Leupp Elementary School Principal Ryan Chee, left, and Flagstaff Unified School District Superintendent Michael Penca with fourth grade teacher Dawn Quamahongnewa after she received her Coconino County Teacher of the Year award April 17. (Photo/FUSD)
Hopi teacher Dawn Quamahongnewa is still in disbelief about her new title, but is reminded every time she gets into her new white truck – “Coconino County Teacher of the Year” printed boldly across the front. She drives it two hours a day from her home in Flagstaff to Leupp Elementary School.
“I’ve gotten wes, I see people driving slow trying to read it real fast,” Quamahongnewa laughed.
Along with the new truck on lease for a year, Quamahongnewa received $1,600 in cash and recognition from her colleagues, family and friends for her 17 years in education.
Her fourth grade students got to sit in the parked truck and took turns holding her glass plaque.
Dawn Quamahongnewa is surrounded by family, friends and colleagues after she receives her Coconino County Teacher of the Year award April 17. (Photo/FUSD)
At the Coconino County Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony that took place at the High Country Conference Center in Flagstaff April 17, Quamahongnewa thanked her childcare teacher she had as a student at Tuba City High School.
“She was just so nice and just wanting and encouraging,” Quamahongnewa said of the former Mexican doctor that encouraged her to compete at vocational competitions for lesson planning and job interviews.
Quamahongnewa went on to win a gold medal at the events, propelling her love for teaching.
Quamahongnewa, a single mother, also thanked her son, Rad.
“Everything I do, I do because of him. I want him to he a good life. I want him to see what success looks like...even though things are hard or get difficult or change, you still keep going and you still keep doing awesome things because awesome things will come as you keep doing them.”
However, Quamahongnewa almost didn’t fill out the paperwork to become officially nominated for teacher of the year, because when she got an email saying that she had been elected as a nominee in October, she didn’t believe it.
“I thought it was a scam or something fake, and they were trying to get me to submit something and so for a while I didn’t respond,” Quamahongnewa said.
Then Coconino County Superintendent Cheryl Mango-Paget showed up in her classroom, and told her students they needed to make sure Quamahongnewa did her homework to submit the nomination paperwork.
Dawn Quamahongnewa learns she is Coconino County Teacher of the Year at the award ceremony April 17. (Photo/FUSD)
Quamahongnewa was elected by a former student who she taught when she first started at Leupp, who she taught for 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. Now in high school, the student said in her election nomination that she mimics Quamahongnewa’s clear and concise questioning style while doing peer tutoring.
Quamahongnewa isn’t afraid to be direct with her students, something she credits from her Hopi heritage. She grew up in Kykotsmovi Village and moved to Hotevilla when she was 12. She is of the Tobacco Clan and her father, elder Radford Quamahongnewa, is of the Sun Forehead Clan. Radford was the Snake Chief for many years and also worked for the Department of Education for the Hopi Tribe. Her mother worked as the registrar at Hopi High School.
“In mainstream practices and methods for teachers, they really encourage taking the child away from a group of people, not talking to them or reprimanding them in front of other people because it might hurt their feelings,” Quamahongnewa said. “But what I really subscribe to is first building really good relationships and leaning in to my Hopi culture of teasing and joking and really kind of playing and hing fun with my kids in the very beginning of the year … so that way later on when we are at our learning in the middle of the year I can he conversations with them in the classroom setting without hing to disrupt the class by taking them outside.”
Quamahongnewa said this direct approach of telling students what they may he done wrong and why in front of each other teaches the other students too. It relates directly to a Hopi ceremony that takes place in February where the ogre katsinas come and talk to every family at every home, publicly explaining what they did wrong and what they need to fix to he better and happy lives. Other Pueblo cultures he similar ceremonies.
“That kind of community knowledge and knowing that your behior disrupts the whole village, it makes you be very aware of your behior,” Quamahongnewa said.
Originally, Quamahongnewa wanted to go to law school like her cousin Diane Joyce Humetewa, who became the first Native American woman to serve as a U.S. federal judge.
Dawn Quamahongnewa stands in front of her new truck among the other Coconino County Teacher of the Year nominees. (Photo/FUSD)
Quamahongnewa also witnessed her father, in his role as spokesperson for the Kykotsmovi Village, take a stance against mining companies that came into the area and even against Marvel Comics’ representation of villains masquerading as Hopi katsinas in the early 90s.
Quamahongnewa wanted to defend her Hopi people through law, too, but had educational opportunities that led her to a teaching path. She feels that she is helping her Hopi people as an educator.
She got her bachelor’s degree at University of New Mexico, double majoring in anthropology and classical studies, and then Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University.
She is toying with the idea of getting a PhD from an Ivy League university, but has no desire to go on and become a principal.
Right now she is working on her National Board Certification.
“I love learning. I go to as many conferences as I can, I’m involved in my union, (learning) best teaching methods or practices or strategies,” Quamahongnewa said. “Any sort of (training) that’s going to make me better at my job, I’m down for it. Whether it be reading, grammar, math, I’m all over it.”
A long term goal of Quamahongnewa’s is to create a curriculum or method using the science of reading research to revitalize Native languages.
Leupp Principal Ryan Chee explained how proud the school is of Quamahongnewa on her receiving of Teacher of the Year. Usually, Quamahongnewa, a former cheerleader, leads the whole school in enthusiastic affirmations for morning circle to start each day. The day the county chose teacher of the year, it was the school’s turn to celebrate Quamahongnewa.
“We sent all our good thoughts and our positive vibes in the support of her nomination,” Chee said. “It was wonderful to see our student body participate.”
Students dressed in silver and red which are Quamahongnewa’s classroom colors – representing University of New Mexico.
Dawn Quamahongnewa makes a speech at the Coconino County Teacher of the Year Awards April 17. (Photo/FUSD)
The following morning after Quamahongnewa won, a classroom was decorated with balloons, strings and a banner they created.
“It’s very important among our Indian community, our Native children to see children of their own background, language,” Chee said. “I think it’s an empowering moment when you do come across an educator that can transfer a lot of the learning to the realm of experience that they can bring to the table.”
It has been a star-studded year for Leupp, which has had numerous recognitions this year, from the school’s foster grandparent and 2nd grade teacher, Marilyn Dugi, being awarded, to being one of five schools showcased globally from UNESCO out of the United Nations for the school’s student achievement journey.
Alexandra Wittenberg