Academics

Educator Profiles

George Goggans

8th Grade Language Arts Teacher
MS Academics
New Orleans, Louisiana

I am honored to say that I teach 8^th grade language arts at SFIS. Part of what brought me to Santa Fe is that my father retired to Pagosa Springs years ago, and I loved visiting the area in the summers. Also, I had gone through New Mexico once when I was in my 20s and was captivated by the place and its history. Before coming to Santa Fe Indian School, I taught school for 14 years in New Orleans—the city where I have lived the majority of my life. I began my undergraduate work at the University of Alabama and then went to University of West Florida--where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Education; I also have 15 hours of graduate credits from Tulane, Loyola, and the University of New Orleans.

I can’t think of another profession that I would rather have than teaching. I enjoy helping young people and being a part of their lives. Being able to teach at the SFIS is like living a dream. When I think of Native Americans and the SFIS, I think of the most important core value: respect. Not the “yes mam” and “yes sir” type of respect that many may think of immediately, but respect in terms of valuing other people, and respecting who they are where they came from—having compassion. I have always had a fascination with Native Americans; my grandmother was part Creek Indian. My first memories are of her and the red headed woodpecker--which is a Creek symbol for safety and reverence.

Teaching (and teaching others to revere life, earth, and one another) is my life’s passion. Teaching is closely followed by hiking and being outdoors, enjoying any and all types of sports (I grew up playing as many sports as possible and am a huge Alabama and Saints football fan, Braves baseball and Duke basketball fan), and reading and writing literature—which of course led me to my first passion—teaching.