Students will work as teaching assistants under the supervision of teachers in public schools within the Gallup-McKinley County School District in New Mexico. Students enrolled in the course will meet periodically during the fall 2016 semester to prepare for this unique course. Seminars complementing in-class experiences during J-term include professionalism, education department program competencies and dispositions, reflective practice, and the influence of culture on schooling. Field trips to various locations on the Navajo reservation, and to national monuments and parks, will contribute to the conversations about the effects of culture, history, and place on academic performance.