you have to make sure if you have a kid who's falling asleep are you really going to,
(15:21):
think that that kid is thinking about whatever lesson you have planned for the
day that's student needs to rest and you have to be in a space.
As an educator to acknowledge and
honor that and not a
lot of facilitators educators
(15:42):
teachers whatever the label they that is
in you know they like to put for themselves not a lot of us it takes us a while
to get there to understand that so you know I don't know what your experience
was too much I know a little bit you've shared a little bit about what your
experience was as as a student,
(16:03):
you know, but I don't think much has changed.
It's just now there's more criteria that we have to put out there for students. There's more tests.
There's different types of tests. There's a push to go to college.
There's, you know, a push to join in the culture of the school,
(16:25):
go to football games, you know, which is all great. It's great.
It's a great I feel that there is a sort of lack of investment that is happening.
I feel that students and educators and individuals,
there's such an amount of compounded trauma or pressure from a system that I kept,
(16:51):
you know, after that conversation we had initially, I kept seeing these images
of sort of like a house being held on toothpicks.
Where there's like a fragility currently.
There's a lot of the support beings and the systems that make up the structure of society.
A multitude of different things in our reality feels like it's on this brink of collapse.
(17:16):
And I think that the education system, it sounds like a lot of it is being like
pushed down that direction. And it's hard.
It's hard for, I think it's education has always been difficult,
but now there's sort of like a bleakness, a lack of hope in the world.
You know, what are, you know, with the environment, there's so many different
(17:38):
crises happening at the same time that, you know, why should a student,
you know, or anyone really stay motivated?
I think a lot of people sort of have these horse blinders on,
you know, just trying to focus on what's in front of them.
But I think that's getting harder, you know, because, yes, you know,
there has always been responsibilities, you know, for for sure.
For me, it was difficult. I, you know, I had to pick up the same roles,
(18:03):
those parentified roles, and still pursue my education.
And, you know, at least then, you know, the narrative was that if you pushed
hard enough, that if you studied hard enough, that you could get yourself out
of that situation where you wouldn't have to be, you know, taking on those roles, you know.
But it's sad because it's being pushed early into adulthood and then you get
(18:27):
to adulthood and it's still like that.
But now it's, you know, those promises aren't there, you know.
So what is being promised now?
And it's, you know, I think kids are smart. They realize it's not true.
Yeah. Well, you know, we have to realize that young people today have something
(18:49):
that no other generation has had.
They have the knowledge of the world in the palm of their hands.
So talk about motivation issues.
If you want to sit in a classroom full of students and believe that.
The idea presenting information in the way you've had, you have done so before,
(19:16):
and the students will understand it, number one, or process it in the same way
as students, let's say, even five to 10 years before, you have another thing coming.
Coming because you can say something and students can look it up.
And then some students might say that, no, this has been my experience or,
(19:40):
hey, look at this is what I found right now.
And, you know, they can learn things on their own when they want.
If it's something that they truly want, They will learn and they will do things.
However, simple things that I think this I do believe as far as,
(20:07):
for example, communication and respect and being true to your word.
A lot of these that are beautiful indigenous teachings are things that,
at least for me, I focus more on and that draws them in.
(20:28):
And it's a very simple yet hard to see need. Need.
Students need someone to remind them, hey, I'm glad you're here,
but I need you to be respectful. It's time to take off your earbuds and take off your phone.
(20:51):
I'm going to listen to you. If you have a question for me, I'm going to ask
you to please listen to me when I have some information to share with you.
And that's those are some of the words that I like to use that comes from that reciprocity.
You know, I will receive from you, but I will also give to you because a lot
(21:15):
of our students need and they crave, I think sometimes they don't want it.
They don't want it. They need it and they crave it. that human connection.
And when you really think about a lot of the student, a lot of these young people
who commit violent crimes, I really, really believe that they are missing that true human connection.
(21:45):
That genuine, the genuineness of care is,
And it's really sad. It's really
sad that our schools are more worried and preoccupied with test scores,
more worried and preoccupied with what does your site look like on paper?
(22:09):
Is your site completing everything that they need to to have a WASC certification?
Education, you know, more importance is placed in that.
We just got an email yesterday. This is going to be funny.
Teachers, we have a, and I hope everybody, you know, we have a no couch policy
(22:34):
in our district, a no couch policy.
That was important enough to send an email to
remind mind all the teachers you can't have a
couch in your classroom and you can't have
a couch in any teacher comment area that was important enough to to send out
i want you to let that no couch policy is very important but have we talked
(22:59):
about i think it's very nuanced i think yeah You know,
what happened to make that become a thing?
I wonder, I wonder what, what, what is that is, you know.
But that was super important. I mean, so, so is, so is PLC meetings,
(23:20):
you know, professional learning communities.
We always have, you know, that on there, but so is the local pep rally, but a no couch policy.
It's like, wow, who, that's, there was money for that, I guess.
But there's no money for other things.
(23:40):
Somebody got paid to write that policy up, right? You did.
One thing I think you started to touch upon that I think that our audience would
be really interested in hearing more about is how,
you know, I think that with systems, they're starting to realize,
(24:00):
okay, obviously there's a problem.
We're not meeting our status quo. So, you know, let's put out this,
you know, whatever policy or program,
you know, because we care about the kids or we care about educators where they're
taking elements and aspects of Indigenous modalities and are applying it,
(24:24):
you know, but using different terminologies.
They're essentially taking it i'm using different words
instead of you know actually going to hiring real
indigenous people or you know just can you let's let's
open that can of worms so oh yes restorative practice restorative practices
(24:44):
it's a big shift and it's interesting because Because it is the,
can you, can you elaborate,
like, what is restorative practice for those?
Restorative practice is rooted in the indigenous circle philosophy.
(25:05):
Of coming together and looking
at the problem and some like
a school program it is county it is countywide right now it is an actual way
to shift from punitive disciplinary actions to a more restorative practice.
(25:32):
And it focuses on reparations to repair a damage that has done, identify,
repair it, and not focus on the wrongful or the hurt. It's not punitive.
(25:56):
And, you know, it's an awesome concept and it's an awesome program,
but it requires a shift in culture and it requires the whole site to be involved.
From the top leaders, principals, assistant principals, down to even the custodians,
(26:21):
the security, we are all together.
And that's another thing that people don't realize. Schools don't run without,
you know, classified staff.
They don't run because we can't have clean classrooms if we don't have our beautiful
custodians. You know, we can't have a safe school if we don't have our our aides
(26:43):
and our security guards.
And they also need to be trained in this.
So the idea if a student if students are having an issue, there is an altercation,
whether it's physical, verbal.
Vote, then the idea is to bring them together in a circle, having a talking piece.
(27:03):
And there is a prescriptive dialogue to follow of questions.
You know, it's very difficult because if not Not everyone is trained in this. It will fall apart.
And students, there will be no accountability, or at least that's what it will seem like.
(27:30):
And I've been trained through the school in these restorative practices.
And I've also had the opportunity to live and learn through these last 15 years
the beauty, non-judgment, and the beauty of being present and aware and of connection.
But none of these things, beautiful aspects of our Indigenous culture.
(27:54):
Way of being are necessarily mentioned in this restorative program.
And I've had colleagues, I've had colleagues who are deeply,
deeply rooted, they're maestros in their practice, and they've worked in programs
that train teachers and districts on this,
(28:17):
and they've been looked over and other people have moved up.
It's all, I believe, more like a dog and pony show.
And it's sad. It's sad because it's reduced down to a script.
(28:40):
And the heart of it, I believe, is missing.
But some schools have implemented and have done great things with it.
I'm not going to deny that.
They train all their staff.
They train the students and the students run with it.
But I believe that it has not been across the board. At least it has not been
(29:05):
like that at our site yet.
And I, you know, I'm still a teacher at heart. I say yet,
because I truly hope that one day it does come to fruition that our indigeneity
is honored and valued and.
And and be seen i hope it's being it's able to be seen in in in in the schools you know,
(29:35):
It sounds like there is so much pressure, you know, and that there are,
you know, attempts at trying to help.
However, it also sounds like in all the trainings and all the focus that goes
on, you know, the couch or, you know, all those different things that,
(29:56):
you know, the main function.
You know, of being an educator is sort of lost.
And now, you know, one of the things that we talked about was how educators
are now having to take on this role of being protectors, you know,
and I remember in our conversation, we talked about the concept of run,
hide and fight, and that some people out here don't know that that is now a
(30:22):
pressure that's being put on your teacher on top of everything else.
And then we're wondering why students aren't learning or students can't connect
with each other or why things are the way they are.
And these students, they're not just students, there are kids,
there are the individuals that are going to inherit our future systems.
(30:42):
And, you know, instead of focusing and trying to help, help them,
which is really helping us in the future,
year we're not you know we're so disconnected from that
you know it's it really does feel like this
this current society just doesn't
care about kids or we're so we're we're
(31:04):
so far removed from putting in our investment in
in them we're just so focused on i don't know gratification the instant gratification
the seven generations to come with which again you know it is that is an an
Indigenous teaching and philosophy that we imagine.
(31:26):
Yeah. If we could connect. That beauty of, well, maybe, you know,
it's funny because I just thought.
You know, that is our policy now. If we have an emergency, if we have,
and we were trained on this, we were shown videos on how to, on possible scenarios.
(31:48):
We're no longer just to lock down. Now we have to be prepared to make the decision if there is,
for example, a shooter on campus or an intruder on campus with a weapon,
any type of dangerous situation, we need to lock down, lock our doors.
(32:12):
If there's windows, make sure you close the curtains, make sure there's no way to look in.
And you have to decide if you're going to,
if the circumstances call for it,
can you run or should you hide or should you fight and you know when I first
(32:34):
heard that about I think it was like three or five years ago I don't know I
was like what are you what are you seeing like to me it was like,
unthinkable and until and they would show us these videos of
like okay there's a shooter on campus and you have to listen to the radio and
if the if the shooter is in the north side of campus and your classroom is on
(32:58):
the south side of campus and you hear that the shooter is moving more north
or you hear that it's moving this way,
then is there a way to find a way to get your students out and run to safety?
Or if you're in the north end and you know that the shooter is in your building
(33:20):
and you know that the possibility of the shooter getting into your classroom,
room, barricade your classroom, and then get ready, get books,
get chairs, get whatever.
And you're going to throw those at the intruder. I was like, okay.
What? I was dumbfounded in the first, the first time I heard it.
And, you know, it came out in the news for a little bit, but I wonder if parents,
(33:46):
the cousins that have little kids,
if they truly understand the magnitude of the responsibility that that comes
with, You know, because teachers,
I truly believe most teachers, and I use the word most because the majority
(34:12):
of teachers are teachers because that is what they're meant to be.
They're there because that's their calling. That's their passion.
Just like anywhere else, you have that 1% who is there for the paycheck or is
there for whatever the reason. They don't last.
But those of us that are there because it is our calling, we are maestros and maestras.
(34:35):
And that is where we're meant to be. We take that responsibility and it weighs
heavy because in the back of our mind that those are our community's children.
Those are, like you say, they're our country and our land's future.
(34:57):
Can you imagine being responsible for that? And, you know, it's sometimes it's
just unthinkable and there are no words to describe how one feels.
And can you imagine what the poor little children that we have to tell them? All right.
This is the solution. There's an intruder out there. They might come in.
Let's get ready to throw our books, throw our chairs.
(35:21):
I just I mean, the that whole concept is really unfathomable.
Like there's so many other things going
on you know like why why is this something
that we have to deal with you know but this is
the reality of things and it's hard for for parents you know to think about
(35:43):
you know that a school should be some somewhere where kids feel safe you know
or any of us feel safe especially higher education as well um you should be
able to feel safe in in these spaces,
yet there are so many different issues.
And I know all this stuff is often said, when we talk about it's a bigger societal issue.
(36:06):
And one of the things that we had talked about too, was that some teachers may not even be safe.
The number of allegations that come out where there's misconduct from a teacher
to a student, and these teachers are closed.
They're behind closed doors. You don't know what's going on in the classroom, you know.
(36:30):
But all of those things, again, you know, I feel that are outside the school.
But the school just happens to be the place where all these things end up.
It's almost like a landfill.
Like I saw an image like a landfill.
And that's really awful to think about it that way too.
And that's our future. We never allow ourselves to think about it that way.
(36:54):
It's a beautiful garden. You can imagine it this way. This is really the reality.
It could be a landfill. And in that landfill,
there are pockets and little meadows that that trash is fertilizer for those
(37:17):
classrooms that offer the beauty of safety.
And that offer that beauty of care.
Because I do want to stress that I do believe that the majority of educators,
the majority of maestros and maestras are there because it is their calling.
(37:38):
And it is the 1% who close the door and do whatever it is that their minds want
to do. And that is putting it mildly.
It is the 1%, just like anywhere.
You could really, that analogy that you just shared, you could really look at
(38:00):
that and use it for our current culture and our current state.
You talked about the seven generations, philosophy and idea.
We are so disconnected and we are so divided as a human race.
(38:24):
And some of the arguments for that division sound beautiful and great.
But truly, truly, something bad can be put out there as something good.
Something negative can be put out there as something positive. Right?
(38:47):
Like your mom would have told you, No andes haciendo cosas buenas que en realidad son malas. You know?
When that classroom door closes, the majority of us get to work.
We do what needs to be done for our students that semester, that year.
And we advocate for that.
(39:07):
Sadly, just like everywhere else, there's that 1% who does not.
And that is where we have to come together as a community.
And we have to be present and we have to be a voice.
Not only a voice we have to be a force and we
can't be divided we can't be oh you know
(39:29):
those are the african-american parents oh those are
the mexican-americans oh those are the indigenous parents oh those are the caucasian
parents no no no no no our future is all young people and the parents have the
power to exert change in any public education system.
(39:51):
They need to come together and have a voice. There needs to be unity.
And we have to really think about that broad concept of why does this machine,
why does this government, why do they want people to be divided?
Because once we come together, we have the power to exert change in any situation,
but especially in public education.
(40:15):
Because I guarantee you, all those, especially in secondary education,
in high school, all All of the students who get a schedule, and they might have
that teacher who is a one-percenter,
the parent is in the principal's office, not the counselor.
He bypasses everybody and is
demanding that their student be placed in the best classroom that can be.
(40:41):
If the principal does not acquiesce, we're going to the district.
If the superintendents don't acquiesce, we're going to the board.
Those parents get their students in the best place possible.
You know, it is a game, and we need to come together.
(41:03):
And parents need to understand that.
None of that, bueno, están de escuela el maestro, la maestra sabe, sabe lo que es mejor.
No todo el tiempo, no todo el tiempo. Ese no es el caso.
You know, I don't know if that makes sense, but I think it's important that it's said because.
(41:30):
You know, even if people want change, they often don't know how to go about it.
Yes. And it really, you know, especially when we're talking about this amorphous,
like bigger change, it is, it's harder to reach up there.
We have to go through these other smaller steps.
(41:50):
And, you know, our education system is one of the more important ones because
they are literally molding the minds of the future. I think that's a thing, the minds of the future.
It's a beautiful place to be. It's a beautiful place to be. I'm not going to lie.
I love it. I love school and I love my teachers, you know, and it was a safe
(42:16):
place for me to be, you know, growing up before having to think about those things.
And it makes me sad to think that that concept may not be real anymore, especially in today.
They, you know, one of the things that we had talked about was healing,
you know, how does one heal, like within the system from the system as an educator,
(42:37):
as a student, as even as a parent,
you know, that, that there have
been aspects of the institution that have maybe done more damage than,
than have taught us, you know,
I also want to hear from, from those watching you know
if there's any comments or questions or anything that they
(42:59):
would like to expand upon as as we continue this conversation you know what
are what are some like takeaways you know as we're coming to to a near end i i do have to say for me i am.
(43:20):
A maestra who has come from a long road of opportunities for growth.
Some people might say come a long road of trauma, a long road of,
you know, barriers, challenges, things.
(43:40):
Healing within the education system, I think, requires disconnection for educators,
for classroom teachers.
But the system is set up for that to be almost literally impossible because
in order for you to do a good job,
(44:04):
you must plan, you must organize,
and you must present.
And then you have to look at what you're doing.
If it's not working, you have to change it. and sometimes that's on the period
basis, on the daily basis, minute to minute.
(44:25):
Sometimes it's on the weekly basis. Sometimes it's on a yearly basis.
So you have to disconnect. You have to have time to say, I'm leaving my computer
at home, I'm leaving my teacher bag at home and I'm leaving at a certain amount of time.
Public education can run because
(44:46):
teachers work for free i'm
going to say a hundred percent of the
time we work for free because of
our students i'm talking not i'm talking
the 99 we do so
we have to disconnect and these are this is the message for the new teachers
(45:07):
coming in you need to be patient with yourself and you need to find out who
is your community within that site that is going to back you up.
And that is another key feeling.
And you need to come to rest with your own power.
(45:32):
For example, the last couple of years, I run a girl's circle.
And that has been one of my ways of healing. And I've run boys circles.
And I'm going to do a shameless plug for the Seen Actually group because I was
fortunate enough to be trained with them about 10 years ago.
(45:53):
And I've been able to run circles through that particular program.
And they're after school. And I've showed the students the beauty of a true circle,
listening with your heart of learning how to set up a space to be able to promote
(46:15):
the ability to release i've been able to take my fire to school after school
and showed them the beauty of the
plantitas and and the students
reaction to these things amazed
me no maestra oh eso me
(46:35):
recuerda mi abuelita mi abuelita hacía eso
and a couple of them my students my immigrant students were like turn it on
again they were talking you know about uh salmerio and just the ability of taking
off our shoes and going to the grass, that is healing.
(46:56):
And passing that on to the small percentage of students that I can come in contact
with, but they will pass it on to others.
That is where the healing starts and will trickle and continue.
It's difficult to get to that point because remember, I've been here 25 years
(47:20):
and I am struggling because, right?
This is another platica. We're going to have to talk about this platica.
Forgive my language, but we're going to have to do a platica of the teachers
on the shit list because after 25 years, I'm finding myself on that list.
And it causes me to laugh because damn, it's hard to be on that list.
(47:42):
You know, I think the shit list just in general, know
yeah it's a it's a tool that
people use too but it's a
ruffling feather so i think it's a good sign right it's not
it's not ending it's not i'm it's not ending the work is always there so you
know those are things that help me heal but i truly might my one advice for
(48:08):
people in the classroom and i say people in the classroom because we have aids
in the classroom classroom,
you know, not only teachers,
we have aides and you have to disconnect and you have to realize that you cannot,
you can only do what you can do when you have the students in front of you.
Even though your heart wants to do more. You have to be present.
(48:32):
I think that's applicable to a lot of different sectors.
What would be some takeaway words for parents or community members that are
looking to support our future generations?
You must be involved.
And if you can't be involved, you must be informed. informed,
(48:53):
read all those newsletters that come home.
Even though you're tired, I don't care, you're sitting in the toilet,
read the freaking newsletter.
You're in the bathtub taking a bath, you know, before you get out, read the newsletters.
There are so many decisions that are made,
(49:17):
it with the counsel of a very
minority group of parents very minority
like it's a minority group that are making these decisions on how to spend the
money on what kind of changes are going to be promoted in the site as far as
rules for students you know even about the classes that are going to be presented,
(49:41):
you know, right now, our,
our district decided to incorporate ethnic studies into an English nine class
versus having an ethnic studies course.
And where, where, where is the input from community on that?
(50:02):
Where's the input from parents on that? So I'm like, Like, that's crazy.
It is. It is. But when we're not informed, that is what happens.
That is what happens, you know. And the crazy thing is, like,
I've been trying to get on the school site council at my site for years.
(50:23):
But, you know, I look like this and I talk like this.
And so I haven't been chosen. But this year, my granddaughter's in that school.
So I put my name in as a parent and we'll see if I make it in there.
And I do I do want to say this, that I do work.
(50:45):
I am not I am purposely not saying the name of my district or anything or my site. I love my family.
It's a family in that site and I love it.
But it is like a true family. You know, you have your family and then you're
that member that is always there for everything in the family events and everything.
(51:05):
That was me in the beginning.
And then you have that family, that family member that only comes,
you know, maybe every holiday.
I've been in that phase too. And then you have that family that maybe will only
call or maybe will only send an emoji or will only put a heart on your social
media. That's where I'm at right now.
(51:25):
And sadly, sadly, that
is where most maestros and maestras who take care of themselves and who begin
to heal themselves end up because we cannot be doing the same thing over and
over and expect a different result.
(51:46):
And sadly, our educational system will favor people who say yes and who go along
with everything and continue to beat their heads against the wall over people who will genuinely,
genuinely support and advocate for students,
especially those students who are on the low priority list, which is my population, students.
(52:12):
Students i don't like the term students at risk
i like the term students who poke the
bear you know they they challenge us
as educators and anyways
i hope i answered your question i don't know i
would not thank you thank you i hope that those
that are watching are taking value in this i think this is one of those conversations
(52:38):
that is kind of hard to have or listen to you know it's like one more thing
to think about but you know if we don't get involved it you know it's it's.
Part of i i know it's it's it's one of the things i keep thinking about especially last week's event.
(53:01):
You know, obviously having empathy and, you know, just feeling awful for the
families affected, but also thinking about the perpetrator, the child,
you know, he's just really sitting there and he's just a child.
And I just got really sad for him, too, that the awful things may have happened,
(53:21):
you know, for him to make such a terrible decision.
And, you know, I'm like, this is like a system thing. It's the way that we treat our kids at home.
You know, if this kid's being bullied, you know, what are we teaching our kids?
You know, we're teaching our kids to be bullies. You know, where are we?
(53:42):
It's so much more than that. It's so much more than the education system.
And it starts at home. It starts, you know, with creating a better world,
you know, because the kids have to live in this world.
And so I think it really extends beyond that.
I agree. I agree. I agree. But, you know, it starts more than at home because
some kids, you know, they have the homes where maybe the parents are doing the
(54:10):
best they can with what they have.
But it also relies on the community and it also relies on education.
I know this is going to be controversial, but if I have students in my class
and I and I see a student who is withdrawn, you know, it falls upon me as an
educator to make a note of that.
(54:31):
That it falls upon me as an educator to reach out to the home.
And it falls upon me to make sure that next year, wherever this student goes
in, there is someone who is going to take note of that.
And I am not looking at this as a maestra. I am looking at this as a community member.
(54:53):
I serve my community through my work as a maestra in the classroom.
Classroom it is it is again i believe it is this system of division where we have it so.
Cemented into the place a lot of parents think what happens in school that is
(55:15):
a school the school's issue and a lot of parent a lot of people in school think
well we can only do so much at home we can't say so much because that's what's
happening and we're not necessarily a community
it's not it's not holistic it's very
anti-indigenous it's not it's not it's but there's a reason for it that's why
(55:39):
that it was created that way and if we don't begin to wake up and we don't begin
to talk about these issues of next time you drop off your kid you know.
I want you to picture the classroom door closing, and maybe no one's going to
check in on that teacher for months unless something happens.
(56:03):
Would you feel comfortable with that in any other setting?
Would you feel comfortable with that in any other setting? You know,
even though it's only it's a one percent that's out there in education,
just like it is in the cop world, just like it is in the, you know,
any any community service entity.
(56:26):
There's always that one percent.
Are you willing to risk your child's safety with that?
Or are you willing to take the time to send an email once a week? Hey, Miss so-and-so.
Hey, Mr. So-and-so. How's my student doing? I would like to introduce myself.
That's one way you can do it. Make your presence known to that teacher,
(56:47):
you know, and make your intention known that you are there to support your student
and to work with her or with him.
That is what ultimately we all want. We want a teacher-parent school triangle
going on, you know, and I leave you with that.
If you have children in school, it doesn't take much to make a presence known.
(57:13):
You can do it electronically. electronically you can do it the next time you
have a couple of minutes get off of that car.
Go if you can take your teacher a coffee or a tea a shameless plug no,
if you can right yeah get off and go say hello do it once a month you know not
(57:37):
the coffee thing but go in volunteer nobody you know volunteer take a day off
from your work once every month or once every two months and go volunteer.
Your kids will love it. Your teacher will appreciate it.
You know, just send a note with your kid to the teacher.
If you don't like electronics, make your presence known.
(57:59):
It will begin to create a different energy for that space where your student is sitting.
The teacher will know someone is watching and someone is being Being present is imperative.
You know, it goes back to presence in so many of our sectors.
(58:21):
We can just be more present.
Yes. So many things could be solved. Yeah.
Before getting off here, I did want to read a great comment that we had from Lucia.
So our Lucia 9 says, Filling our vessels so that we are able to show up for
the students we support, connecting with my indigeneity has empowered me to
(58:44):
not be afraid to advocate for myself and others in the ed systems.
You know, I think that is a lot of the gist of what,
has been conveyed in this conversation. Josefina James says,
yes, who doesn't like a little presence, respect?
You know, thank you so much for these words, you know, for your time and your service and community.
(59:11):
We see you. Thank you. I know this is so hard.
I hope that this conversation has, you know, maybe made some sense Like people
squirm a little, you know, in a good way.
I know it's hard enough as it is, but we do need to pay a little bit more attention
with what's going on with our kids.
(59:33):
Everything has been shared with corazón and with amor.
You know, you have to be who you are. Those of you that are coming into education
and have to be in education, just like the hermana said earlier,
you have to be who you are.
And, you know, people will get uncomfortable.
(59:55):
People will look at you and people will say, why are you dressed like that?
You know, I don't know. Why are you? Don't be afraid to say that.
You know, don't be afraid to stand always with respect.
Make sure the words that are coming out of your mouth are coming from a good place.
I like to begin my days with making sure that the words that I read it a long
(01:00:18):
time ago, The words that I speak, I speak in order to contribute.
And that has changed in me. I want to contribute.
And when I listen, I listen with my heart, not with my brain.
You know, and I want to be a place where my students can be themselves so that
(01:00:41):
they can offer and release and unload. load.
And to me, that is what we all need to do when we occupy spaces and when we
host spaces for others, be the tiny ones,
middle schoolers, high schools, or even universities.
(01:01:02):
You want to be a space where people can be safe and be able to unload in order to be able to learn.
So everything that I've said, I've said it from my heart. I've said it from experience.
And if you are connecting to your indigeneity and learning because you've been
(01:01:22):
so disconnected generation wise,
keep that, keep walking that road, keep learning because it is something that
no one can ever take away from you and it will build you up and make you stronger
to be able to be a strong member of your community.
I love you guys. I love you. Thank you so much.
(01:01:44):
Thank you for your time and your energy. People are saying there's a buena platica.
They're saying thank you. You've helped me make sure to be more present at my
daughter's school. That was from Susie.
So thank you again for your time.
For those that just arrived, I will be posting this on the feed.
And it will also be available in the Offerings of Copal podcast.
(01:02:05):
So I'm excited to embark on this.
And I hope that you'll be back with us. And for those that don't know,
Maestra Irene, she runs Ranchito Milagro here on Instagram. She's got a little ranchito.
And she's also in the process of creating her own temazcal with the help of
community, which has been a really beautiful journey to witness.
(01:02:29):
So if you're interested in following that journey, please make sure you check out Ranchito Milagro.
I'll have her linked as well. and she
does a lot of work outside of being a formal
educator you know she's also an educator in
other sectors and we're so so grateful in
(01:02:49):
the community to have her and me and family so gracias thank you so much siwa
i love your work love your work keep doing it thank you all right i hope you
have a great day i'll talk to you soon too bye everyone,
Mm-hmm.
Hi, everyone. Hi from the feed, or if you're listening to this on the podcast, hello.
We are just minutes away being joined by Maestra Irene, and we have a really
exciting plática planned for you all today.
(00:20):
Today, it's going to touch upon education, indigenous modalities,
how one manages healing in education,
not just as, you know, individuals that have gone through the education system,
whether when you were in elementary to higher education and sort of healing
(00:43):
from that and also if you're an educator.
So we're going to talk about a number of different things, and we're going to
also touch upon where we currently stand.
I think this is a very pertinent conversation at this time. So I hope that you'll stay with us.
(01:09):
This has everything to do with you, whether you have kids, you know,
are an educator, or have already gone through, you know, this is for community members.
So if you are looking forward to stimulating conversation, just give us a minute.
It so maestra in it you have
(01:31):
to press the the video there's like
a little video icon on the very bottom that has a plus symbol
on it you need to press that so you
can join all right just give us here we go all right she's joining us right
now there we go i wasn't quite sure or how to join.
(01:58):
I was just giving everybody a little bit of a preview of some of the topics
we're going to cover today.
So thank you so much for joining us.
And this is very exciting.
I hope that you've had a great day and are ready for this little platica. How are you? Thank you.
(02:23):
I am. I'm good.
I actually wasn't in the classroom today. I was in a little meeting,
like a training meeting.
So it was actually pretty, pretty relaxed morning.
Well, let's get started. Would you mind introducing yourself and just giving
(02:46):
us a little bit of background information, especially in regards to this conversation today? Okay.
Well, my name is Irene Martinez Sanchez, and I come from two very distinct but beautiful people.
My father, Jose, comes from the Arizona-Sonora area, and my mother,
(03:10):
Rosalia Martinez, comes from over here, Baja California, by way of Mexicali.
I am the 13th child, and I am the first to have gone to a four-year and finish
a four-year educational program.
(03:32):
Two of my brothers finished two-year junior college, and I'm also the first
one to have two master's advanced degrees.
I have a BA in Spanish and a bicultural certification.
(03:53):
I have a master's degree in teaching and learning.
And I have a master's degree in administration, leadership, and education.
I am a student of life. I have connected to my Indigenous ancestors later in life.
(04:14):
The universe has blessed me the opportunity to find that beautiful part of me later in life.
And I've spent the last about 15 years learning a bit more and connecting to
that beautiful space that is my Indigenous heritage.
(04:36):
Gift that has been buried deep inside.
I've been in the classroom. Oh, yeah, I've been in the classroom. I almost forgot.
I've been in the classroom 25 years this year, and I've been in three different districts.
(04:57):
In two different public educational settings in a charter school for three years
and for the past 22 years in public education in two different traditional public
education systems in two different districts in Riverside,
in Temecula, California for one year and 21 years here in Escondido, California,
(05:24):
North County, San Diego. Wow.
That's a long time. That's a lot under your belt.
It's been a journey.
Well, thank you. Thank you so much for enlightening us on what your background is.
And would you mind, well, I don't even know how we can get started on this topic.
(05:51):
So we met previously and we sort of landed on this topic and we were already
planning this before the recent events,
you know, but I think the recent events definitely impacted the direction in
which we were going to take this conversation.
So initially, we were going to speak about the intersection,
(06:13):
education and healing and the application of indigenous modalities now.
And so why don't we begin there and sort of expand there how current events are relevant.
It then okay you know it was funny
(06:33):
because I was listening on the way home to a
podcast I can't remember the name of it but it's a bunch of it's teachers who
are two of them are comedians and one is still in education but he's not so
they do this comedy tour and they were talking about how much education has changed and you know.
(06:55):
Education in itself, I believe, now one
of the major differences in education is we're beginning to see that invisible
foundation of what the educational system really was built for and created to do,
(07:18):
which is to turn out workers.
And that foundation was very, very well disguised in many different ways.
And I believe with all the changes that have come up, especially all the violence
that has come up in schools,
(07:38):
it has kind of uplifted this veil of what education is.
Is we think about educators, and there's so much that is put on educators,
on facilitators, on teachers who are in the classroom.
And the violence continues in many different forms.
(08:04):
And it takes such a huge, unthinkable act of violence, like the school shootings
that have been happening for many, many years to get people to notice.
And then if you think about it, it's not even that big of a deal anymore.
At least I feel like the conversation.
(08:28):
It's already old news. It is.
It's becoming almost an insignificant byproduct of education.
It's insignificant because there's no solution as of yet.
Nobody has really had an idea of how to find a solution.
(08:53):
And part of it is because I believe right now, first of all,
social emotional support for our students is barely coming into mainstream educational
programs in local schools.
It used to be, it's always been there, but it used to be for those extreme cases.
(09:13):
But I can speak for my experience, these last two years, three years,
all schools in the district now have hired social workers and school psychologists. colleges.
And for example, this past two years, we even have what we call a wellness center
(09:34):
where students can go and relax.
And when they feel overwhelmed or anxious, they don't need a pass or a note or anything.
It's self-directed by the student, self-requested.
But look at how long it's been since we first started seeing these major acts
(09:56):
of violence in schools, right?
It's been too long.
That I think is an issue. On things that are so simple, but we never talk about
them because it has to do with education and has to do with schools.
And we all know that everybody needs to be in school.
(10:18):
School but what's happening in the school that's the
question that i would last i would like to ask does anybody
know what happens in schools anyone who's not on a daily basis in education
what do you all think happens in school i think there's that's a big disconnect
you know it's it's one of those things where you go you drop off your kid you
(10:39):
know you pick up your kids yeah you know
they do their homework but what is actually
going on in the classroom and you know what one
of the words that is really standing out to me
from what you've just said is this idea of a byproduct you
know the the the school
within itself I feel that there are bigger societal issues
(11:01):
you know whether things going on at home the
way that things are structured and you
know all these kids are going to school you know these individuals the teachers
you know the administrators you know the at the end of the day these are people
you know that are also subject to what's going on in the world society etc and
(11:23):
of course i feel that the output is going to
be weird or not be.
I guess not have some sort of like, algo que lo ensucia, no sé,
like it's not going to have impurities, you know, of course it's going to have impurities if.
(11:46):
I think this is a larger societal issue of healing and addressing the real issues at hand.
And, you know, these individuals and these kids are just going to school and
it's manifesting itself there.
You know, but is it really like an educational issue?
I mean, at the end of the day, everybody sort of gets educated or even these
(12:08):
administrators, they go through the education system.
But, well, obviously there's a disconnect, there's a failure.
Well, I believe that it's almost like our education system and institution was
built with one end in mind,
right, to produce workers in the beginning.
(12:30):
And there has been so much change, not only politically, socially, but culturally.
And when we talk about healing and we talk about our students,
I think the narrative has been the same.
We still have students who come to school and they've probably done three or
(12:53):
four adult like activities per se.
I mean, adult like activities, like maybe they had to feed their siblings.
Maybe they'd have to drop them off or maybe they had just, you know,
had to do some work to help their parents for something or another.
And then they have to go to school.
(13:15):
We still have students who get out of school and have to go to work and they
have to go to work, not because they want to buy a car, because they want to buy clothes.
They have to go to work because they have to pay their rent because maybe they're
unaccompanied minors who are immigrants from another school.
Or, you know, we have kids who are in the system that we call the system.
(13:38):
They live in group homes or, you know, and with all the implications that all those things carry.
Right. So that, I think, has been a constant. But now you add the issue of fear.
Now you add the issue of where am I going to find peace?
(14:03):
That one place where I can truly rest, where I can take a nap because I've been
up since four o'clock in the morning helping someone or taking care of someone.
Or I went to bed at three because I got out of work at that time.
Where can students find a space to do that and still acquire some kind of learning?
(14:33):
So I'm not sure, I'm not quite sure if the public understands those things.
And then what is that impact for the person in the classroom,
for the teacher in the classroom, where you have this mix of students who you
might be having a student who has so much support at home and their parents,
(14:58):
you know, make their lunch still.
They drop them off and then you
might have this other student who has to work to pay for his or her rent and
buy their food it is it is like you got to juggle so many things in the classroom
because you have to make sure if you have a kid who's falling asleep are you really going to,
(15:21):
think that that kid is thinking about whatever lesson you have planned for the
day that's student needs to rest and you have to be in a space.
As an educator to acknowledge and
honor that and not a
lot of facilitators educators
(15:42):
teachers whatever the label they that is
in you know they like to put for themselves not a lot of us it takes us a while
to get there to understand that so you know I don't know what your experience
was too much I know a little bit you've shared a little bit about what your
experience was as as a student,
(16:03):
you know, but I don't think much has changed.
It's just now there's more criteria that we have to put out there for students. There's more tests.
There's different types of tests. There's a push to go to college.
There's, you know, a push to join in the culture of the school,
(16:25):
go to football games, you know, which is all great. It's great.
It's a great I feel that there is a sort of lack of investment that is happening.
I feel that students and educators and individuals,
there's such an amount of compounded trauma or pressure from a system that I kept,
(16:51):
you know, after that conversation we had initially, I kept seeing these images
of sort of like a house being held on toothpicks.
Where there's like a fragility currently.
There's a lot of the support beings and the systems that make up the structure of society.
A multitude of different things in our reality feels like it's on this brink of collapse.
(17:16):
And I think that the education system, it sounds like a lot of it is being like
pushed down that direction. And it's hard.
It's hard for, I think it's education has always been difficult,
but now there's sort of like a bleakness, a lack of hope in the world.
You know, what are, you know, with the environment, there's so many different
(17:38):
crises happening at the same time that, you know, why should a student,
you know, or anyone really stay motivated?
I think a lot of people sort of have these horse blinders on,
you know, just trying to focus on what's in front of them.
But I think that's getting harder, you know, because, yes, you know,
there has always been responsibilities, you know, for for sure.
For me, it was difficult. I, you know, I had to pick up the same roles,
(18:03):
those parentified roles, and still pursue my education.
And, you know, at least then, you know, the narrative was that if you pushed
hard enough, that if you studied hard enough, that you could get yourself out
of that situation where you wouldn't have to be, you know, taking on those roles, you know.
But it's sad because it's being pushed early into adulthood and then you get
(18:27):
to adulthood and it's still like that.
But now it's, you know, those promises aren't there, you know.
So what is being promised now?
And it's, you know, I think kids are smart. They realize it's not true.
Yeah. Well, you know, we have to realize that young people today have something
(18:49):
that no other generation has had.
They have the knowledge of the world in the palm of their hands.
So talk about motivation issues.
If you want to sit in a classroom full of students and believe that.
The idea presenting information in the way you've had, you have done so before,
(19:16):
and the students will understand it, number one, or process it in the same way
as students, let's say, even five to 10 years before, you have another thing coming.
Coming because you can say something and students can look it up.
And then some students might say that, no, this has been my experience or,
(19:40):
hey, look at this is what I found right now.
And, you know, they can learn things on their own when they want.
If it's something that they truly want, They will learn and they will do things.
However, simple things that I think this I do believe as far as,
(20:07):
for example, communication and respect and being true to your word.
A lot of these that are beautiful indigenous teachings are things that,
at least for me, I focus more on and that draws them in.
(20:28):
And it's a very simple yet hard to see need. Need.
Students need someone to remind them, hey, I'm glad you're here,
but I need you to be respectful. It's time to take off your earbuds and take off your phone.
(20:51):
I'm going to listen to you. If you have a question for me, I'm going to ask
you to please listen to me when I have some information to share with you.
And that's those are some of the words that I like to use that comes from that reciprocity.
You know, I will receive from you, but I will also give to you because a lot
(21:15):
of our students need and they crave, I think sometimes they don't want it.
They don't want it. They need it and they crave it. that human connection.
And when you really think about a lot of the student, a lot of these young people
who commit violent crimes, I really, really believe that they are missing that true human connection.
(21:45):
That genuine, the genuineness of care is,
And it's really sad. It's really
sad that our schools are more worried and preoccupied with test scores,
more worried and preoccupied with what does your site look like on paper?
(22:09):
Is your site completing everything that they need to to have a WASC certification?
Education, you know, more importance is placed in that.
We just got an email yesterday. This is going to be funny.
Teachers, we have a, and I hope everybody, you know, we have a no couch policy
(22:34):
in our district, a no couch policy.
That was important enough to send an email to
remind mind all the teachers you can't have a
couch in your classroom and you can't have
a couch in any teacher comment area that was important enough to to send out
i want you to let that no couch policy is very important but have we talked
(22:59):
about i think it's very nuanced i think yeah You know,
what happened to make that become a thing?
I wonder, I wonder what, what, what is that is, you know.
But that was super important. I mean, so, so is, so is PLC meetings,
(23:20):
you know, professional learning communities.
We always have, you know, that on there, but so is the local pep rally, but a no couch policy.
It's like, wow, who, that's, there was money for that, I guess.
But there's no money for other things.
(23:40):
Somebody got paid to write that policy up, right? You did.
One thing I think you started to touch upon that I think that our audience would
be really interested in hearing more about is how,
you know, I think that with systems, they're starting to realize,
(24:00):
okay, obviously there's a problem.
We're not meeting our status quo. So, you know, let's put out this,
you know, whatever policy or program,
you know, because we care about the kids or we care about educators where they're
taking elements and aspects of Indigenous modalities and are applying it,
(24:24):
you know, but using different terminologies.
They're essentially taking it i'm using different words
instead of you know actually going to hiring real
indigenous people or you know just can you let's let's
open that can of worms so oh yes restorative practice restorative practices
(24:44):
it's a big shift and it's interesting because Because it is the,
can you, can you elaborate,
like, what is restorative practice for those?
Restorative practice is rooted in the indigenous circle philosophy.
(25:05):
Of coming together and looking
at the problem and some like
a school program it is county it is countywide right now it is an actual way
to shift from punitive disciplinary actions to a more restorative practice.
(25:32):
And it focuses on reparations to repair a damage that has done, identify,
repair it, and not focus on the wrongful or the hurt. It's not punitive.
(25:56):
And, you know, it's an awesome concept and it's an awesome program,
but it requires a shift in culture and it requires the whole site to be involved.
From the top leaders, principals, assistant principals, down to even the custodians,
(26:21):
the security, we are all together.
And that's another thing that people don't realize. Schools don't run without,
you know, classified staff.
They don't run because we can't have clean classrooms if we don't have our beautiful
custodians. You know, we can't have a safe school if we don't have our our aides
(26:43):
and our security guards.
And they also need to be trained in this.
So the idea if a student if students are having an issue, there is an altercation,
whether it's physical, verbal.
Vote, then the idea is to bring them together in a circle, having a talking piece.
(27:03):
And there is a prescriptive dialogue to follow of questions.
You know, it's very difficult because if not Not everyone is trained in this. It will fall apart.
And students, there will be no accountability, or at least that's what it will seem like.
(27:30):
And I've been trained through the school in these restorative practices.
And I've also had the opportunity to live and learn through these last 15 years
the beauty, non-judgment, and the beauty of being present and aware and of connection.
But none of these things, beautiful aspects of our Indigenous culture.
(27:54):
Way of being are necessarily mentioned in this restorative program.
And I've had colleagues, I've had colleagues who are deeply,
deeply rooted, they're maestros in their practice, and they've worked in programs
that train teachers and districts on this,
(28:17):
and they've been looked over and other people have moved up.
It's all, I believe, more like a dog and pony show.
And it's sad. It's sad because it's reduced down to a script.
(28:40):
And the heart of it, I believe, is missing.
But some schools have implemented and have done great things with it.
I'm not going to deny that.
They train all their staff.
They train the students and the students run with it.
But I believe that it has not been across the board. At least it has not been
(29:05):
like that at our site yet.
And I, you know, I'm still a teacher at heart. I say yet,
because I truly hope that one day it does come to fruition that our indigeneity
is honored and valued and.
And and be seen i hope it's being it's able to be seen in in in in the schools you know,
(29:35):
It sounds like there is so much pressure, you know, and that there are,
you know, attempts at trying to help.
However, it also sounds like in all the trainings and all the focus that goes
on, you know, the couch or, you know, all those different things that,
(29:56):
you know, the main function.
You know, of being an educator is sort of lost.
And now, you know, one of the things that we talked about was how educators
are now having to take on this role of being protectors, you know,
and I remember in our conversation, we talked about the concept of run,
hide and fight, and that some people out here don't know that that is now a
(30:22):
pressure that's being put on your teacher on top of everything else.
And then we're wondering why students aren't learning or students can't connect
with each other or why things are the way they are.
And these students, they're not just students, there are kids,
there are the individuals that are going to inherit our future systems.
(30:42):
And, you know, instead of focusing and trying to help, help them,
which is really helping us in the future,
year we're not you know we're so disconnected from that
you know it's it really does feel like this
this current society just doesn't
care about kids or we're so we're we're
(31:04):
so far removed from putting in our investment in
in them we're just so focused on i don't know gratification the instant gratification
the seven generations to come with which again you know it is that is an an
Indigenous teaching and philosophy that we imagine.
(31:26):
Yeah. If we could connect. That beauty of, well, maybe, you know,
it's funny because I just thought.
You know, that is our policy now. If we have an emergency, if we have,
and we were trained on this, we were shown videos on how to, on possible scenarios.
(31:48):
We're no longer just to lock down. Now we have to be prepared to make the decision if there is,
for example, a shooter on campus or an intruder on campus with a weapon,
any type of dangerous situation, we need to lock down, lock our doors.
(32:12):
If there's windows, make sure you close the curtains, make sure there's no way to look in.
And you have to decide if you're going to,
if the circumstances call for it,
can you run or should you hide or should you fight and you know when I first
(32:34):
heard that about I think it was like three or five years ago I don't know I
was like what are you what are you seeing like to me it was like,
unthinkable and until and they would show us these videos of
like okay there's a shooter on campus and you have to listen to the radio and
if the if the shooter is in the north side of campus and your classroom is on
(32:58):
the south side of campus and you hear that the shooter is moving more north
or you hear that it's moving this way,
then is there a way to find a way to get your students out and run to safety?
Or if you're in the north end and you know that the shooter is in your building
(33:20):
and you know that the possibility of the shooter getting into your classroom,
room, barricade your classroom, and then get ready, get books,
get chairs, get whatever.
And you're going to throw those at the intruder. I was like, okay.
What? I was dumbfounded in the first, the first time I heard it.
And, you know, it came out in the news for a little bit, but I wonder if parents,
(33:46):
the cousins that have little kids,
if they truly understand the magnitude of the responsibility that that comes
with, You know, because teachers,
I truly believe most teachers, and I use the word most because the majority
(34:12):
of teachers are teachers because that is what they're meant to be.
They're there because that's their calling. That's their passion.
Just like anywhere else, you have that 1% who is there for the paycheck or is
there for whatever the reason. They don't last.
But those of us that are there because it is our calling, we are maestros and maestras.
(34:35):
And that is where we're meant to be. We take that responsibility and it weighs
heavy because in the back of our mind that those are our community's children.
Those are, like you say, they're our country and our land's future.
(34:57):
Can you imagine being responsible for that? And, you know, it's sometimes it's
just unthinkable and there are no words to describe how one feels.
And can you imagine what the poor little children that we have to tell them? All right.
This is the solution. There's an intruder out there. They might come in.
Let's get ready to throw our books, throw our chairs.
(35:21):
I just I mean, the that whole concept is really unfathomable.
Like there's so many other things going
on you know like why why is this something
that we have to deal with you know but this is
the reality of things and it's hard for for parents you know to think about
(35:43):
you know that a school should be some somewhere where kids feel safe you know
or any of us feel safe especially higher education as well um you should be
able to feel safe in in these spaces,
yet there are so many different issues.
And I know all this stuff is often said, when we talk about it's a bigger societal issue.
(36:06):
And one of the things that we had talked about too, was that some teachers may not even be safe.
The number of allegations that come out where there's misconduct from a teacher
to a student, and these teachers are closed.
They're behind closed doors. You don't know what's going on in the classroom, you know.
(36:30):
But all of those things, again, you know, I feel that are outside the school.
But the school just happens to be the place where all these things end up.
It's almost like a landfill.
Like I saw an image like a landfill.
And that's really awful to think about it that way too.
And that's our future. We never allow ourselves to think about it that way.
(36:54):
It's a beautiful garden. You can imagine it this way. This is really the reality.
It could be a landfill. And in that landfill,
there are pockets and little meadows that that trash is fertilizer for those
(37:17):
classrooms that offer the beauty of safety.
And that offer that beauty of care.
Because I do want to stress that I do believe that the majority of educators,
the majority of maestros and maestras are there because it is their calling.
(37:38):
And it is the 1% who close the door and do whatever it is that their minds want
to do. And that is putting it mildly.
It is the 1%, just like anywhere.
You could really, that analogy that you just shared, you could really look at
(38:00):
that and use it for our current culture and our current state.
You talked about the seven generations, philosophy and idea.
We are so disconnected and we are so divided as a human race.
(38:24):
And some of the arguments for that division sound beautiful and great.
But truly, truly, something bad can be put out there as something good.
Something negative can be put out there as something positive. Right?
(38:47):
Like your mom would have told you, No andes haciendo cosas buenas que en realidad son malas. You know?
When that classroom door closes, the majority of us get to work.
We do what needs to be done for our students that semester, that year.
And we advocate for that.
(39:07):
Sadly, just like everywhere else, there's that 1% who does not.
And that is where we have to come together as a community.
And we have to be present and we have to be a voice.
Not only a voice we have to be a force and we
can't be divided we can't be oh you know
(39:29):
those are the african-american parents oh those are
the mexican-americans oh those are the indigenous parents oh those are the caucasian
parents no no no no no our future is all young people and the parents have the
power to exert change in any public education system.
(39:51):
They need to come together and have a voice. There needs to be unity.
And we have to really think about that broad concept of why does this machine,
why does this government, why do they want people to be divided?
Because once we come together, we have the power to exert change in any situation,
but especially in public education.
(40:15):
Because I guarantee you, all those, especially in secondary education,
in high school, all All of the students who get a schedule, and they might have
that teacher who is a one-percenter,
the parent is in the principal's office, not the counselor.
He bypasses everybody and is
demanding that their student be placed in the best classroom that can be.
(40:41):
If the principal does not acquiesce, we're going to the district.
If the superintendents don't acquiesce, we're going to the board.
Those parents get their students in the best place possible.
You know, it is a game, and we need to come together.
(41:03):
And parents need to understand that.
None of that, bueno, están de escuela el maestro, la maestra sabe, sabe lo que es mejor.
No todo el tiempo, no todo el tiempo. Ese no es el caso.
You know, I don't know if that makes sense, but I think it's important that it's said because.
(41:30):
You know, even if people want change, they often don't know how to go about it.
Yes. And it really, you know, especially when we're talking about this amorphous,
like bigger change, it is, it's harder to reach up there.
We have to go through these other smaller steps.
(41:50):
And, you know, our education system is one of the more important ones because
they are literally molding the minds of the future. I think that's a thing, the minds of the future.
It's a beautiful place to be. It's a beautiful place to be. I'm not going to lie.
I love it. I love school and I love my teachers, you know, and it was a safe
(42:16):
place for me to be, you know, growing up before having to think about those things.
And it makes me sad to think that that concept may not be real anymore, especially in today.
They, you know, one of the things that we had talked about was healing,
you know, how does one heal, like within the system from the system as an educator,
(42:37):
as a student, as even as a parent,
you know, that, that there have
been aspects of the institution that have maybe done more damage than,
than have taught us, you know,
I also want to hear from, from those watching you know
if there's any comments or questions or anything that they
(42:59):
would like to expand upon as as we continue this conversation you know what
are what are some like takeaways you know as we're coming to to a near end i i do have to say for me i am.
(43:20):
A maestra who has come from a long road of opportunities for growth.
Some people might say come a long road of trauma, a long road of,
you know, barriers, challenges, things.
(43:40):
Healing within the education system, I think, requires disconnection for educators,
for classroom teachers.
But the system is set up for that to be almost literally impossible because
in order for you to do a good job,
(44:04):
you must plan, you must organize,
and you must present.
And then you have to look at what you're doing.
If it's not working, you have to change it. and sometimes that's on the period
basis, on the daily basis, minute to minute.
(44:25):
Sometimes it's on the weekly basis. Sometimes it's on a yearly basis.
So you have to disconnect. You have to have time to say, I'm leaving my computer
at home, I'm leaving my teacher bag at home and I'm leaving at a certain amount of time.
Public education can run because
(44:46):
teachers work for free i'm
going to say a hundred percent of the
time we work for free because of
our students i'm talking not i'm talking
the 99 we do so
we have to disconnect and these are this is the message for the new teachers
(45:07):
coming in you need to be patient with yourself and you need to find out who
is your community within that site that is going to back you up.
And that is another key feeling.
And you need to come to rest with your own power.
(45:32):
For example, the last couple of years, I run a girl's circle.
And that has been one of my ways of healing. And I've run boys circles.
And I'm going to do a shameless plug for the Seen Actually group because I was
fortunate enough to be trained with them about 10 years ago.
(45:53):
And I've been able to run circles through that particular program.
And they're after school. And I've showed the students the beauty of a true circle,
listening with your heart of learning how to set up a space to be able to promote
(46:15):
the ability to release i've been able to take my fire to school after school
and showed them the beauty of the
plantitas and and the students
reaction to these things amazed
me no maestra oh eso me
(46:35):
recuerda mi abuelita mi abuelita hacía eso
and a couple of them my students my immigrant students were like turn it on
again they were talking you know about uh salmerio and just the ability of taking
off our shoes and going to the grass, that is healing.
(46:56):
And passing that on to the small percentage of students that I can come in contact
with, but they will pass it on to others.
That is where the healing starts and will trickle and continue.
It's difficult to get to that point because remember, I've been here 25 years
(47:20):
and I am struggling because, right?
This is another platica. We're going to have to talk about this platica.
Forgive my language, but we're going to have to do a platica of the teachers
on the shit list because after 25 years, I'm finding myself on that list.
And it causes me to laugh because damn, it's hard to be on that list.
(47:42):
You know, I think the shit list just in general, know
yeah it's a it's a tool that
people use too but it's a
ruffling feather so i think it's a good sign right it's not
it's not ending it's not i'm it's not ending the work is always there so you
know those are things that help me heal but i truly might my one advice for
(48:08):
people in the classroom and i say people in the classroom because we have aids
in the classroom classroom,
you know, not only teachers,
we have aides and you have to disconnect and you have to realize that you cannot,
you can only do what you can do when you have the students in front of you.
Even though your heart wants to do more. You have to be present.
(48:32):
I think that's applicable to a lot of different sectors.
What would be some takeaway words for parents or community members that are
looking to support our future generations?
You must be involved.
And if you can't be involved, you must be informed. informed,
(48:53):
read all those newsletters that come home.
Even though you're tired, I don't care, you're sitting in the toilet,
read the freaking newsletter.
You're in the bathtub taking a bath, you know, before you get out, read the newsletters.
There are so many decisions that are made,
(49:17):
it with the counsel of a very
minority group of parents very minority
like it's a minority group that are making these decisions on how to spend the
money on what kind of changes are going to be promoted in the site as far as
rules for students you know even about the classes that are going to be presented,
(49:41):
you know, right now, our,
our district decided to incorporate ethnic studies into an English nine class
versus having an ethnic studies course.
And where, where, where is the input from community on that?
(50:02):
Where's the input from parents on that? So I'm like, Like, that's crazy.
It is. It is. But when we're not informed, that is what happens.
That is what happens, you know. And the crazy thing is, like,
I've been trying to get on the school site council at my site for years.
(50:23):
But, you know, I look like this and I talk like this.
And so I haven't been chosen. But this year, my granddaughter's in that school.
So I put my name in as a parent and we'll see if I make it in there.
And I do I do want to say this, that I do work.
(50:45):
I am not I am purposely not saying the name of my district or anything or my site. I love my family.
It's a family in that site and I love it.
But it is like a true family. You know, you have your family and then you're
that member that is always there for everything in the family events and everything.
(51:05):
That was me in the beginning.
And then you have that family, that family member that only comes,
you know, maybe every holiday.
I've been in that phase too. And then you have that family that maybe will only
call or maybe will only send an emoji or will only put a heart on your social
media. That's where I'm at right now.
(51:25):
And sadly, sadly, that
is where most maestros and maestras who take care of themselves and who begin
to heal themselves end up because we cannot be doing the same thing over and
over and expect a different result.
(51:46):
And sadly, our educational system will favor people who say yes and who go along
with everything and continue to beat their heads against the wall over people who will genuinely,
genuinely support and advocate for students,
especially those students who are on the low priority list, which is my population, students.
(52:12):
Students i don't like the term students at risk
i like the term students who poke the
bear you know they they challenge us
as educators and anyways
i hope i answered your question i don't know i
would not thank you thank you i hope that those
that are watching are taking value in this i think this is one of those conversations
(52:38):
that is kind of hard to have or listen to you know it's like one more thing
to think about but you know if we don't get involved it you know it's it's.
Part of i i know it's it's it's one of the things i keep thinking about especially last week's event.
(53:01):
You know, obviously having empathy and, you know, just feeling awful for the
families affected, but also thinking about the perpetrator, the child,
you know, he's just really sitting there and he's just a child.
And I just got really sad for him, too, that the awful things may have happened,
(53:21):
you know, for him to make such a terrible decision.
And, you know, I'm like, this is like a system thing. It's the way that we treat our kids at home.
You know, if this kid's being bullied, you know, what are we teaching our kids?
You know, we're teaching our kids to be bullies. You know, where are we?
(53:42):
It's so much more than that. It's so much more than the education system.
And it starts at home. It starts, you know, with creating a better world,
you know, because the kids have to live in this world.
And so I think it really extends beyond that.
I agree. I agree. I agree. But, you know, it starts more than at home because
some kids, you know, they have the homes where maybe the parents are doing the
(54:10):
best they can with what they have.
But it also relies on the community and it also relies on education.
I know this is going to be controversial, but if I have students in my class
and I and I see a student who is withdrawn, you know, it falls upon me as an
educator to make a note of that.
(54:31):
That it falls upon me as an educator to reach out to the home.
And it falls upon me to make sure that next year, wherever this student goes
in, there is someone who is going to take note of that.
And I am not looking at this as a maestra. I am looking at this as a community member.
(54:53):
I serve my community through my work as a maestra in the classroom.
Classroom it is it is again i believe it is this system of division where we have it so.
Cemented into the place a lot of parents think what happens in school that is
(55:15):
a school the school's issue and a lot of parent a lot of people in school think
well we can only do so much at home we can't say so much because that's what's
happening and we're not necessarily a community
it's not it's not holistic it's very
anti-indigenous it's not it's not it's but there's a reason for it that's why
(55:39):
that it was created that way and if we don't begin to wake up and we don't begin
to talk about these issues of next time you drop off your kid you know.
I want you to picture the classroom door closing, and maybe no one's going to
check in on that teacher for months unless something happens.
(56:03):
Would you feel comfortable with that in any other setting?
Would you feel comfortable with that in any other setting? You know,
even though it's only it's a one percent that's out there in education,
just like it is in the cop world, just like it is in the, you know,
any any community service entity.
(56:26):
There's always that one percent.
Are you willing to risk your child's safety with that?
Or are you willing to take the time to send an email once a week? Hey, Miss so-and-so.
Hey, Mr. So-and-so. How's my student doing? I would like to introduce myself.
That's one way you can do it. Make your presence known to that teacher,
(56:47):
you know, and make your intention known that you are there to support your student
and to work with her or with him.
That is what ultimately we all want. We want a teacher-parent school triangle
going on, you know, and I leave you with that.
If you have children in school, it doesn't take much to make a presence known.
(57:13):
You can do it electronically. electronically you can do it the next time you
have a couple of minutes get off of that car.
Go if you can take your teacher a coffee or a tea a shameless plug no,
if you can right yeah get off and go say hello do it once a month you know not
(57:37):
the coffee thing but go in volunteer nobody you know volunteer take a day off
from your work once every month or once every two months and go volunteer.
Your kids will love it. Your teacher will appreciate it.
You know, just send a note with your kid to the teacher.
If you don't like electronics, make your presence known.
(57:59):
It will begin to create a different energy for that space where your student is sitting.
The teacher will know someone is watching and someone is being Being present is imperative.
You know, it goes back to presence in so many of our sectors.
(58:21):
We can just be more present.
Yes. So many things could be solved. Yeah.
Before getting off here, I did want to read a great comment that we had from Lucia.
So our Lucia 9 says, Filling our vessels so that we are able to show up for
the students we support, connecting with my indigeneity has empowered me to
(58:44):
not be afraid to advocate for myself and others in the ed systems.
You know, I think that is a lot of the gist of what,
has been conveyed in this conversation. Josefina James says,
yes, who doesn't like a little presence, respect?
You know, thank you so much for these words, you know, for your time and your service and community.
(59:11):
We see you. Thank you. I know this is so hard.
I hope that this conversation has, you know, maybe made some sense Like people
squirm a little, you know, in a good way.
I know it's hard enough as it is, but we do need to pay a little bit more attention
with what's going on with our kids.
(59:33):
Everything has been shared with corazón and with amor.
You know, you have to be who you are. Those of you that are coming into education
and have to be in education, just like the hermana said earlier,
you have to be who you are.
And, you know, people will get uncomfortable.
(59:55):
People will look at you and people will say, why are you dressed like that?
You know, I don't know. Why are you? Don't be afraid to say that.
You know, don't be afraid to stand always with respect.
Make sure the words that are coming out of your mouth are coming from a good place.
I like to begin my days with making sure that the words that I read it a long
(01:00:18):
time ago, The words that I speak, I speak in order to contribute.
And that has changed in me. I want to contribute.
And when I listen, I listen with my heart, not with my brain.
You know, and I want to be a place where my students can be themselves so that
(01:00:41):
they can offer and release and unload. load.
And to me, that is what we all need to do when we occupy spaces and when we
host spaces for others, be the tiny ones,
middle schoolers, high schools, or even universities.
(01:01:02):
You want to be a space where people can be safe and be able to unload in order to be able to learn.
So everything that I've said, I've said it from my heart. I've said it from experience.
And if you are connecting to your indigeneity and learning because you've been
(01:01:22):
so disconnected generation wise,
keep that, keep walking that road, keep learning because it is something that
no one can ever take away from you and it will build you up and make you stronger
to be able to be a strong member of your community.
I love you guys. I love you. Thank you so much.
(01:01:44):
Thank you for your time and your energy. People are saying there's a buena platica.
They're saying thank you. You've helped me make sure to be more present at my
daughter's school. That was from Susie.
So thank you again for your time.
For those that just arrived, I will be posting this on the feed.
And it will also be available in the Offerings of Copal podcast.
(01:02:05):
So I'm excited to embark on this.
And I hope that you'll be back with us. And for those that don't know,
Maestra Irene, she runs Ranchito Milagro here on Instagram. She's got a little ranchito.
And she's also in the process of creating her own temazcal with the help of
community, which has been a really beautiful journey to witness.
(01:02:29):
So if you're interested in following that journey, please make sure you check out Ranchito Milagro.
I'll have her linked as well. and she
does a lot of work outside of being a formal
educator you know she's also an educator in
other sectors and we're so so grateful in
(01:02:49):
the community to have her and me and family so gracias thank you so much siwa
i love your work love your work keep doing it thank you all right i hope you
have a great day i'll talk to you soon too bye everyone,
Mm-hmm.
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