Hainipi… Hi, everyone.

Azaylea: Welcome to The BAGO Mic, powered by Student Voice, where students lead the way.

Matthew: We are students from Winnebago Public Schools broadcasting from the Winnebago Native American Reservation in Winnebago, Nebraska. This podcast is created by us for the world.

Azaylea: Let’s start by introducing ourselves.

Azaylea: My name is Azaylea.

Matthew: My name is Matthew.

Liam: My name is Liam.

Azaylea: Today’s episode is about education, language learning, and helping students grow.

Liam: Yes.

Azaylea: Before we begin, we want to share something we’re thankful for.

Azaylea: I’m thankful for my family.

Matthew: I’m thankful for my mom.

Liam: I’m thankful for my family today.

Azaylea: Today we are here with Michelle LaMere, who is a fifth grade teacher in the dual language program. We wanted to interview Ms. LaMere because of her work helping students learn and helping keep language and culture strong in our community.

Matthew: Thank you for being here with us today.

Ms. LaMere: Ho, que wajane.

Azaylea: Now let’s get into it. Can you tell us about yourself and what you teach?

Ms. LaMere: Yes. I am the founder and teacher of the Ho-Chunk Dual Language Academy. I teach all the subjects using Ho-Chunk language and culture, and I teach it to nine selected students that started in first grade, and we will stay together until they finish sixth grade.

Matthew: What made you want to become a teacher?

Ms. LaMere: I was actually between jobs and I saw an ad for a Head Start teacher and thought, “Oh, I could do that until something else comes along.” But I’ve been teaching ever since. Teaching was a lot of fun, it was fast paced, and it was always a challenge, which is what I thrive on. It turned out to be the perfect job for me.

Azaylea: What were you like when you were our age?

Ms. LaMere: When I was your age, I was outside all the time — running around in the woods, digging, building things, and riding bikes. When kids were my age, you weren’t anybody without a bike. Everybody had bikes.

Matthew: What is your favorite part about teaching?

Ms. LaMere: My favorite part about teaching is hearing kids say, “Oh, I get it.” When we find something challenging and all of a sudden the light bulb turns on and they finally understand — that’s my favorite part of teaching.

Azaylea: What is something challenging about being a teacher?

Ms. LaMere: All the personalities and struggles kids come into the classroom with. You have to figure out what’s missing, what they need, and how to build on their strengths so that it all evens out and they become really good students and become the best they can be.

Azaylea: What are some things students might not realize about teachers?

Ms. LaMere: How much work is actually put in. There’s a lot of work outside school. What students see during the day is only a small part of what teachers have to do. We don’t just go home and relax — there’s a lot that goes into teaching outside the classroom too.

Matthew: Why is language important in the community?

Ms. LaMere: Language is important because a lot of how Native people think and interact with each other is woven into the language. In order to truly understand our ancestors and what it means to be Ho-Chunk, we have to learn our Ho-Chunk language. That’s how we understand our relationships, how our ancestors thought, and why they did the things they did. The best way to connect to our ancestors and to each other is through language.

Azaylea: How are language and culture connected?

Ms. LaMere: Language and culture are vitally connected. You cannot truly understand culture without language, and vice versa. Culture is the setting for where our language fits in, where we communicate, and how we understand why we do things. Language helps connect our culture to how we think, feel, behave, and relate to each other. So to learn the language, you have to learn the culture, and vice versa.

Azaylea: Why is it important for students to learn about their culture and history?

Ms. LaMere: Learning about your culture helps you understand who you are and your place in the world. It helps you understand how important you are to your grandparents, your parents, and all the people coming behind you. Being strong in your culture helps you become a better student because education has always mattered to our people.

Azaylea: What makes a strong student?

Ms. LaMere: A strong student comes prepared. You have to know your goals and what you need to do to reach them. If your goal is to be someone your family can count on or to become a leader, then you have to come prepared to learn and prepared to work hard. Ho-Chunk people traditionally are hard workers, and students should reflect that too.

Azaylea: What are some habits students should know?

Ms. LaMere: The most important habit is to be organized. To keep track of what you’ve done and what you still need to do. If you take homework home, make sure you bring it back. If you have an assignment due, make sure you get it done. Stay organized and make sure all your little ducks are in a row. Make sure you know what’s expected of you and meet those expectations. Being organized is vitally important to being a good student.

Azaylea: What advice would you give students our age?

Ms. LaMere: Pay attention and don’t let yourself be distracted — and don’t become a distraction. Distractions take time. They take time away from learning and they take time away from teaching. If your teacher has to stop and deal with distractions, everyone loses learning time. Students should not let themselves be distracted and should not become distractions. Wait patiently, study if you have to while waiting, and remember that fewer distractions help everyone learn more.

Matthew: What is something you are proud of in your work?

Ms. LaMere: I’m very proud that my kids love coming to school. They don’t like weekends. They don’t like summer breaks or winter breaks. If they had their way, they’d go to school all year long. That makes me proud because it means they love learning and school feels safe and caring to them. That’s probably the thing I’m most proud of.

Azaylea: What is one moment in teaching that really stood out to you?

Ms. LaMere: The moment that stood out the most was when I taught preschool and had a student who only had a six-word vocabulary. He could barely talk. I spent two years helping him learn language skills. Years later, I saw him in a play and heard him speak a full sentence on stage. That was emotional because by preschool graduation I had only heard him use maybe three or four words together. Hearing him speak in full sentences years later was huge for me.

Azaylea: What were those six words?

Ms. LaMere: Mom. No. Yes. Mine. Car. And there was another one I can’t remember. That was about it.

Matthew: Who inspired or influenced you growing up?

Ms. LaMere: Probably my dad. He was a teacher himself and the first person in his family to graduate from college. He inspired us to always work hard and learn as much as possible.

Matthew: Why does education matter so much?

Ms. LaMere: Education matters because this is where our people fight for the future now. A long time ago, people protected the future on battlefields. Now education is where we protect the future. We need educated people — accountants, lawyers, business people, doctors. Education is what keeps tribes strong.

Azaylea: How come schools help students believe in themselves?

Ms. LaMere: School is vitally important because when you allow yourself to excel, you realize that you are important to your tribe and community. You can leave for college and come back to help your people. You can help elders. You can become someone who makes life better for others. Being a strong student creates opportunities to help others too.

Azaylea: What hopes do you have for students in our community?

Ms. LaMere: I hope more students become teachers because culture belongs in classrooms. Students who understand their culture can help younger students become stronger in their identity. Ho-Chunk people have shaped government, education, and history. Students can build amazing lives and have impacts far beyond our community.

Matthew: What would you tell your younger self?

Ms. LaMere: I would tell myself to never dumb down. I belong to Mensa now, which is a high IQ society, but when I was younger I hid being smart because kids got teased for it. I pretended not to know answers or understand things because smart kids got made fun of. I would tell my younger self: don’t do that. If you’re smart, be smart. If you love reading, read. If you know answers, answer questions. Be who you are.

Azaylea: Why does your work matter to the community?

Ms. LaMere: It matters because the students in my class already know more language than probably 99 percent of adults. We’re not only building language speakers — we’re building culture keepers. Students are learning culture and becoming leaders in their families and community. That matters.

Azaylea: How can young people in our community change the world?

Ms. LaMere: Easily. Ho-Chunk people have already changed the world. A Winnebago man named Babe Rice helped invent the lightsaber technology used in Star Wars. Reuben Snake helped pass the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. There are countless examples. Winnebago students can impact the world too — and education is the path to doing that. Many people who changed the world started right here.

Matthew: Thank you for sharing your story and time.

Ms. LaMere: Yep.

Azaylea: Thanks for listening to The BAGO Mic. Remember — your voice matters. Our story matters. And you matter.

Wa’įniginąpšąną.

Žige hąącikjawi.