Although I was a day late because of the trip to town, I hopped right into inservice when my plane landed in King Salmon. I was lucky enough to be rooming with two of my friends and we were able to catch up and talk about our respective sites and experiences so far. One of the things we talked about was what it feels like to be a teacher in the villages. While our family and friends back home try to be as supportive as possible and are so helpful in offering a listening ear, they don’t understand nor will they ever know what it is like to teach or live out here; this is through no fault of their own, it's just the way it is.
Life in rural Alaska is incredibly challenging and can be overwhelmingly lonely at times. I found that I was not alone in saying that one of the things I miss the most is physical human contact; whether it’s a hug from a friend or a kiss from your parents or even a handshake from a stranger. When you live alone in a village, the most you get is a high five from your students but even those are rarities. Being deprived of physical contact is challenging. At inservice, it’s completely acceptable to walk up to your friends and just give them a hug or put your hand on their shoulder or anything. I took advantage of this every second that I could because I’ve got to add it to the cache in PIP to get me through the next two months of non-contact.
Another great part of talking to my friends was the feeling of unconditional support from people that I haven’t had more than a handful of conversations with in the past. In just a short two and a half days, I became much closer with one friend because we were able to share our stories and joys and frustrations. On my first night, she asked if I would mind if she prayed for me which I gratefully accepted. As I sat there listening to a girl who I’d had one or two prior conversations with pray for me, a friendship was formed. Through the rest of the week it was strengthened and I am so thankful to have her as a support and as someone who understands the challenges that I face every day.
In addition to having great conversations with people from each of the villages, there were some great meals thrown our way. We stay at Bristol Bay School which is a school that we partner closely with. The cook there keeps us well fed with healthy meals that are also comfort foods that we don’t often get. We also got D&D pizza last night which is always a great treat! After eating some meals in Anchorage that I’d been craving and then getting Tonya’s cooking, I came home feeling like I’ll never have to eat again.
While the inservice was about working and joining together to collaborate, it is also a time to remember one of the teachers who passed away a few years ago from a wolf attack. She was out on a run, training for a marathon when she was killed. Each October there is a run in her honor. While I didn't know her, it was an honor to be able to run in her memory and to help support her memorial fund. Just like anywhere in the world, tragedy brings people closer together and running for her during inservice seems like a fitting tribute to her.
As a whole, inservice was a great way to catch up with friends as well as to get advice and help with different classroom questions. My brain is filled to the brim with new information and strategies to try in the classroom. This weekend will be spent decompressing and sorting through it all. While most teachers back in the lower 48 probably dread inservice, I can truly say that it was the best three days I’ve had in a while (okay the EY conference was awesome too, but this week beats all of the days before that). Thank goodness for inservice!
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