Nobody is perfect

Hello:

Today, I had my students discuss one thing that they would change about themselves.  Here are their response.

I dislike that I made so many mistakes in life. Every one of them is always different. I always wished I haven’t did what I did. I dislike that I’m very stubborn sometimes, Selfish, a little insecure. I can’t help it. It’s just me and the way I am and I don’t think I’ll ever change. I’ve never been fake towards people, and I dislike myself for trusting those who are fake towards me. I dislike that I’m a very nice person to everyone but once someone makes me mad, I never forget. – SB

I don’t know what I dislike about myself. Really, I like everything about myself, I don’t care what other people think about me. So I don’t really have nothing else to say. When I see other people around here and they would comment on themselves, I think it’s sad. Because people shouldn’t care about what they look like or how dress, everybody might have something wrong about them, but that’s just what they think. If people think I look ugly or if they think I look pretty, then they could think what they want, cause it’s not going to bother me, not matter what they say. I was born the way I am, and I have to live this way until the day I die, so why change thing about me. -EL

One thing I don’t like about myself is that I’m not smart enough for high school. I slack in most of classes except english because you have no choice or else you’ll get written up. That is the only thing I dislike about myself. I think if i were smart enough I would be passing all my class. I wish I could start high school all over again so I can pay attention to all my classes.  -AT

One thing I don’t like about myself is my attitude. My attitude towards my mom is terrible. I act like A stuck up brat towards her when she doesn’t deserve it. I don’t like listening to her because what she says to me just gets me mad. I know I need to change it because with that kind of attitude it isn’t going to get me nowhere. I think the reason I act like that is because me and my mom have been through so much and I think it’s just me not getting over it. -HB

Thanks for reading.

-Baldwin

Gangland Pt. 2

Here is part two of my gang posts.

I think gangs are kind of stupid because they say they have your back but they don’t. Well i think it depends who’s in that gang some people in a gang will have your back, the others will just watch you get beat up by another gang. I don’t like them because because in all gangs you cant hang out with someone you knew for a long time. Example if i’m in this gang and a friend is in a different gang you cant hang with him or else you’ll get “checked” or jumped by your gang for hanging out with that gang. But most gangs around here aren’t hardcore as they claim to be. I want to see if they can make it in a city where they actually have guns and they aren’t afraid to use it.

I personally dislike gangs and anything to do with gangs. First of all i will never be a part of a gang because when i thing of a gang i see a bunch of people who are so helpless that they can’t fight there own battles. I hate the thought of having to just ware just one color until you leave the gang. I especially hate reservation gangs because they are just not even intimidating. They walk around like there a bunch of badasses, but when it comes down to it they are just a bunch of punks. Compared to the gangs of the city there nothing. In the cities they walk around with fire arms varying from 9mm to Ak47’s. Sorry if that’s a little inappropriate but it’s the truth. I mean seriously the most gangs do around here is tag a bathroom stall with a sharpie. I may socialize with a person how is a gang but i would never join one. To anyone who is in a gang i ask you this, Whats the point?

I think it is dumb to be in a gang, because being in a gang is like saying you don’t know how to fight by yourself. You have to have “your boys” help you gang just one person. I think boys that are in gangs just want some “love” like maybe they don’t have there mom or dad with them, which means they want to feel loved and in the gang they feel that homie, brother love. But being in a gang still isn’t going to prove anything, because you don’t do ANYTHING by yourself you have to your friends help you. I think being in a gang is POINTLESS!!!!! & WASTE OF TIME!!!!!!

Thanks for reading.

-Baldwin

Gangland

Hey:

Today, my students posted on their feelings about gangs.  I wanted to see what they thought of the gang culture.  These are their responses.

“Gangs are pointless and stupid to me. Gangs are gangs they don’t mean crap to me. I feel they are dumb because all there fighting over is a stupid color. But other then that everything is pointless and so many people fight, die, kill over nothing. Gangs make people look stupid because some people can say there Sureno’s and not even be Mexican or someone can say there a GD and not even be black. People just think it’s cool to be in a gang because they have a click to back them up when they can just get shot or jumped in a quick second.”

“I think there stipid, then again there pretty awesome cause im in one, but you don’t need to know which one, cause you might rat me out. But i know most of the people there, cause most of them are in the gang i am in, but we only talk outta school, cause thats the way we roll (i guess). But most of them have a baby, or are going to be a daddy or mother, cause thats the way they play the game. A game is like, if one gets drunk then all of them have to, but i they are the loyal ones, like me then i will try to finish school, and collage, and then start up with the gang stuff again.”

“I think being in a gang isn’t worth it any more.I skip school all the time over dumb things.I get in trouble all the time.I go to the J.D.C for dumb things.I only got along with certain people and fight sometimes over things that didn’t make sense to me.My friends didn’t do nothing when I was down and the only one in trouble.Some people looked at me like they can tell I was a disrespectful person all the time.I think of gangs and it really isn’t worth it for me especially on the Rez.”

Thanks for reading.

-Baldwin

Best Job in the world

I asked my students about what is the best job in the world; I asked them what was the worst job in the world.

I think the best job in the world would be a clothes designer or a Councilor. I think that they would be the best jobs because they help people and they make people happy. I don’t know why but i always like to help people that i know and that i don’t know. I think of my self as a people pleaser. Then i think the worst job in the world would be someone who works at a fast food restaurant because they don’t get payed good and it;s also really gross. I think that because who would want to work with greases and all that nasty stuff. I think that it’s a bad job because your going to be smelling like food and stuff. – MI

Well I don’t know what a good or a bad job would be. I think having a job would be better than nothing. In my eyes, I think a good job would be a doctor of some type. Or a good job can be a job that pays the most money. A bad job would be, having a no job at all. Also a good job would be, being the president in the U.S. Because the president gets to do anything, and he lots of money. So that would be pretty much all I could think of right now. -ELF

a doctor or x-ray tech. they have a good yearly salary. plus in x-ray you can have fun with the equipment, but you have to be careful so that you don’t like mess up anybody’s bodies. the worst job in the world would have to be working at burger king or some low income job. they would be a good place to start your career off at. i wouldn’t stay with that job for the rest of my life though. i would have like a ton of bills to pay, but it would be a start. that job to me would be like an after school job, its not really important its just some thing to do when you are bored. -TM

Thanks for reading!

-Baldwin

Nellie Two Elk’s Comment

Hello:

On a previous post entitled, “Native in the 21st Century” Nellie Two Elk commented:

“What does it mean to be Native in 2011?
What does it mean to be Native, period?

What do these questions mean?
Why do we need to ask them?

Every comment has to do with not knowing the language. What if no one knew our language? Would we cease to be Native American? Does the knowledge of our language dictate who we are as a people? We are all Native American, but why and what does it mean? We have always had our own beliefs and traditions, yet we question ourselves because of the lack of language?

Does no one not follow our way of life anymore? Do we still believe in Tunkasila? Do we still pray with a canunpa? Do we still sing songs and dance to our own drum? Do we still consider eagle feathers sacred, and if so why? Do we still pray to our church, our sundance once a year? Do we still consider the walls of our church as the four directions, the sky as our ceiling, the milky way as our way into the happy hunting grounds? Do we still refer to Earth as Unci Maka? Do we still say Mitakuye Oyasin? Do we still know what it means?

Consider every single question and rethink what you just wrote. Our language can be learned. Our way of life is still thriving. Go out and learn! Have the initiative and the perseverance to, at least, try. It makes my heart sad to know our future leaders are giving up on being Native American so easily.”

This comment made me think, and I asked all of my students to respond.  Here are their thoughts:

“I may not as much but, i know enough to understand. I know how to act around the elders and i do know how to pray to tunkasila. I do know what a ceremony and a sweat lodge is i just don’t ever take the time to do these things. I know it’s suppose to be our way to live but, i was raised to believe i just don’t do as much as i used to. I just been opposite you know what I’m saying. I mean drugs, alcohol, gangs i just don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I didn’t really know how to answer questions in a perfect way i just hope you understand but, we do have our own ways and that’s just the way it is.” -EC

“I don’t think that We are giving up on Being native. It’s just that were lazy when it come to thinks that seem hard or time consuming. We are The future leaders But what can we accomplish for Ourselves If we can’t even Learn Our own language and use our time to Practice what we believe in. we see it as why would we waste our time doing all that when we can text our friends and get on Facebook and talk about this one quote from this one show that no one in our society cares about. The “future leaders” would much rather spend there time on things that are so trivial and useless rather that spend that time on ways to figure out who we are. To find out where we come from and who our people were and how there actions Shaped the world we lie in today. I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault that we don’t know our own language. if i were to blame someone it would be the US for the ethnic cleansing. But that is saying it’s not our fault it’s because of them I don’t want to go down that road in a sense be weak and lazy.” -TM

“I think the student who wrote this had a lot to say. Also because it seems to me that he/she knows the way of life, and because they believe in the Lakota ways. I think this student is wright about all the thinks he or she said. One thing that caught my mind, was that he or she asked “Do we still believe in Tunkasila?”. Well I think most of our elders think that us teenagers don’t care about our old ways of life. But I’m sure we do, well at least I hope. I think most teenagers don’t even know what Tunkasila even means, and that is something parents need to look into, because we are all Native American and I think we need to bring our traditions back. Now and days all I see is gang fighting, families not getting along. This bothers me alot because, I don’t want to see my people the way they are, we are all related in a way, and everybody says Tunkasila is our father, he is a father to everybody, he’s our creater.” -ELF

“In my opinion what it means to be Native is to live by our way of life. As years and years go by, our culture is starting to disappear. With that being said, we need to start doing the things we used to. Without our way of life I believe our people will be nothing. In addition to this, there are still ceremonies that do remain today. For example, every new moon; out to lala Roy Stone’s they have a ceremony. Also almost every night out to Lala Roy’s they light up for sweat. In other words, there are still things we practice.” -Anon

Thank you for reading; thank you Nellie for the great comment.

-Baldwin

Are you Superhuman?

Hey readers:

Today, I am going to post what my students’ blogs about being a superhero.  My students were asked about the superpower they would possess and would they be good or evil.

“Well if I had any power I would have the power of air. Because air controls everything, water, fire, earth, and so on. Air is all around us and it will always be. And I will also have the power to read minds. Way better than Edward Cullen can read minds. It would very cool to have that kind of power. But yet I’m only human and nothing more than that. And I would be the good guy of course. I can not see myself as a bad guy, ohkay maybe a little. hehe. I also do not know what my name would be. Something strong that people would look up to and cherish.” -GFH

“The super power I would like would probably be to have a shock when somebody touches me, because they would know better to touch me next time. I also could zap somebody when I feel like it, or if they are being mean. Although I would not want to have it while I’m around my family, because I have newborn nieces that I would like to watch, hang on to, and carry around, and I could hurt them if I had it. My name probably would have to be, Shock-ster” -CWE

“I would have the power to control someones emotions with a touch. i would have the power to fly too. i would be an unknown superhero like spider man but i would have no name. i would be a normal guy, like nobody knows who or what i am. i would be an average person. no one would know that i have a superpower except me, and maybe a couple people i would tell.” -DW

Thanks for reading! Have a great day.

-Baldwin

Blogsecret

Hey all:

Today, I had my students post one secret that no one knows about them.  I promised them that I wouldn’t share their names or initials. Here are some of the responses.

“I love the color purple so much just because it’s not gang affiliated. People can’t say it’s a ugly color because it’s not and well when you mix blue and red it makes purple… The reason I like purple so much is because it reminds me of my friends and my grandma (she passed away).”

“I hope that you don’t know my middle name, and where I got it from. Florine, and obviously from my grandmother. I barely know her, and visit her. And my favorite movie is ‘The Phantom of the Opera’. I love that movie! It’s so… I don’t know, something about the music and the voices that catches me. (Those are my favorite songs as well) And that I enjoy reading from time to time. I have many unknown things about me. Some that I don’t even know! (Still time in life to find out) Instead of walking on the path, walk off and make a new one of your own. Get lost and find yourself again.”

Thank you for reading.

-Mr. Baldwin

Native in the 21st Century

Hey all:

Today, I asked my students a simple question.  “What is like to be a Native in 2011?”  Their responses are both thoughtful and interesting.

“Being native makes me feel no different from any other race because I don’t even speak my own language.I am a catholic person that has the color of red skin.” -TP

“Today 2011 is not like my grandparents generation because today there is a lot of gang activity. A lot of people don’t really go to pow wows or sun dances like my grandparents used to long time ago or some people don’t even think about there own lakota heritage.” -JBL

“Well the first thing is the Lakota ways. By Lakota ways I mean there hardly any one that can under stand Lakota language. The other thing some people may or may not do is speak Lakota language.” -RBS

“I think many things have changed since our parents or grandparents were our age. for instance it seems as though my generation has been growing farther and farther apart from our culture. instead of going out and hunting buffalo we wait until the 10th of every mouth to get e.b.t. With every electronic device made, the more our culture begins to fade. i don’t know one person other then my elders that can speak our native language fluently.” – AM

“Just because you come from a certain family doesn’t mean you share ALL the traits and mind set they have, you could Completely disagree with everything that they think and believe. Being native Shouldn’t affect anything in my life or what people think of me. my Parents, my grandparents had there identity taken from them back then being native was a bad thing and were afraid to speak there own language outside there own home. Today it’s something to be proud of but SHOULD NOT affect ones life because they have no control over who there family is.” -TM

Thank you for reading.  Please comment if you have a chance.

-Mr. Baldwin

Static v. Dynamic

Hey readers:

My students have been learning about static and dynamic characters in fictional texts.  However, these characters exist in our everyday lives.  Here are some examples of these characters.

“I guess a static character in my life would be my older brother. No matter what happens he always manages to stay calm and not lose focus of what ever flows through that gothic person’s mind. I mean sure he might have changed his color of hair, but, his inner self is still the same. He never changes the way he acts or his personality, or what ever it is, hes still the same. He is my role model in life” -CWL

“static character, I think that my sister is like that. She never changes. She’s always nice, kind, smart, and absolutely funny! I love her and shes very encouraging! She’s like that at home and when shes around her friends or anywhere else. A perfect sister to me.” -GFH

“think a lot of us are dynamic characters because we’ve all changed since grade school and middle school. We dress more better. We have way different attitudes than we did in grade school. We have more friends and people who dislike us. We learn more about many different things. We can do things that we couldn’t before like read, write, teach. And so i think that’s why we’re all dynamic character’s.” -HBC

Thank you for reading. Please comment and have a great weekend.

-Mr. Baldwin

S.W.A.G.

Today, I am going to showcase some of my students’ responses to the question, “What do you want to do after high school?”  These young men and women have goals.  They are Students With A Goal, or S.W.A.G.

“I want to be a CEO of a big company either it’s a phone company, Gas Station, or A music company I would do all of them if I can because at least with a high school diaplomia and have someone with a college do the big stuff and with us two I would put the my people(Natives) to the top and put South Dakota on the map. ( I just say South Dakota because thats apart of me just like this rez I just can’t turn my back on it.” -LC

“Well in three years i want to joint the air force or the national guard because i want to become something more than myself but that is what would want to do but I’m scared that my mom would be scared for me” -MWH

“What i really want to do is become a Nurse i think that would be fun because i like to take care of people. It would also be fun because i would like to take care of sick people because i like to be helpful. If i would get the chance to become a basketball player then that would be awesome but i doubt that will ever happen. I would like to become a professional basketball player because i like to play basketball a lot, and people tell me all the time that i should be in basketball every chance i get but i never listen to them.” -FW

“i want to play basketball in college i know that i have to work hard to try and get a scholar ship keep my grades up and work on getting better at ball and i want to throw it down on someone before i leave high school.” -SS

“I think I want to go to college, but not right away. I will go right away, but it depends on how much money I have to pay for the college. So what I want to do is work. I am going to work at Rosebud Log Homes. Its a pretty good jog to get payed on, but I could probably get payed more in this job if I get a degree for it.” -GRK

Thanks for reading.  Please Comment!

-Mr. Baldwin