Walking in a Winter Wonderland

My perfect little tundra tree<3

One more sleep. Just one more sleep followed by a short few hours at school before winter break officially begins! I think it’s safe to say that students and teachers alike are ready for some time off. I know the teachers in Nondalton are ready to relax while our students are excited to spend their daylight hours outside playing in the snow. 

Last weekend's ride to Newhalen

With the winter solstice coming up, we are down to about six hours of daylight. The sun rises at about 10:15 and sets a little after 4:15. Students spend five of those hours inside at school while teachers spend almost all six of those hours inside working. On the 22nd, the winter solstice will occur and we will slowly start to gain back minutes and then hours of daylight. Oh how I am yearning for the days of the midnight sun. It will be refreshing to get some sunshine back on the east coast, and maybe I'll get a tan with the weather that has been occurring back at home! 

One of our 4:15 sunsets

While the east coast is getting hit with warm weather and isn’t looking promising for a white Christmas, Alaska has already seen two good snowfalls this year. We’ve had almost triple the amount of snow that we had all last winter, and it’s only December! I am looking forward to seeing if more snow piles up during the few weeks that I’ll be roasting on the east coast. With how cold it’s been, I have already felt the pain that improper gear can cause and I am going to need to upgrade a few of my cold weather items over the break. 

Bear Creek Trail, Iliamna

Last weekend, Sam and I went out on a snowy adventure to get some fresh air and spend some time outside. While the trail we went on was breath-taking and incredibly peaceful, I was desperate to get home. I think the temperature was five degrees when we left, but with the wind it felt like negative 10 or worse. Halfway through the ride I had lost feeling of my toes and I spent the entire ride back coming to terms with the fact that I would never feel my feet again. However, after putting some hot hands in fresh warm socks, painfully soaking my feet in lukewarm water (that to me felt like one million degrees), and then having Sam sit on my feet for awhile, I finally regained feeling in all ten tootsies. Have no fear, the number one item on my shopping list over break is a pair of Alaskan native approved “Bunny Boots” (google the picture for a giggle, but know that my feet will never be cold again). 

A snow covered Six Mile Lake

Aside from being the weekend that I almost lost the use of my toes, it was also my first lake crossing of the winter. Two weeks ago the lake officially became thick enough to safely cross, and many people have been riding snow machines and hondas back and forth between here and Newhalen. Considering the fact that everything makes me anxious, it shouldn’t come as a shock that crossing over a frozen lake causes a mini panic attack no matter how many times I’ve done it. To make matters worse, it was snowing both times that we crossed and I was convinced that there was a hole in the middle of the lake that we could not see and that we would surely fall through (my anxiety gets the better of me sometimes). Rest assured that there are no holes and the ice is both solid and thick. While it might make me nervous, the lake being frozen makes for much easier travel between mine and Sam’s villages so I am hoping that the freezing temperatures stick around for a few more months! 

I found some time for crafting!

As for school, the past few weeks have been busy with end of the semester wrap-up. In addition, I very recently took over the title as the Nondalton FAMILY Grant Coordinator. The purpose of the grant is to help develop and strengthen positive interactions between pre-schoolers and their families while also helping prepare little ones for kindergarten. I am excited to take on this role, but the past week has held with it long nights of hosting family meetings, reviewing materials, and getting student records prepared and organized. I have also been trying to get work together for the first few weeks after break because I will be taking an online course beginning in January (more to follow on this later) and I want to be able to focus my energy on that when we return. However, I am ready for a few weeks of not having to do any paperwork! 

Our decorations for
the winter program!

As a nice goodbye to this semester, we held our winter program tonight and the whole community came out to support our students. The younger elementary students sang Christmas carols, the upper elementary students preformed a mini-play along with the reading of a book, and our middle and high-schoolers created skits to perform their own version of “A Christmas Carol”.  It was a fun time, but I was happy to get home to finish up packing and last minute things. Weather depending, I am supposed to hop on a plane tomorrow afternoon and then spend the weekend in Palmer (which is about 45 minutes north of Anchorage) with some great people. However, tomorrow is calling for a few inches of snow and it's possible that we will not be able to fly out of Nondalton. I am feeling so happy that I am not flying out of Anchorage until Monday night. With the weather conditions being so sporadic, travel from the villages is not guaranteed so it’s nice to allow for some buffer days in case you get weathered in or out of a village. Fingers crossed that we can get out tomorrow, because I am looking forward to seeing my friends, shopping, and going to a restaurant. 

My current outdoor decor

Oh, what a wonderfully chaotic semester it has been. I have had days that I never want to forget and I have also had days I wish I could never think of again. I have been on many adventures and have created unforgettable memories with people who I am lucky to be able to call co-workers and friends. My semester has been one unknown after the other, but what a ride it has been. With all that has happened in the past five months, I cannot begin to imagine what the next five will hold. My hope is that the second semester will bring with it a little less stress and a lot more adventuring!

I would like to wish anyone reading this a very happy holiday season and say thank you for continuing to follow along with me as I tackle my first year teaching special education in my tiny Alaskan village!  Stay tuned if you want to find out what Alaska has in store for me:) 

My Miss Paige

My little artist at work

My writing group has just left my room and I rush to heat up my travel mug so I can make tea to get me through the afternoon. I’m wondering for the hundredth time why I thought it was a good idea to stop drinking coffee, but I grab a bag of tea and push the thought from my mind. As I get back to my room I have two or three minutes to update my classroom behavior system, add a few more items to my to do list, and if I am lucky I even have a chance to check my email. All the while I am thinking of where the day has gone and if I’ve actually gotten anything across to my different groups. I could sit there all day trying to get caught up, but from my classroom at the top of the steps, I can hear the front door of the school open. I pause and wait, listening to the clock as the seconds tick by. Then I hear it, the clumsy footsteps of a little one in snow boots, and all thoughts and worries leave my mind.

"I'll miss you buddy"

Each day, when one o’clock rolls around, I must step out of the role of elementary school teacher and into the shoes of a pre-school teacher. If you don’t believe there’s a difference, just ask the secondary students next door and they’ll tell you how my voice changes and how many times I clap my hands or say “good job!". Everyone knows that I love children, but I never thought I’d be teaching 3 year olds, especially not in the same day that I work with students in elementary and high school. Most days I feel that I’m just hanging on by the seat of my pants and there are many days in which my students teach me more than I can hope to teach them. My two 3 year olds (a boy and a girl) keep me on my toes, and I have to have a new activity ready every five minutes (sometimes every 3) to keep up with their tiny attention spans. However, they also teach me patience (so. much. patience.) and provide me with constant laughter. I’m often exhausted after our 30 and 60 minute sessions, but most days I am sad to see them go and wish that I was able to work with them longer. Today was one of those days.

It was five after one and I was worried that only one of my students would be joining me today. It had been a long day, I was frustrated with some of my students from earlier in the day, and my pre-school sessions go by much quicker when both students are there. The roads have been icy, so I was hoping that they were just running behind, but as the clock ticked by I thought my bundle of energy would surely be absent. But then I heard the front door open, followed by those clunky footsteps. Seconds later, she rushed through the door exclaiming “My Miss Paige!”, and my day turned around. Three little words paired with the look of excitement on my student’s face, and my day was instantly better. 

My adorable little nurse

As I watched my students play together, I reflected on how they have grown since August. While I can’t always see it in my older students, my little ones show me progress each day. Whether it be recognizing the first letter in their name, being able to match a number to a set of objects (today we counted/matched up to the number 3), or running around the table to push in my chair after I stand up, I can constantly see their brains at work. I celebrate every accomplishment as if my students have just won the lottery and they probably think I’m crazy, but at least they clap right along with me! As my little lady and I worked on how to cut paper with scissors, I could almost pinpoint the exact moment in which the gears in her brain shifted and her hands and eyes teamed up to showcase some awesome fine motor skills. Today was a great day in Miss Paige’s room. 

I wish I could describe it, but getting to work with these youngsters fills my days with happiness. Each day is an adventure and while I never know what I’m facing when they walk through the doors, I know our sessions will never be boring. My pre-schoolers continue to remind me of the innocence of children and I hope that I provide them with a learning environment in which they feel both safe and cared for. These two small children have had such a large impact on my life, and I hope that I am able to help do the same for them. Tonight my heart is full knowing that I am someone’s “My Miss Paige”, and for that I am thankful. 

Non-Stop November

Getting ready for a morning
flight from Port Alsworth

I’m going to start sounding like a broken record, but I just cannot seem to wrap my head around how quickly this school year is going by. The days seem to blur together and before I know it another week has gone by. One thing that definitely makes the time pass is traveling, and the last time I wrote I was gearing up for a volleyball jamboree. While I did coach volleyball for one student last year, I knew my lack of coordination was no match for coaching our school’s nine players. Luckily, one of our high school teachers called dibs on this one and I happily tagged along to make sure our students didn’t cause too much mischief. With some snow on the ground and more in the forecast, we made our way up the lake to Port Alsworth.

Six Mile's first freeze of the year

It was exciting to go there because I’ve not yet been to this site, and I am determined to get to as many of the villages in our district as I can. I was blown away by the beauty in Port Alsworth, not only outside, but in the school as well. This village just opened the doors of a new school this August, and it is an incredible building. I can honestly say I have never seen such a student friendly and state of the art school anywhere, let alone in rural Alaska. Students and teachers can write on the walls, they have almost sound-proof study rooms attached to the classrooms, and the classrooms in the main hall have windowed walls that are basically like garage doors that open and close. I bet students that dislike school would want to wake up and race into this building each morning. 

A great night in Kokhanok

The only flaw that I found was the fact that the lights in the school gym were activated by motion. I suppose it’s important to note that all of the girls slept in the gym and I’m not exaggerating when I say that on the first night we were awakened every half an hour by a loud click and bright lights coming on. It was a long night and thankfully the controls were switched for our second night because we had some cranky students and chaperones after the first one. Other than that, we had a fun two days in which volleyball matches were non-stop from 9:30 in the morning to 9:00 at night. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and I was glad to see that a few of our students went out of their comfort zones to try a new sport. 

Bundled and ready
for adventures

My next stop was Kokhanok where I joined a few other special ed. teachers for some training on one of the assessments we use. While the training was necessary and helpful, I was much more excited to spend Friday night visiting with the staff. We all gathered for pizza that had been brought up from Naknek and had an intense Catchphrase tournament. As I looked around the room, I couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that only in this environment do we gather with so many different people that we normally wouldn’t and have so much fun. I wish I could have stayed longer, but unfortunately it was a short visit and I had to get home the next day. As it always does after traveling, it felt nice to be able to sleep in my own bed. 

Taking a look at the rapids
on the Newhalen River

While I was able to spend the rest of the weekend recovering from traveling, I woke up sick on Monday morning and spent the rest of the week fighting a cold. My students couldn’t help but laugh at how funny my voice sounded. On the day I was feeling the worst, I had my first formal observation of the year and a special ed. meeting so I stocked up on tea and made the best of it. I was able to get some rest on Thursday, and sick or not, I was counting down the minutes until I was in Newhalen for the weekend. My friend Kelsey was going to be visiting from Kokhanok, and although I’d seen her briefly during my trip there, I was looking forward to a longer visit with her. 

Getting his workout in!

Unfortunately, it had snowed quite a bit this week and the road between our villages made for a less than smooth trip for Kelsey and Sam when they came to get me. In addition, the lake froze up last week and while two people crossed over safely mid-week, it is not something to mess with and we will wait until the path has been marked. The good this is that the lake flows into the Newhalen River and we are able to cross by boat where the river begins. However, ice builds up on the sides of the river and it can make for a difficult time to get a boat into the water. Not only that, but they had to shovel out snow from the boat before they could put it in the water. Sam and Kelsey were cold and tired by the time they picked me up and we were all soaked from the snow on the ride home, but the excitement of the upcoming weekend kept us all in good spirits. 

A beautiful trip across the river

I can only speak for myself, but I had a great weekend visiting with Kelsey, Sam, and the other teachers. Saturday was a nice, clear day and we spent it outside riding around on the honda. We got to show Kelsey some must see spots in Newhalen, and even though I have been to them plenty of times, it is always fun to see how they change with each season. Our days just keep getting shorter so it's nice to spend the weekends taking advantage of the daylight while we still have it. It felt so refreshing to get outside and soak up some sun! I think we were all tired today, so we had a lazy morning playing games and getting some Christmas shopping done. I was bummed to have to get home this afternoon, but we had a much easier trip than the one on Friday and for that I was thankful. 

Another see you later after
a great weekeend

This weekend was just what I needed, and I am so happy that I was able to visit with a friend who I never get to see. We have a short week ahead of us and then I get to go back to Newhalen for Thanksgiving and a long weekend. It’s hard to believe, but there are only 18 days of school, 10 progress reports, 3 IEP meetings, 2 days of parent-teacher conferences, and a Christmas show standing between me and winter break. But who’s counting, right? 

Cars and Roads, and Stores, Oh My!

The Newhalen River

Last week, after three months spent in villages without restaurants, movie theaters, malls, and many other things, I re-emerged into civilization. So maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but when you go back onto the road system, it takes some re-adjusting and can be really overwhelming. An unplanned broken tooth took me out to Anchorage last week, and I have never been happier to have to go to the dentist. Due to the way the flights work from the villages, I had to fly into “town” on Wednesday and was able to spend a few days in the big city.

Anchorage Highways

Once I got in, my principal from Pilot Point picked me up at the airport and I was able to spend a few hours visiting with her and her daughter. It felt so strange to be able to eat at a restaurant, drive in a car on a highway, and walk around a mall! I quietly took it all in and tried to get my bearings; it took a few hours to get back into the swing of fast paced city life. Knowing I didn’t have long in Anchorage, I didn’t waste much time before hitting all sorts of stores in an effort to stock up my cabinets at home. I almost forgot what it felt like to walk through the doors of a Target and see all the aisles of promising treasures calling my name. I may or may not have gone into shock and spent hours aimlessly wandering the aisles.. There were just so many options! 

The cutest little nurse

Aside from my dentist appointment, my only other obligation while in town was a podiatrist appointment. I hurt my foot while running awhile back and the pain has just not gone away. Luckily, I found out that the pain wasn’t in my head, and they are treating me for what they believe to be tendinitis. No so luckily, I got “booted” for at least three weeks which doesn’t mix well for Alaskan adventures. However, I will gladly skip weekend adventures for a few weeks if it means my foot gets better and I can get back to running around my beautiful village. 

One of MANY delicious meals

Once my two appointments were finished, I spent my days in Anchorage shopping around and just appreciating little things that we take for granted. While I was in town, Sam was also there for some computer management training, so we even got to go on some dates like normal couples! On Friday we met up with two other friends and went to the movies, and it was nice to watch a movie on a screen larger than that of a smart-board. Afterwards, we all reflected on how strange it was to be hanging out together in the city, but I for one enjoyed the company. 

Pretty and yummy coffee<3

As if going to the movie’s wasn’t weird enough, I got to spend Saturday morning shopping with one of the teacher’s from Newhalen. I think we were both fueled by the excitement of being able to have girl time and shop in a mall. We went from store to store just appreciating the ability to touch the items that we wanted instead of viewing them on a computer screen. It was a much needed morning spent in great company, and I look forward to the next time it can happen. 

On Saturday night, Sam and I were excited to get to meet up with a friend from King Salmon who also happened to be in Anchorage. Later, my dad laughed and commented that this was the weekend to be in town. I was glad for the way the timing worked out, especially because I hadn’t seen this friend in eight months! It was so great to be able to see her, and hopefully it won’t be so long before we can hang out again. 

Reunited after 8 months!

After four busy and fun-filled days in the big city, I was ready to get back to my quiet apartment looking out on “my” lake. While I did get home on Sunday, it wasn’t exactly according to the plan. We were supposed to fly straight to Nondalton from Anchorage, but when we started to prepare for landing, I realized that we were flying over Iliamna. It was rainy and the wind was blowing when we landed and while the weather was not the same in Nondalton, they unloaded my stuff and told me that I’d fly out the next morning on the mail plane. I wouldn’t have minded spending a night in Newhalen, but I knew that my friend Cailtin was going to be crossing the lake that night, and I didn’t want to miss another day of school. Instead of taking a plane, I grabbed my stuff, threw on some cold weather gear, and hopped on a boat to get home. When I called the air taxi company to tell them the next morning, they weren’t even phased by what I said. The fact that I was even able to do this, paired with how casual it sounded to the woman on the phone, just reminds me of the unique way of life in rural Alaska. 

Cook Inlet, Anchorage

My time in Anchorage was great and I am thankful that I was able to go out to the doctor, visit with friends, do some shopping, and fill up on delicious foods. However, my trip was also overwhelming and tiring and it feels so nice to be back in Nondalton. The past few days were just what I needed to rejuvenate and gather the energy to get through the next few weeks of school craziness. I don’t get too much rest though, and I spent tonight packing and getting ready to spend the next few nights away from home again. I am going to be joining our school’s volleyball team at the jamboree in Port Alsworth (the school site that is just north of Nondalton) and then heading to Kokhanok for some special education training. While I’d much rather go back to sleeping in a hotel than on a classroom floor, I am looking forward to the next few days! 

Writer's Block

Forever exploring

While I have no clue how it is possible, the calendar tells me today that we are already well on our way through the month of November. As I type this I realize that somehow I let a month go by without even so much as a short post. Truth be told, I have thought about and even attempted to write an entry over the past few weeks. However, I seemed to have gotten into a funk and just could not get words onto the page. Not only that, but things have just not slowed down much and I have been busy with one thing or another since the school year began. The life of a teacher, right? Tonight though, I was finally motivated enough to try to recap on the last month of craziness here in Nondalton.

Flying home from
 King Salmon

Unfortunately, October began on a somber note as I learned the news that a close family friend had suddenly passed away. After hearing the news, I once again struggled with an overwhelming sense of homesickness. My initial desire was to be home with family and helping out in any way possible. However, home is no longer a short drive away and it now takes at least three planes and almost a day's worth of travel to get there. Most people know that I am a family oriented person, and being so far from my loved ones is without a doubt the hardest part of living in Alaska. In the past month I have been able to mourn this loss on my own time and in my own way. I have also spent a lot of time reflecting on how quickly life can change and the importance of making the best of every day. 

I got to live in a
lodge for a night:)

In regards to school, I have become more confident and comfortable in my role as a special education teacher with each passing day. While I loathe still don’t particularly like the system we use for our special education paperwork, I have come to tolerate it and feel that I have a solid grasp on the ins and outs of working with it. I am lucky to be learning the ropes at the same time as some other newbie special ed. teachers and we are helping each other day by day. In the past month, I have flown solo on quite a few IEP, re-evaluation,and amendment meetings and I’ve learned something new each time. 

Not only have I been adjusting, by our school team has gotten into a pretty good routine and we are working together to keep our 34 students under control and on track in their studies. In the middle of October, we were able to travel to King Salmon for a whole-district inservice and we all brought back new ideas to use in our school. My friend Caitlin and I were even able to present a session on the classroom management system, Class Dojo, that we use in our classrooms and explain how we use it as our school-wide behavior management system. It was fun to be able to share what works for us with other teachers in our district. 

It gets colder every day!

We might have been flooded with new information, but October inservice is a loved event by all. One disadvantage about teaching in rural Alaska is that we rarely get to see teachers from other school sites in our district. I hadn’t seen many of these teachers since last year’s inservice, so it was great to catch-up. In addition, I got some much needed girl time with some great ladies, and appreciated the chance to just talk about struggles, triumphs, and everything in between. 

Later sunrises are
still just as beautiful

Since we’ve been back, it has been another blur of visitors, traveling, meetings, and I think somewhere in there we have managed to squeeze in some teaching. The constant chaos certainly helps the time pass by quickly, and it will be Christmas break before we know it (43 sleeps until I’m back on the East Coast, but who’s counting?). Although I know without a doubt that the next month and a half will be busy and tiring, I am fueled by the knowledge that I will soon be rewarded with a trip home to see family and friends:) 

Eat. Run. Sleep. Repeat.

Views from a village run:) 

Everyone has their own way of unwinding after a long day; something that can help them recuperate and de-stress. My personal favorite is to go for a run after school, especially in Alaska where I get to see incredible views along the way. Running, in my opinion, is a great way to spend time reflecting on the day and getting out any frustrations. Last year when I moved to Pilot Point, I had been excited to have the opportunity to coach cross country because I thought it would be fun to inspire students to take up running as a hobby. While I wasn’t able to convince my three eligible students to run, I had been able to chaperone the jamboree in Naknek. It was such a fun experience, and in starting the new school year in Nondalton, I was hesitantly excited at the thought that I might get to attend as a coach this year. 

Luckily, my wish came true and I had nine students who signed up and joined me after school everyday for practices! While our sporting seasons are shorter than average high-school seasons, my students followed through and came to all of our practices. Many of them had not run cross country before, but at my request, they agreed to give it a try. Without much complaint, they ran all the paths I created around the village, ran sprints in the gym, and they absolutely hated loved me for all of the 1-minute ab exercises I had them do (I gave them a taste of the Insanity workouts!). While I don’t know that they would say running is their favorite thing, I think they all enjoyed our time together as a team.

A great night for the
Newhalen River Race!

After a few weeks of practice in the village, some of us were able to take a ride across the lake to run in the Newhalen River Race. Considering this wasn’t a school sponsored race, I was happy to see how many of my runners chose to hop on a boat with me and run a hilly three mile course. This event was especially fun because younger students who aren’t eligible to be on the team (7th grade and below) joined us and were able to run shorter courses with other students their age. One of the third graders from our school came in first in her age group! 

Off they go!

Finally, their hard work was rewarded and all nine of my athletes were cleared to travel to Naknek for the jamboree this past weekend. Last Thursday, we boarded two planes and made our way south. Once all of the teams arrived, the students were able to walk the race course to get a better feel for it. Shortly after, the girls were the first to run and off they went! I was a proud coach as I watched all of my runners giving it their all. Regardless of their time or the place they came in, all of them did their best and proved to themselves that they could complete the course! I was beaming ear to ear as I watched my one normally sluggish runner come barreling through the finish line. All of the athletes seemed happy to have the race behind them and were ready to spend the next two days visiting with their friends from other schools. 

Some of the final
bridge creations

On Friday, professors from the University of Alaska led team building activities for all of the students. They were placed in groups and asked to use limited materials to create a bridge and a tower, both of which would be tested for how much weight they could hold. This task was a lot harder than it looked, but the students came together and had some awesome creations. Later in the day, they were paired up and asked to make a basket to safely house an egg as it plummeted to the ground. It was a fun, but long day and all of the students were eager to go to the dance that was held that night. There is also a community pool across from the school we stayed at, so many of the students took advantage of that during their free choice time. 

At the same time that the students were happy to see friends they don’t see often, I was eager to have time to catch up with teachers that I rarely see. Honestly it was just nice to have some adult time in the midst of being surrounded by students 24/7. Then, before we knew it, Saturday morning came and it was time to head back to our home villages. However, the weather did not want to cooperate, and only some of the teams were able to fly home that day. Nondalton, and five other teams were “weathered” overnight, something our students were more than happy about because it meant watching movies in the auditorium all day and spending the night splashing around in the pool. As much as I wanted to sleep in my bed as opposed to a hard classroom floor, I was glad to see that my students were having a good time.

Riding co-pilot is my favorite!

On Sunday, I was awakened by the sound of heavy rain hitting the school and I feared that we would not get home. However, the rain slowed and with the help of a larger plane, we were able to make it out of King Salmon. My students and I were glad to be on a bigger plane and I quickly claimed co-pilot seat as we were flying with one of my favorite pilots. Our flight was uneventful and thanks to a powerful tail wind, we made it home in record time. Being able to shower in clean water (Bristol Bay water is kind of icky) and sleep in my own bed brought a great end to a busy, yet fun few days spent away from home. While I enjoyed the chance to travel and was proud of my runners, I am happy to be home and content to stay in my quiet little village for a little while as I recover from this trip! 

**As most of the students were enjoying the activities on Friday, two boys and two girls from our district packed up and flew down to Unalaska (yes it’s a real place) to compete in the regional cross country meet. On Saturday we found out that all four of these students had done well at regionals and will be able to travel to Anchorage to compete in the state cross country meet! We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that all of these students continue to run their hearts out! 

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

A great way to start a weekend

While I find it hard to believe, it seems that three weeks of school have passed us by in Alaska. Our first few weeks have been four day weeks as teachers have had in-service days on Mondays. Thinking of all that has happened in a matter of twelve school days is enough to make my head spin. From getting new students and having visits from the dentist and public health nurse to a visit from the President, this school year is shaping up to be one very crazy whirlwind!

First of all, it has been both stressful and exciting to get my schedule in place and get the kinks worked out. As a special education teacher, I have ten students on my caseload ranging in age from pre-school to seniors. This may seem overwhelming, but for me it is a fun variety of personalities to interact with each day. Due to having ten students at such different age and ability levels, I am currently working in a pull-out environment. This means that instead of having all ten students for the whole day, I remove them from their general education classes throughout the day to work with them on their specific IEP (individualized education plan) goals. The stressful part of this process has been trying to make sure that I am working with each student for the hours that are required by law for their unique IEP while also making sure I don't take them from their classes at a time that is inconvenient for their general education teacher. Thankfully, I have some very flexible co-workers who continue to work with me as I try to develop a schedule that works for my students and their needs. I will cautiously say that after three weeks, I have finally gotten a solid schedule in place that is working out for everyone in the school. However, I know that this schedule could change at any minute and I will just have to adapt and just go with the flow if that happens.

Out for a ride in Iliamna :) 

Another aspect of teaching special education in the bush is that I am the one who tests students and develops their IEPs. This requires using a special (non-user friendly) program that I am becoming more familiar with by the day. I began working with the program last spring, but it's a lot different doing it on my own as opposed to having my mentor sitting next to me to answer questions and offering advice along the way. While there are other special education teachers in the district, four of us are new to working with the program, as is our new special education coordinator, so it can be tough at times. We have all been working through it together and I have been thankful to have two very helpful veteran special ed. teachers who have answered many questions as I try to become more comfortable with using this program.

Bear Creek Trail in Iliamna

All of the technical stuff and paperwork aside, getting to work with my students has been so much fun. I am enjoying having students in different age groups and getting an understanding of which skills I need to work on with each student. Most of my lessons go by smoothly and without issues, but there's a special time in my day that both excites me and makes me anxious. Every afternoon, I work with three pre-school students for an hour and these little ones keep me on my toes! One of my students likes to run out of the room any chance they can get, one is very feisty, and the third watches the other two in awe and helps me clean up their messes. It is such a funny little group and they have such different personalities that I love learning about. The part that makes me anxious thought is that one of the students sometimes has meltdowns (and by sometimes I mean every single day) and I need to take precautions to make sure they don't harm themselves, the other students, or myself. My patience is tested daily and at the end of the session I am usually physically and emotionally exhausted. While it may not seem like it to most, we are making progress with each day and this knowledge is what gets me through some of our tougher sessions.

Six Mile Lake in Nondalton

As much as I enjoy learning about my students, I feel like I have hardly seen some of them I'm the past two weeks. We have had some visitors in the village including a health aide, the dentist, and a public health nurse. This has caused many disruptions for all of us as students were being pulled left and right each day this past week. Other students have been absent because of a cold and case of strep-throat has been getting passed around. Another one of our students, along with a few others from our district, was invited to go to a local village to meet President Obama when he visited Alaska last week (everyone's opinions aside, this was an incredible experience for students in our school district to be invited to take part in). Due to all of these events and absences, we haven't been able to get into a true routine yet, but we are all doing our best and doing what we can to keep students on track.

Nondalton from Six Mile Lake

One routine that I have been able to get my students into is daily cross country practices. I am excited to say that I am coaching cross country this year and have a group of about eight students who come to practice each day. They might complain sometimes, but they continue to show up and bear with me as I learn to coach this sport for the first time. Students need to be in eighth grade and up to be eligible to travel to the sporting jamborees, but we also allow younger students to practice sometimes. I've had students in third grade asking me if they can come practice with us! I have really been enjoying working with our older students, especially those who I don't get to see often throughout the day. In two weeks I will be heading to Naknek with the team to attend the cross country jamboree. Last year I was able to chaperone this event, but I am looking forward to be attending as a coach this year. 

Blueberry picking in Iliamna

While work is a huge part of my life out here, I have also been able to enjoy some relaxing weekends filled with fun adventures. Two weekends ago, I was able to get out and pick blueberries on the tundra with Sam and some of our co-workers which was a lot of fun. We spent an entire day picking berries, riding around on Hondas, shooting guns, and we even had a nice lunch cooked over a fire we made by a lake. Sam and I have also been able to visit with other friends who work in both of our schools and it has been great to catch up with everyone and hear about their summer adventures. I continue to feel blessed to have ended up in Nondalton with great co-workers and to be close enough to Sam's village where I have found even more people who relate to the joys and challenges of living and teaching in the bush. I enjoyed my time in Pilot Point, but I have to admit that I feel much more content and at home where I am living now.

This year has gotten off to a chaotic start, but I am enjoying every second of it. I can tell that there will be struggles along the way, but getting through each challenge will hopefully help me grow and learn what works and what does not. I am continuing to try to be less panicked when the schedule changes or students are pulled for different reasons. Each day is a learning curve for all of us and my motto continues to be "take it one day at a time". One thing I know for certain is that I will never complain that I have a boring job! 

Back to the Bush

Much like my first trip to Alaska, returning has been a whirlwind spent in an endless stage of movement. However, as I sit in my new apartment looking out on the beautiful lake I live on, I realize I wouldn’t trade the craziness for anything. Considering how much has happened since I left the east coast, it seems impossible that it’s only been a week and a half since I’ve been back. From marathon shopping and shipping to setting up a new apartment and getting settled into my classroom, I have spent many of my days feeling like a chicken with my head cut off. 

After a Costco trip for 5 girls

While it has been chaotic, I look back on how I reacted to the same situations last year and can see the amount of experience I have gained since my Alaskan journey began. During my first few days, I was able to stay with the district’s new hires and do my shopping with them. Many of the girls came out as tutors in January, so it was great to see them again and catch up. We spent two very long and tiring days in Anchorage running between countless stores to get all of the essentials we will need until we can re-stock over winter break. Whereas last year I wandered the stores unsure of how much or what to buy, this year I found that I was helping the other teachers decide what was important to bring. Luckily the two days we had were enough for all of us to get all items crossed off our lists, ship totes, pack and then re-pack to make sure we could get everything to the villages. Not only were all of the teachers able to get food and personal items on board, we also got three ferrets, three fish, two dogs, two cats, and two hermit crabs home safely (which on bush planes is an accomplishment in itself). My new beta fish Percy is swimming happily in his temporary home as his fish bowl didn’t make the trip unscathed; one thing in the bush that you learn quickly is how to make use of your resources.

To be honest, I am really happy that Percy survived his first two bush plane rides, because in true bush fashion, our travel day was a bit dicey. The day I flew into Nondalton was a gloomy day which is something that does not bode well for flying bush planes. The flight from Anchorage was smooth and we (myself and three others heading to Nondalton) were supposed to go straight to Nondalton, however the visibility was too low so we had to take a detour to the next village over, Iliamna. Knowing that we would be able to stay in teacher housing if necessary, but wanting to get home, we hoped for the skies to clear enough to fly. I did not want to get weathered out on my first day back in the bush. For almost two hours we waited and waited.. 

Finally we were told that the decision would be made by 6:00 because that’s when the church service in the village started. I can’t help but laugh at how different things are in Alaska than the lower 48. Thankfully at 5:45 our pilot told us we would give it a try but that we might have to turn around if things weren’t clear enough. He also warned us that he would have to open the window during the flight to clear the windows of fog.. Knowing that our pilot is a seasoned bush pilot who has flown me before and that one of Nondalton’s elders got on board, I hopped on the plane and said a prayer. When we were up in the air, the ten minute (yes, that’s really how long it takes) flight was relatively smooth. The anticipation and circumstances made for an uneasy trip though, and I have never been happier to set foot in my village. 

Once I got home, I spent the next two days unpacking and getting moved into my new apartment. The views from my place are incredible and I’m happy to be able to see the colors of Nondalton in the summer. I also have a spare bedroom which currently has no use, so visitors are welcome; trust me when I say the scenery is well worth the trip! During my unpacking, Sam was able to come visit and he convinced me to pause long enough to go out for a boat ride on the lake. After spending so much time in planes, stores, and post offices, it felt great to get outside for some fresh air and the lake is the most beautiful blue I’ve ever seen. 

After getting my apartment set up, I next had to tackle my classroom. While last year I only had a few days to do this before students came, I’ve had about a week to work in the school, and with float planes waking me at 6:30 in the morning I’ve been going in early. Luckily I was able to clean out my classroom in the spring and when I got back I just had to worry about moving desks around and bringing some color to the space. For a special education teacher with few students, I have a huge classroom! I have been trying to make it feel bright and welcoming for my students and I can’t wait to be able to add their work to the walls. 

In an effort to not spend all of my time in school this year, I have been forcing myself to call it quits at a certain point. I am trying to convince myself that the work will be there the next day and that I shouldn’t spend all day in school, something I was guilty of a lot last year. Hopefully I can keep up this mindset once the students come back. This past week, I have left school early(ish), visited with co-workers, driven my new honda, and have gone on runs and walks around the village. On my outings, I’ve been able to see many of my students and other locals in the village. I have been so excited to see them, and in their quiet way they have made me feel that they are happy to see me return. 

Coming back to Nondalton has been both tiring and refreshing. Today has been my first day to relax and I have been taking advantage of a rainy Sunday to catch up on sleep and be incredibly lazy. With school starting in two days, I know that I need to take advantage of the quiet days while I can. I even started a new book today and after I finish writing I plan to continue reading as I sip on some tea while curled up in my comfy chair that overlooks Six Mile Lake. Tonight, and every other night, I feel incredibly lucky to be able to continue my Alaskan adventure. 

The Countdown is On!

Wild Horses in the Outer Banks, N.C.

Whoever coined the phrase “time flies when you’re having fun” really hit the nail on the head. It feels as if the end of the semester happened in hyper speed and I kept putting off blogs, waiting for a lull in the action. However, the school year rolled into an action packed summer which has left little time to blog (as if to prove my point, it’s almost one a.m as I type this, exhausted yet fueled by the need to put words on paper). I don’t know where the past few weeks have gone, but what I do know is that my “sleeps” in the Lower 48 are suddenly winding down. Seemingly without warning, this summer has flown by and the time to prepare for another year in the bush has arrived!

Seeing Matilda on Broadway in N.Y.C.

While I have butterflies at the thought of going back to Alaska, it is a much different sensation than the panic I felt at this time last summer. When I got ready for my first semester in the bush, I felt less prepared than I ever had before. My childhood and time in college had not been meant to prepare me for life in an Alaskan village; and yet I found myself packing up my life in a few totes and trusting in the leap of faith that I had taken. Fast forward twelve months and here I am gearing up for my second year. I remember being so nervous about sending my totes last year, terrified that something would not make it. Today however, mailing my only tote from home was just another thing to cross off my to do list. I suppose my priorities have changed and I realize that there are more important things to worry about than whether or not a tote of replaceable goods is going to make it to it’s destination.

Spending a day at Epcot in F.L.

Another difference I see in myself, as I try to plan for the upcoming school year, is that I have come to accept the lack of control I have in many aspects of my life in the bush. Teaching (and life in general) in rural Alaska is much different than anywhere else in the

Some history during my trip to M.A.

country. The truth of the matter is that I don’t know which students will be in my village when I return. Maybe all of the families will have stayed put over the summer, or maybe they decided to hop over to another village to live with relatives. Perhaps they went to Naknek for summer fishing and won’t return until halfway through the semester. Will I have more students on my special education caseload, or fewer? What problems, if any, will the village have faced over the two and a half months that I was on the east coast? These are questions that once would have overwhelmed me and caused sheer panic. Now, however, they are just passing thoughts I have but do not dwell on. My questions will be answered in a few weeks when I return to Nondalton, and from then on I will roll with the punches. One thing I know for sure is once I step foot in Alaska, the craziness will begin and I’ll just have to hit the ground running. Until then I plan to keep appreciating fresh produce, taking advantage of free shipping (to the bush nonetheless!), and soaking up as much family/friend time and sunshine that I can!