By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
Each month, the Sun recognizes a local teacher for his or her determination to help students go above and beyond. Anyone can nominate a teacher by emailing the Sun at gallupsunreporters@gmail.com and providing the teacher’s name, where they teach, and why they should be selected as that month’s winner.
This month’s award went to Ethel Ellison, who teaches the Heritage Language and Culture class at Stagecoach Elementary.
GROWING UP
IMMERSED IN
THE DINÉ
Ellison grew up about 15 miles southwest of Gallup in Manuelito. She was raised primarily by her grandparents, who lived on a farm. They owned sheep, cows, and horses. Ellison’s days were spent hauling wood and doing her homework by a kerosene lamp since they didn’t have electricity. They also had to haul water from a nearby well because they didn’t have running water.
Diné is her native language, she didn’t learn English until she started school. And even then, it took her time to grasp it completely.
“I still had to keep learning English even after high school because I didn’t have the whole language down,” she said.
Ellison said she didn’t see herself pursuing a college degree after she graduated from Tohatchi High School.
“I actually didn’t want to go to college, but my mom said, ‘You’re going to go to school,’” Ellison said. “So, she paid for my tuition at UNM-Gallup. And my grandma said, ‘I think you’re going to have to go to school.’ My grandma was really a believer in education, but since I was the first grandchild I kind of got whatever I wanted with her. But school was something I couldn’t get out of.”
Ellison went into college not knowing what she wanted to study. Many people had told her she would make a great teacher, but she started out by pursuing a business degree. She soon realized a business degree wasn’t for her and decided to switch to education.
TEACHING THE DINÉ LANGUAGE
Now, Ellison has been teaching for 35 years, in different roles from daycare to kindergarten and first grade. She’s currently at Stagecoach Elementary teaching the Heritage Language and Culture class.
She said her favorite part about teaching elementary students her native language is when it starts clicking for them.
“I love when the kids start speaking and singing in Navajo,” Ellison said. “Sometimes when they put a song together in Navajo I cry, it just touches my heart.”
She said the hardest part about what she does is teaching the Diné language and having the kids understand the cultural significance behind it, especially if they themselves aren’t Diné. She has to find an age-appropriate way to introduce the culture to each grade level.
When asked about any advice she would give to new teachers, Ellison said that teachers have to be creative when it comes to creating lesson plans. They have to keep their students engaged and entertained so that they want to keep learning.
Luckily for Ellison, she is a very creative person. In her spare time, she likes to sew and take on crafting projects. She also enjoys hiking and traveling.
WHAT MAKES ELLISON A GOOD TEACHER
In an interview with the Sun, Stagecoach Elementary Principal Jessica Dooley said that about 85% of the school’s students participate in the Heritage Language and Culture class.
She said that Ellison goes above and beyond what is expected of a teacher.
“There are obviously some very professional elements that make a great teacher, such as being on time, planning engaging activities for the kids, and always being prepared,” Dooley said. “But there are also other aspects of Ethel that are additional to anything she does as a professional. She really cares about the kids; she’s always going above and beyond to support them.”
She said that Ellison serves as a great role model not only for her students, but also for her fellow teachers, the students’ parents, and the entire community as a whole.
