Decisions, Decisions

Out for a honda ride:) 

When I decided to come out to Alaska in the fall, I thought it was going to be a four month adventure. At the time that I accepted the job, I was told that my contract might be extended to finish out the school year. Varying circumstances in Pilot Point kept me from renewing my contract, but luckily my time in Alaska didn't end there. I gladly accepted a tutoring position in Nondalton in the hopes that spending time in a bigger school with more on-site staff might be a more positive teaching experiene. Once again, I was told that this could lead to something but it was only whispered rumors at first.

Exploring in Newhalen

Last week however, I was officially offered a contract for the 2015-2016 school year as a special education/general education teacher. While it was amazing to be offered a position in my current village, it was not a decision that I made with ease. Being 4,000 miles away from my friends and family is incredibly challenging. On the other hand, it might just be the best possible choice I could make to advance my teaching career. I spent the days and weeks leading up to the offer weighing my options and making more lists than I could count. I also discussed my options with different family members and friends both at home and in Alaska and was overwhelmed by the support that I received. Everyone kindly offered their opinions and advice to help me decide, but in the end I just had to do what felt right for me. 

Down at "The Landing" in Iliamna

This past Saturday I accepted the position! Next year I will teaching special ed for students ranging from pre-school through twelfth grade. Part of my day will be spent teaching reading and math in a reverse inclusion setting. What this means is that not only will I have special education students, but I will also pull in one or two general education students as well. This way of teaching is beneficial to the students with learning disabilities in that they will not feel isolated from their peers. It also helps the general education students learn to be accepting of their classmates. There are many other benefits to this style of teaching and I am excited to learn the ropes.

I am also hesitantly eager to start working with the pre-schoolers who will be on my case-load. It is going to be a challenge, but over the next few months I will be able to ease into the position. Not only will I spend the rest of the school year learning from the current special education teacher, but I will also be able to travel to district office in King Salmon. While there, I am going to spend more time learning about the paperwork side of special education. I am looking forward to this as I have a lot to learn about this aspect of the job. 

I certainly won't get sick of this view in Nondalton!

Up until the moment I told my boss that I was accepting, I was nervous that I was going to make the wrong choice. Now that I have accepted, I am able to get excited about my classroom for next year! It is going to be hard to be away from home for another year, but knowing that my family and friends are supportive of my decision is extremely helpful. As my step-mom reminded me, I won't miss out on anything in the next year that I can't Skype into! Deep down I think I always knew I was going to accept a position because I can’t imagine ending this journey in only a few months. All I had to do was push back the pesky little fears that were holding me back. 

Alaska seemingly rewarded me for my choice by gracing me with my first view of the Northern Lights! On Saturday night, I was able to watch the incredible phenomenon with Sam and the tutor in Newhalen, Caitlin. We watched in awe as the lights danced across the sky and I knew that I had made the right choice. Alaska is my home right now and I am blessed to be able to call it that. Another year in this beautiful state is bound to bring with it more adventures and memorable experiences to add to the collection!