Cicero Carlos  http://mcdonald-pope.com/categorycategory.jsp  catherine19@hotmail.com

A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History

Challenge:

Usually,​ ​I​ ​teach​ ​multicultural​ ​literature​ ​and​ ​creative​ ​writing.​ ​But​ ​this​ ​year,​ ​the​ ​director​ ​of

my​ ​school​ ​asked​ ​that​ ​I​ ​teach​ ​U.S.​ ​History.​ ​Because​ ​my​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​U.S.​ ​History​ ​is

shaped​ ​not​ ​by​ ​its​ ​most​ ​often​ ​ ​taught​ ​historical​ ​events​ ​but​ ​largely​ ​by​ ​the​ ​writing​ ​and​ ​art

created​ ​by​ ​marginalized​ ​peoples,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​not​ ​sure​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​knowledge​ ​of​ ​the​ ​traditionally

rendered​ ​U.S.​ ​History​ ​curriculum​ ​and​ ​thus​ ​the​ ​skill-set​ ​to​ ​be​ ​successful.​ ​However,​ ​thinking

of​ ​what​ ​I’ve​ ​learned​ ​about​ ​“growth​ ​mindset”,​ ​I​ ​accepted​ ​the​ ​challenge​ ​and​ ​reflected​ ​on​ ​the

advantages​ ​I​ ​had​ ​in​ ​teaching​ ​this​ ​course:​ ​the​ ​most​ ​significant​ ​of​ ​which​ ​was​ ​that​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the

benefit​ ​of​ ​having​ ​taught​ ​the​ ​students​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​year.​ ​Thus,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​a​ ​critical​ ​understanding

of​ ​who​ ​the​ ​fifty-four​ ​students​ ​were​ ​and​ ​the​ ​challenges​ ​each​ ​faced​ ​in​ ​and​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the

classroom.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​had​ ​the​ ​benefit​ ​of​ ​teaching​ ​at​ ​a​ ​progressive​ ​school​ ​that​ ​celebrates​ ​teacher

creativity​ ​and​ ​divergent​ ​thinking.

Selection:

I​ ​began​ ​the​ ​course​ ​by​ ​having​ ​the​ ​students​ ​explore​ ​unique​ ​contemporary​ ​Native​ ​voices​ ​via

the​ ​work​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​writers​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Sherman​ ​Alexie​ ​and​ ​Natalie​ ​Diaz​ ​and​ ​short​ ​films​ ​that

offered​ ​us​ ​a​ ​glimpse​ ​into​ ​the​ ​contemporary​ ​lives​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Americans.​ ​We​ ​then​ ​considered

the​ ​representation​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Peoples​ ​via​ ​mass​ ​media,​ ​looking​ ​to​ ​newspaper​ ​articles,

television​ ​shows,​ ​and​ ​cinema.​ ​We​ ​sought​ ​to​ ​establish​ ​a​ ​working​ ​definition​ ​of​ ​what​ ​it​ ​means

to​ ​be​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​in​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States.​ ​I​ ​considered​ ​this​ ​phase​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​the​ ​work

in​ ​the​ ​“What​ ​is”​ ​stage.​ ​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​there​ ​was​ ​the​ ​nagging​ ​question​ ​in​ ​my​ ​head​ ​of​ ​whether​ ​or

A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History…​..1

not​ ​we​ ​were​ ​effectively​ ​exploring​ ​our​ ​course​ ​focus.​ ​I​ ​suppose​ ​I​ ​could​ ​have​ ​employed​ ​a

traditional​ ​test​ ​or​ ​asked​ ​that​ ​the​ ​students​ ​write​ ​an​ ​essay​ ​about​ ​the​ ​information​ ​and

perspectives​ ​they​ ​engaged​ ​with.​ ​But​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​the​ ​school​ ​year,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​wanted

to​ ​cultivate​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​where​ ​students​ ​are​ ​empathetic​ ​and​ ​self-reflective​ ​in​ ​a​ ​manner​ ​that

frees​ ​them​ ​to​ ​make​ ​connections​ ​and​ ​associations​ ​and​ ​raise​ ​critical​ ​questions​ ​about

themselves,​ ​each​ ​other,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​world​ ​we​ ​live​ ​in.​ ​Thus,​ ​I​ ​chose​ ​to​ ​employ​ ​“MInd​ ​Mapping”

as​ ​a​ ​tool​ ​for​ ​us​ ​to​ ​document​ ​what​ ​students​ ​took​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​stimulus​ ​related​ ​to​ ​the

experiences​ ​of​ ​contemporary​ ​Native​ ​peoples.

Application:

I​ ​first​ ​spent​ ​about​ ​a​ ​week​ ​using​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​to​ ​address​ ​any​ ​question​ ​and​ ​or​ ​problem​ ​I

faced​ ​and​ ​had​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​on--questions​ ​in​ ​life,​ ​questions​ ​at​ ​work,​ ​and​ ​questions

related​ ​to​ ​the​ ​drafting​ ​of​ ​my​ ​third​ ​novel.​ ​I​ ​found​ ​the​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​to​ ​be

freeing.​ ​Importantly,​ ​the​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​judgment​ ​and​ ​revision/refinement​ ​was​ ​invigorating,​ ​and

the​ ​experience​ ​afforded​ ​me​ ​the​ ​clarity,​ ​concision,​ ​and​ ​courage​ ​to​ ​think​ ​of​ ​and​ ​address

questions​ ​and​ ​challenges​ ​in​ ​a​ ​holistic​ ​way.

In​ ​class,​ ​I​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​students​ ​a​ ​write​ ​up​ ​and​ ​a​ ​few​ ​examples​ ​of​ ​what​ ​a​ ​mind​ ​map​ ​was,​ ​and

I​ ​also​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​them​ ​mind​ ​maps​ ​that​ ​I​ ​had​ ​done​ ​for​ ​a​ ​novel​ ​I​ ​am​ ​currently​ ​working​ ​on.

We​ ​then​ ​had​ ​a​ ​discussion​ ​about​ ​Mind-mapping,​ ​and​ ​when​ ​the​ ​students​ ​felt​ ​comfortable

with​ ​the​ ​parameters​ ​(ie​ ​freedom)​ ​of​ ​the​ ​task,​ ​they​ ​moved​ ​forward​ ​on​ ​mapping​ ​their​ ​minds.

Insight:

Employing​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​in​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​afforded​ ​me​ ​a​ ​few​ ​distinct​ ​privileges.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​is

that​ ​it​ ​energized​ ​students​ ​and​ ​gave​ ​them​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​purpose​ ​that​ ​emphasized​ ​and​ ​celebrated

their​ ​perspective​ ​and​ ​the​ ​manner​ ​in​ ​which​ ​their​ ​thoughts​ ​diverge​ ​and​ ​converge.​ ​Second

students​ ​were​ ​liberated​ ​from​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​baggage​ ​related​ ​to​ ​writing,​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​self-confidence,

A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History…​..2

challenges​ ​as​ ​English​ ​Language​ ​Learners,​ ​the​ ​tedious​ ​and​ ​arbitrary​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​grammar

rules,​ ​the​ ​redundancy​ ​that​ ​began​ ​in​ ​first​ ​grade​ ​when​ ​writing​ ​is​ ​the​ ​measurement​ ​of

creative​ ​and​ ​critical​ ​thinking​ ​capacity,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​static​ ​and​ ​sterile​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​a​ ​cursor​ ​blinking

on​ ​the​ ​white​ ​page​ ​on​ ​a​ ​computer​ ​screen​ ​to​ ​name​ ​a​ ​few..​ ​Finally,​ ​employing​ ​mind​ ​mapping

in​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​afforded​ ​me,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​teacher,​ ​the​ ​privilege​ ​of​ ​getting​ ​a​ ​deeper​ ​understanding

of​ ​what​ ​students​ ​retained,​ ​what​ ​was​ ​important​ ​to​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​what​ ​they​ ​were​ ​feeling​ ​and

associating.​ ​The​ ​mind​ ​maps​ ​had​ ​so​ ​many​ ​simultaneous​ ​modes​ ​of​ ​communication--words,

color​ ​choice,​ ​sketches,​ ​lines,​ ​arrows,​ ​circles,​ ​etc.,​ ​and​ ​there​ ​was​ ​so​ ​much​ ​information​ ​that​ ​I

could​ ​take​ ​away​ ​and​ ​utilize​ ​to​ ​address​ ​students’​ ​learning​ ​interests​ ​and​ ​questions,​ ​that​ ​I​ ​was

reminded​ ​of​ ​Pablo​ ​Neruda’s​ ​famous​ ​poem,​ ​“We​ ​Are​ ​Many”​ ​by​ ​Pablo​ ​Neruda,​ ​that​ ​concludes:

“One​ ​day​ ​I​ ​will​ ​see​ ​if​ ​these​ ​things

also​ ​happen​ ​to​ ​other​ ​people,

if​ ​they​ ​are​ ​as​ ​many​ ​as​ ​I​ ​am,

if​ ​they​ ​resemble​ ​themselves,

and​ ​when​ ​I​ ​find​ ​out

I​ ​will​ ​know​ ​all​ ​things​ ​so​ ​well

that​ ​to​ ​explain​ ​all​ ​my​ ​problems

I​ ​will​ ​speak​ ​about​ ​geography.”   1

Approach:

If​ ​I​ ​were​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​a​ ​course​ ​on​ ​learning​ ​about​ ​the​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Americans​ ​in​ ​the

United​ ​States​ ​again,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​begin​ ​the​ ​course​ ​with​ ​a​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​exercise​ ​on​ ​the​ ​first​ ​day,

and​ ​then​ ​end​ ​the​ ​course​ ​with​ ​a​ ​final​ ​mind​ ​map.​ ​This​ ​would​ ​afford​ ​the​ ​students​ ​and​ ​I​ ​the

opportunity​ ​to​ ​see​ ​and​ ​reflect​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​our​ ​learning,​ ​and​ ​its​ ​trajectory​ ​and

associations.​ ​ ​I​ ​also​ ​think​ ​I​ ​would​ ​provide​ ​the​ ​students​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​space​ ​to​ ​mind​ ​map.​ ​The

paper​ ​I​ ​gave​ ​them​ ​was​ ​11x14,​ ​and​ ​although​ ​it​ ​provided​ ​the​ ​students​ ​to​ ​get​ ​their​ ​ideas

1​ ​https://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/pablo-neruda-we-are-many/

A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History…​..3

down,​ ​I​ ​feel​ ​as​ ​if​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​surface​ ​area,​ ​perhaps​ ​one​ ​that​ ​they​ ​could​ ​even​ ​stand​ ​on,​ ​would

give​ ​them​ ​a​ ​visceral​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​the​ ​largesse​ ​and​ ​sweeping​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​topics​ ​at​ ​hand​ ​and

their​ ​thinking.

A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History…​..4

