I was full-on ready to be a full-time artist. And then I was invited to be a teacher at a summer institute in Denver, through the Native American Youth Outreach Program. I think it was seeing those kids connect to our traditional arts — part of our cultural inheritance that they had little exposure to before. It was seeing kids connect to our indigenous ways that changed me.

Is the Next Great Teacher Already in Your School?

Grow Your Own Initiatives in Minnesota

“You can never be too prepared.” We hear this bit of life advice across all aspects of life and work. In many ways, it’s true. Practice and preparation often lead to better outcomes. When working with people, though, sometimes you actually can be too prepared.