I did it! I really did it! I have officially made it through my first semester as a teacher, and in rural Alaska nonetheless! I cannot believe that the time has gone so quickly and that I made it through four and a half months in the bush.
These past few months have been the most challenging of my life. I have spent countless hours in my classroom at school planning lessons and grading papers. On more than one occasion, weeknights and weekends were forfeited in the name of preperation or other school work. I have been pushed to my limits in regards to behavioral issues and planning for so many different grade levels. It has been hard and I have shed many tears, but I did it.
As I type this out on the plane ride home to New Jersey, I can’t help but reflect on the trials and triumphs of the past four months. There have been many times, especially in the beginning, when I thought “what did I get myself into?!” or “will lesson planning ever become easier?”. Many sleepless nights were accompanied by thoughts of worry and doubt. But there were also many times when I thought “this is the most incredible teaching job I could ever ask for” and “how can I ever leave Pilot Point behind?”. The adventures that I have had are enough to make me wake up each day thinking “how did I get so lucky?”. Not only were my adventures found outside of the classroom, but they also took place within the walls of Pilot Point school. 
The “aha” moments I have seen, the moments in which you know a concept has taken root and actually makes sense to a student, have gotten me through. They are few and far between, but when that moment happens it’s enough to cancel out any of my worries if only for the briefest moment. I live for the “aha” moments that my kids have had during my time with them. Right now as I think of this, I can’t help but smile as I think of specific “aha” moments for each of my students. I am a proud teacher and I will forever be thankful for my first class of students.
I will also be forever grateful for the friendships I have made along the way. I never thought a school district could be made up of such caring and kind hearted people. My district truly is one giant family and I am so happy to be part of it. With each challenge I have faced, I knew that I was not alone and that I could reach out to countless people for help (which I did on many occasions). My questions have been welcomed and people have taken the time to share lesson ideas and to try to help out in any way. I have found friends with whom I can share my struggles and my celebrations and who also help me get through the tough days. These friends mean more to me than words can describe and I am so thankful to have them.
As I reflect, I must also think about the overwhelming support that I have received from my family and friends back home. I lost count of how many cards and care packages that I received during my time in Pilot Point. My bedroom walls were covered with cards and letters from my loved ones. Some days I just sat and stared at them thinking how lucky I was to have been blessed with the support system that I have at home. My students also loved the treats that family members sent; “peeps" from Pennsylvania, maple sugar candies from Vermont, Harry Potter jellybeans from Maryland, and even chocolate covered dates from Saudi Arabia! Each time I introduced a new item from within a care package, my students would exclaim “Miss Norman your family is so nice!” or “Wow Miss Norman, this is awesome!!”. Knowing that my family back home was able to make my students smile was just another instance in which I counted my blessings. 
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