Seal Butchering Pictures

Here are the long-awaited photos from the seal butchering event.

Above is Buster, our wiry go-to handy man and general source of mischief. He has the heartiest laugh I've ever heard for a man who is no more than 110 pounds soaking wet. He has one speed: turbo. Often, he comes into my class in the morning with his giant coffee thermos and sparks some great conversation with his own questions about the topic of the day. It's almost as if I planted him there at times. Each day, we have the following conversation at some point. It goes like something like this:

Buster: "HELLOSISTERHOWAREWETODAY!?"
Me:      "I am doing well, my brother, and how are you?"
Buster: "I am well, my sister. YOUGOTENOUGHBLOWTISSUE?"
Me:      "Yes, I do. Thanks, Buster!"
Buster: "GOODBYESUNSHINE!"

As I have said, Buster also has one volume: LOUD. He cracks me up daily. Every school should have a Buster.

Buster carefully butchers the seal, separating the precious blubber into a bucket to divvy up amongst the villagers. I tried some as a dipping oil for dry fish, and it was delicious. He also cut off the flippers and gave them to me for class. It was perfect, as I was discussing animal adaptations with three of my sections. I then finished dissecting the flippers for my oldest group, which they found pretty cool. One of them said he found it disturbing that I enjoyed doing that as much as I did, and that he hoped I wouldn't dissect him. He's a great kid; he was the one who first requested better reading books for high schoolers. An advanced student, he hopes to be a pilot.

The Kindergarten teacher brought some of her kids to the Yup'ik room to witness the event. It was an exciting day all around. What you see above is exactly how these kids learn best. The Yup'ik culture is strongly rooted in oral histories and demonstrations (not that that should be a huge surprise...), which explains why these kiddos are so engaged. Put them in a classroom, and that kindergarten teacher has to restrain them from leap-frogging from desk to desk. (I'm not joking about that. She is a certifiable saint, as are all elementary teachers.)

Also, I did get the chance to try eel, and it tastes just like tuna - just a bit stronger.

Hope you enjoyed the quick update. We have just one and a half days left this week! Our Christmas program is Wednesday evening, during which my group will perform "The Twelve Yup'ik Days of Christmas." There will be a community feed Thursday at school, and then we teachers will take off on a chartered plane to come home for Christmas! I am so excited!

This first half of the year has flown by, and I'm sure it will continue to do just that. See some of you soon...cheers!

Nine Flights for Turkey Day...Totally Worth It!

When Mom asked me about my plans for Thanksgiving, I mentioned that it might be fun to visit Aunt Sue in Portland, OR, if she wasn't opposed to the idea. About 3 days later, Sue and I had finagled flights to get me to the Lower 48 for a little R'n'R. What I did not anticipate (but probably should have) was the fact that traveling in bush Alaska is always filled with surprises - some pleasant, others not so much.

It ended up taking nine flights to get to Oregon. Why? Well, due to weather and some missed connections, I got to see nearly the whole of western Alaska before leaving. I left Marshall at 10 on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and eventually landed in Portland at 7:30 am Thanksgiving Day. So, here's the story...

10:00: Leave Marshall on a Cessna 6-seater. Pit stop in Russian Mission before heading to Bethel, our main hub city.

11:00: Nearly immediately upon entering Bethel's airport, they called for my next flight, which was to visit three villages before landing in Anchorage at about 2:00. I bumped into a fellow new teacher from another village, Sean, who flew standby and weasled his way into a seat on the direct flight from Bethel to Anchorage. We planned to meet in Anchorage for a bit, and I went off on my flight.

We left for Pilot Station. No problems. We left for Mountain Village to pick up one passenger, Lisa, a nurse who was returning to Anchorage on my same flight schedule. At this point, we were only slightly behind schedule, but not for long. By the time we reached St. Mary's, another hub city, we had missed our connecting flight to Anchorage by about 15 minutes.

I was neither surprised nor too upset by this turn of events. My feet, however, were extremely bitter and tingling at this juncture due to the temperature of the little bush planes. I left my warm boots at the village thinking that I'd be in a toasty plane by noon. Lisa was kind enough to lend me a pair of warm socks at St. Mary's for the remainder of our journey. At this point it was about 2:00.

The airline did right by us and got us to the hub city of Aniak [Ann-ee-ack] by 3:00 which eventually left for Unalakleet [You-nuh-la-kleet], which is on the coast. It was at Aniak that I saw the first green plant I'd seen since the freeze in October. I was pumped!

Yay for green plants! I also thought the pot to the right was just cheeky, especially for its location.







6:30: We left from Unalakleet for Anchorage, and by this point Lisa and I were old pals. We chit-chatted, finally able to relax and enjoy our hard-earned glass of Sutter Home wine on what would be our final flight of the day together. As we deplaned in our destination city at about 8:30, I tried to return the socks, and Lisa refused. She then offered me a place to stay should I encounter any other travel issues. Such sweet people here, I tell you.

Classy, I know, taking a picture of my wine.
But when this little beverage is as rare for me
as it is these days, I feel the need to capture
and treasure it!

If that wasn't a big enough day, I went to the baggage claim only to discover that my bag never arrived. I couldn't truly blame them given the rigamarole of the flights I'd taken. Hey, at least I got my money's worth! I got to take a few extra flights, see a few villages, AND they lost my bag for me - a first! If that's not a total package travel experience, I don't know what is! Good thing I have a Type B personality. I believe my dear father's blood would have boiled. Love you, Dad!

8:30 pm: I called Sean, who had arrived hours earlier. He was waiting for his dad to get to the airport (they are Minnesota boys), and when he arrived at about 9:00, we all went for food and few drinks (only the second real meal of my day) at their hotel bar. Sean had taken his extra time in Anchorage to get to know the bartender, so we were well taken care of when we arrived. They took me back to the airport for my 12:45 am flight to Portland. Woo-hoo!! Just two more flights to the mainland!

12:10 am: I got there just as boarding began. Settling in for the four-hour flight, the guy next to me turns and says, "Just so you know, I snore really loud and I just had a giant bean burrito. I'm Jeremy." Cracking up, I responded, "That's just what I wanted to hear!" Jeremy, who works on the Aleutian islands as a firefighter, was headed home to his family for his 5-week break from work. We chatted and eventually tried to sleep. I got the middle seat, so I spent that flight just trying not to fall on either of my neighbors.

The plane lights came on again 30 minutes before we were to land in Seattle just as a notification of descent, then turned them off again. I turned to Jeremy and said, "That was just plain mean; I don't think I slept at all!" Again, Jeremy said exactly the perfect thing. "No, you were snoring like crazy and drooling everywhere!" Just to clarify, that is so not true, even though I'm know I'm capable of it. He, however, got lots of sleep slumped against the window.

6:00ish am, TURKEY DAY: I had a very slight layover in Seattle before getting to Portland at 7:30 am. My aunt picked me up and we went shopping for a few things, unknowing that my bag would never arrive in Anchorage. She fed me real eggs and bacon and I luxuriated in a few hours of rest before getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner with her fabulous friends. They prepared a delicious meal, supplied copious amounts of amazing wine, and sparked some hilarious conversation. They even let me drive their Miata the next day-score!

Sue's friend Vince told me that "one must squeeze the
marrow out of each and every day." Well said!

After Sue's fabulous friends hosted a lovely Thanksgiving meal, we all
went out on a wine tour the next day. Look at me - my hair is down
and I'm NOT wearing a coat or hat! I felt like I was in the tropics. 

Aunt Sue treated me to more wonderful food, some shopping, and a facial on Saturday before my return to the village. The return trip was pretty uneventful compared to the trip out. I did sit next to a woman named Rona who taught in a bush village when she was my age. She gave me some sage advice and, like Lisa, gave me her card and told me to contact her should I ever need anything in Anchorage - a good doctor, coffee shop, or even information on teaching in the Anchorage school district. I then spent the night in the Anchorage airport, which I don't think I will do again. Too tiring. I value my beauty sleep pretty highly these days.

As you see, the logistics of getting into and out of the village are messy. Flying itself on those little bush planes is a fun experience - they pretty much ask you your name (sometimes not even that) and seat you on the plane. The pilots also handle the luggage. Just before takeoff, they holler out your name and say "How much do you weigh?" All passengers respond and the flight begins. As for the actual flying and landing portion of the flight experience, it is much smoother than the bigger planes, which makes sense if ya think about it.

I made it back to the village Sunday evening to find that my things had been moved to the new teacher housing! (I'd packed up before I'd left in case moving was a possibility.) It's modern and very nice. The queen bed is fantastic, which makes getting up in the morning darkness quite the struggle. It's not without its quirks. For example, the shower rods don't quite fit. Never fear, my new roommate Mary McGyvered a solution with an empty can.  See below:

Sorry this post is so long-winded! My trip was full of random events and therefore quite therapeutic. Again, I met some fantastic people, both in Oregon and along the way. I hope to return in the spring for another break.

In under two weeks I will be home! I can't wait to see friends and family and gear up for the spring semester. Happy Holidays to all!

Regional Volleyball Tourney

We did it, folks! Our team took second in the Regional Mixed Six VB Tourney, which gave us a ticket to the state tournament in Anchorage. Two of our players were named to the All-Tournament team and one was even named MVP. I'm excited to take these kids to the city as a reward for all of their hard work this season.

As stated earlier, I was the tournament coordinator for this event. I ran my buns off from Wednesday through Saturday the week before Thanksgiving. Though we did great as a team, the whole coordinating experience was exhausting. I have a newfound respect for all who put on tournaments for my teams as a kid and teenager. My fellow teachers as well as the custodial staff were awesome and helped around the clock to make sure we had ticket takers, line judges, scorekeepers, meals, and concessions. The entire region was at our school, which meant that every classroom was utilized as a sleeping room for the 10 visiting teams as well as the referees. (Remember, no hotels or restaurants.) I made at least four airport runs to pick up teams, and the school counselor made about eight more. The cooks were the real heroes of the weekend, having prepared breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for the 10 teams, their chaperones, and coaches from Wednesday through Sunday. Math Teacher figured out that it came to somewhere over 3,500 plates served.

What I did not anticipate was the lack of follow-through demonstrated by the volunteers I'd lined up to line judge and keep score. Some showed up on time, others left in the middle of matches, and still others showed up with five minutes to spare to cross their names off the sign-up sheet and leave. My new role for the weekend immediately became that of finding line judges and scorekeepers at the start of every single match, and sometimes in between games of matches. I did time in every role myself. Turns out some people signed up others as a joke, and some just couldn't seem to back up their words with actions. Thankfully, other teachers and a few community members stepped up to the plate, and most everything went off without a hitch. Needless to say, this novel situation did make for a pretty stressful few days.

As I vented about this situation to a couple close friends, I came to see how truly different and difficult it is living here. In perfect hindsight, it is absolutely foreign to me that parents and volunteers would back out at the last minute for reasons like needing a cigarette or needing to eat supper. My regular reaction would be something along of the lines of "Couldn't you do that before your scheduled volunteer time?" Instead, what came out of my mouth at the time was something like, "OK, well, thanks for being here! We'll figure it out!" followed by a forced yet cheerful smile. I started to fault myself for not planning better, but another teacher said something that stuck with me. "Susan, even if you had put in 50 more hours planning, things still would have gone exactly as they did. The planes still would have been late and people still would have failed to show up for the jobs they signed up for. Things are going as smoothly as they can. This is how events always run around here." I finally relaxed after that statement.

It was all worth it! See below.

   

Second place finish - headed to State!

Kindergarten Teacher, 4th/5th Teacher, and myself with one
of our youngest fans. We girls treated ourselves to a movie
night after this marathon of a weekend.

So, there you have it! I have a couple more posts in the works. Sorry this one took so long, but as we all know, this is a crazy time of year! Next up is the tale of my visit to the great Continental US for turkey day. Ciao!

Eeling, anyone?

"Indulge your every whim."

So stated the wrapper from the Dove dark chocolate I had today. It seemed like a good idea, so, I did! It felt great to laze around on this rare, activity-free Saturday. I read a couple chapters in Contact by Carl Sagan (a good read so far), did some cooking for the week, hung out with Kindergarten and 1st/2nd Grade Teachers (hereon referred to as "the Arkansas Girls") and chit-chatted, and pretty much took it easy. The snow is blowing like crazy outside anyway, so I'm loving the forced relaxation time.

As stated in the previous post, a momentous event occurred in the village this week - the eels are here! It only lasts about a day because they will continue to move upriver. I knew it was a pretty valued occasion because the head volleyball coach told me to go see the eels immediately...which happened to be right in the middle of practice. Normally, she likes me to give the go-ahead for certain drills and be there to watch the kids' form.

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

"Yes, yes, you have to! Go now or you'll miss them!"

OK. So, I grabbed the Arkansas Girls and Math Teacher and we booked it down to the river to see what eeling entailed. The river is frozen over now, and we walked up to the trough that had been ice-picked for the eeling. The ice was about 5 inches thick, and the trough was maybe 15 feet long by about 10 inches wide. Some students were down there hanging out with the men of the village, and they seemed excited to see us there.

I asked one of my students if I could try my hand at it, and he took me over to the kiddie or "practice pool," as I called it. It was only about 5 feet long by 10 inches wide, and it was made nearer to the bank of the river so it was pretty shallow - only 3 feet or so. Some sixth graders showed me how to use the eel stick, and I gave it a shot. Check it out!

The main eeling trough. This is where the men did their work. Or sat on a snow machine, also called a "snow-go" up here.

Now, please try to refrain from laughing at the dorkdom that is this picture - one of the girls caught me with my eyes closed. Sorry for how dark it is, but this is the best we could get! The basic technique is to move the eel stick back and forth within the trough to hook the eels; nets are also used. With the sticks, one can catch up to five at a time. Again, my attempt was at the practice pool. The stick should be deeper into the water, but this was very shallow. I was hitting bottom as this photo was taken. I did not catch any myself, but perhaps next year! I wish Grandpa Al was still around; I wonder if he would have had any advice on the topic, or if he ever even went eeling himself. 

A sixth grader let me hold one of his catches. If you look closely, you can see the serrated edge that has been added to the eel stick. The rough edges snare the slow-moving eels. A student of mine claims they move about one mile per hour, and that he caught three gunnysacks full last year. There are only two or a maximum of three runs of eels per year - all within a 24-36 hour period - and then they move on up the river.

The kids raved about how eels make great bait, but also taste great too. Several people asked if I'd ever had eel and seemed flabbergasted when I said, "only in sushi!" The eels are battered and either baked or fried, and I hear they are delicious when dipped in seal oil. The mom of the above student offered to make them for me, so I'll let ya know if that happens! Another parent said she'd be thrilled if the school would serve eel soup on some Friday and invite the elders. In the past, the school has done just that; last time it was salmon stew. It's a quite cool thing when the elders come to the school. The kids tend to be better behaved and more attentive on those days.

So, that's my eeling adventure! Now, I'm off to my exciting night life - girls' night! We are going to watch a movie, paint our nails, possibly do some funky pageant hair for fun, and very probably venture to solve the world's problems, or at least those of our village, as we get hyped up on some Mexican mock-tails and Emergen-C drinks. Have a good one!

Snowed In

As I write this, I am currently snowed in at a different village. We are waiting for the call that our plane is coming to get us.

I went along on a volleyball trip at the last minute to see my team play. I was supposed to stay in Marshall to allow a student to travel, but one player cancelled the night before we left. Friday was a half-day, so I made it through the morning and then boarded a plane to Alakanuk with nine of our players. I was excited to see another village; I have friends here whom I met at the teacher training in Anchorage. Alakanuk is a coastal village downriver from us.

Just FYI: Alakanuk is pronounced [uh-luck-uh-nuck]. Hit the second syllable, but don't hit the -ck sound very hard; it's more of a guttural glaze. Do hit hard the last -ck sound. Try it. Good!

Leaving the village, we were ranked 3rd in our district. We played great Friday night, winning both of our games. We stayed in one of the classrooms and got up the next morning to play Scammon Bay, who is ranked 1st. We lost that match, but gave them their only competition of the weekend and proved we could hang with them. Our team played well and hard, and they knew it, so that is a good sign. We are now tied with another school for 2nd in the district, and Marshall hosts the regional tournament in a couple weeks. Guess who gets to be the Site Coordinator for that event? It will be a lot on my plate, but that's the way things are done around here. I will get a stipend about equal to a loan payment for doing that, so I said "sign me up!" Actually, it was sort of my turn anyway. The kindergarten and 1st/2nd grade teachers pretty much ran the last sports event.

After our match Saturday morning, we packed up and waited for the call to get on the plane. It never came. We knew by 3:00 pm that if no plane had made it to Alakanuk, then we were going to be staying the night. First, a blizzard in Marshall prevented us from leaving. Then, a second blizzard came through, hitting Alakanuk and grounding us here. At first I was a little peeved, because often it feels like our personal time as teachers gets robbed on the weekends; we are the ones running the games, planning and running the carnivals and dances, cleaning up after all these events, etc. Saying "no" doesn't feel like a reasonable option, because if we let these events fail, guess who hears about it? Parents don't often help, and students...well, some help and some do not.

OK, I am done venting now.

Being "weathered in" ended up being a bit of a blessing, because I got my lesson plans mapped out for next week, chatted with friends and family, caught up on some reading, and actually got more sleep than I would have had I been at our own village - the kids had a curfew, so I did too! The school fed us three square meals daily and put together a movie night, so we were well taken care of during our stay. Alakanuk's store is about three times the size of ours, so it was a fun trip to go see the variety they offer - dark chocolate at $7 a bar, all types of chips at $8.50 a bag, a decent amount of produce, and even some clothing. I bought some chocolate and - gasp - oranges! I haven't had a decent orange since, well, Anchorage in August. Needless to say, I'm super excited about that fresh fruit.

Another bonus of the trip was that the senior girls opened up to me. It's fun to get to know them outside the classroom, finding out what kind of music they like, which boys cause them trouble, and what they want to do in life. They are whip-smart, I tell you, but I only wish that they knew that fact and believed it more fully. Some of them do, but at the same time they are disheartened by what they see as a lack of freedom for them. To do well in school and leave the village for college is acceptable. However, to leave the village for college and not someday return to their own or another village is seen as desertion of their family and culture, which is an unfair burden to place on a teen. (I should insert here that this sentiment is not stated explicitly but definitely understood as an accepted social construct.) I was never anything but encouraged to go out and make my mark in the world, but these brilliant girls receive mixed messages. They work hard in school and are exposed to all kinds of ideas via the internet, so they truly are aware of various career paths. Even so, too many girls become pregnant shortly after high school; a pregnancy is a celebrated event, no matter the age at which it occurs.

To give you a better perspective, the 8th and 9th grade boys ask me why I don't have a "honey" or any kids at my age. "Don't you like kids?" they ask. "Of course I do; I'm a teacher," I tell them. "I just don't want them yet. What is wrong with that?" Generally, I get a confused look from them. The girls, however, give me a knowing one that says that they, too, would like to do other things with their lives, not necessarily instead of having kids, but in addition to it; doing so just doesn't seem like a viable option for them. That is not to say that the boys think of themselves as better than the girls; they just do not seem to be aware that girls also have goals in their lives besides having kids right away.

In this day and age, it both saddens and infuriates me that these girls still feel less valued and that they have less autonomy than their male counterparts in these the "great" United States of America, the land of opportunity. Yes, they do come from a different culture than the majority of Americans, but the looks on their faces say that they do not truly believe that kind of opportunity is available to them. It's a shame, and I'm thankful that my upbringing and community was devoid of it. If nothing else, I hope to teach these girls to be proud of themselves, to believe in their talents, and to go for their goals.

On a different note, some of the older kids have mentioned that they are frustrated with the lack of age-appropriate reading books that our library offers. Any chance y'all at TLC would be willing to donate some used books to our library? I'm not sure of any specific authors or titles right now, but I could ask. The girls have said that they are not that picky, but that they are a bit bored with the following themes: Aleutian, slavery, and "on the streets." As for the boys, right now I'm thinking science fiction, mystery, and/or some type of action would be safe genres; remember, these are outdoorsy types. Just to be clear, I'm not thinking along the lines of the Twilight series...the boys have definitely voiced their opinions on that one.

As you can see, I've had plenty of time to think this weekend. I don't have pictures for this post because I'm sure you all know what a blizzard looks like. We've been told that we will definitely fly today, which is good because I would like use my own shower and cook my own food again. I probably will not be fully ready for the week, but, eh, that's nothing new. Thanks for reading!

Quarter Two is Underway

Hey folks. It's November!

Well, I made it through quarter one, and immediately after it ended, I escaped to Anchorage for six days to attend a health conference. The timing was perfect; I broke up a fight, completed report cards for the first quarter, and then practically sprinted to the airport that Friday after school. Below is just some "moosing" around waiting for the plane at the "airport." The clearing behind me is where the plane lands and takes off. (I apologize for the moosing pun; it's a popular one around here.)

I took off on a 6-seater and landed in Bethel; shortly thereafter I boarded the plane to Anchorage. On that flight, I sat next to the nicest woman named Bea, who also happened to be a teacher. We ended up chatting and she gave me several resources (some on the iPad) to try in the classroom to help our angriest students use their words. In Bea, I made a friend and an additional contact in Anchorage. Alaska is huge, but it's really a small place, people-wise.

I arrived in Anchorage and a friend picked me up from the airport; we then went out to eat and I ordered my first beer in two and a half months: an oatmeal stout from The Brewhouse. My friends, few things have ever tasted as great as that brew! This friend who graciously took me there later told me that I was totally over-stimulated by the restaurant--driving on actual pavement to get there, the lights, being served a meal that did not include fish or rice, and sitting in a room that held more people than actually populate my village - all of it put me a bit on edge. Apparently it was written all over my face, and I was tense and jumpy in such a lively and loud place. Also, not used to having my water glass refilled, I managed to pour it down my face and shirt about three times in a half-hour. Impressive. But ya know, I've always found that to be annoying...why must the water glass be filled to within millimeters of the top? I never finish the glass, and it seems like a waste. Plus, the inevitable spill happens to those of us who are limited in our motor skills. Whew...just had to get that out!

We got together the next day to watch the Minnesota-Husker football game at a "Nebraskan Alaskan" bar where - you guessed it - Nebraskans who now live in Alaska gather to watch sports. (There are, to say the least, many, and they are loyal...most of them sported Nebraskan Alaskan fleeces and caps.) It was the first game I've seen all football season! Again, the experience was slightly overwhelming - I do not even have a TV now, and all of a sudden I was in a bar atmosphere surrounded by 10 HD TVs. I'm convinced that those kind of TVs are just not the best for one's brain or anxiety level. However, I adjusted after a few minutes and began to enjoy myself. I even saw a high school pal working on the sidelines for the Huskers, so that was fun!

One of those Nebraskans is a retired Air Force dentist/hippie who is now pursuing his Ph.D. in agronomy - soil science, basically. Turns out he grows all types of potatoes, carrots, and beets to test the soil. Guess who returned to Marshall with enough potatoes, carrots, and beets to make moose roast through the end of the year? I love that the Midwest "nice" is alive and kicking way up here in the tundra! Greg, the aging Nebraskan-hippie-soil farmer-dentist, was a blast to hang out with and couldn't get rid of his produce quickly enough. That little taste of home is much appreciated.

The health conference was put together very well. I came back with practical information and pre-made lessons that I can easily use in my classes. One of the speakers was into applied neurophysiology, and I think I want to be her when I grow up. She spoke about how bullying, fear of lack of food, and domestic violence all affect the brain from infancy, putting the child quite literally into his primal brain, and how we can and must address that reality in the classroom. Unfortunately, all of these things apply to my students in some way. I definitely appreciated the opportunity to learn about how I can help these kids battle such daunting issues. I've already been tapped to share at our next staff meeting the valuable information I've learned. Wish me luck with that!

I also had the chance to see the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. It was a beautiful day to see the base, and it was completely unlike what I thought it would be. I had imagined barracks and such. Nope. It was actually pretty pleasant. Below is a picture of one of the several lakes within the base.

Not too bad, huh? Again with the crazy reflections in the waters up here. I just can't get enough of it!

Overall, this getaway was quite therapeutic - I got in a little shopping, sleeping in some mornings, and even managed to close down the hotel bar one night. Don't worry Mom, I only had about one bottle of wine. :) The bartender, Bea (another helpful woman named Bea...hmm, is the universe trying to tell me something, or was it just taking care of me?), saw me the next day and said, "Oh, my little flower girl!" I was hesitant to ask what that meant, but figured I should. She said, "Oh, you were just so happy, talking about anything and everything, ordering chocolate cake, and chatting up everybody - retired pilots from Pittsburgh, weary travelers who just arrived, even the bellboys!" Sheesh. Fantastic, Susan. Now, those of you who know me know that that's not my typical disposition. I had a great time though; it felt great to cut loose. Clearly, I needed to converse with someone - anyone, really - about something other than living in the bush. And yes, I did order a bottle of cab and the richest dessert from the beginning with every intention of consuming each and every drop and crumb. Mission accomplished! That gluttonous indulgence should hold me for a while.

I returned to a winter wonderland of a village. A blizzard had come through since I'd left, and the river even started to freeze over - all in just six days! The ice continues to crawl slowly by us. We have classroom bets going as to when it will freeze solid enough to go ice fishing. I did see the cutest sight upon my return. Check out the little mailman below:

Pretty precious. This little guy seemed like he couldn't wait to mush - neither puppy nor kid. Puppies run amok daily, some of them sneaking into the school for warmth. Sadly, I don't think many will last the winter. That is what I've been told, so I am preparing myself now.

Well, that's a quick update on me! With one quarter under my belt, I think I've started to scratch the surface in terms of figuring out how to teach these kids best. It's going to continue to be a challenge, as we are already talking about switching up the schedule to accommodate some kids' needs. I thrive on the fact that each day is different; I just hope that we can find the right schedule and situation for the kids.

I want to take a second to thank you all for your support and your unbelievably kind e-mails. I don't know that I've earned them, but I do save them and read them over and over when I need some strength. Alaska is beautiful, but being from the Midwest is a gift. Love to all!

A Day in the Life

Life is slower-paced up here, as is probably expected. I thought I'd try to give you an idea of a typical day here.

6:00 or 6:30 am: Days begin quietly. The mornings are calm; it's dark until 9:15 am right now. It is so nice not to hear any cars in the morning. I get up, get the coffee going, make breakfast, and get ready for the day. I do not have a microwave, so I usually make oatmeal on the stove because it's quick and requires little brainpower. I do, however, have to pay some attention to the process because my stovetop has one setting: turbo. Water boils in under two minutes and the oatmeal will burn by about five minutes total, so I try not to walk away while anything is cooking.

This is my house with Kindergarten Teacher posing for you.
I lucked out by getting a 2-BR house to myself. That will
change when we move up to the new housing this fall. 

Other teacher "barn" housing nearby.

7:15ish: Leave for school. It is about an eight-minute walk. We all have first hour prep, which is nice because I just am not able to speak successfully at that hour of the day. And, truth be told, I usually have some things I still need to plan or print.

8:45 am: The bell rings for first period, which is the elective class.  I teach Health, and this class consists of six or seven 7th-12th grade girls, depending on the day. After that, I have two 70-minute classes of science, first the 8th-9th graders and then the 10th-12th graders.

Side note: I say just "science" because our district uses the level system; this basically means I run around like a chicken with my head cut off, teaching several topics at once. I have 7th graders at the 5th grade level, and 10th graders at the 7th grade level. Just two students are in biology, which is level 11. The kids are grouped mostly by age, but somewhat by maturity as well. The widest level spread is my most mature group (thankfully), in which levels span 7-11.

I generally have groups at the same level working on their own projects in the morning.  It is not out of the ordinary for basic chemistry, the rock cycle, and cell structure all to be happening at the same time. Teaching this way requires a lot of prep time but very little actual lecturing time, though I try to do that occasionally to keep kids on track and mix it up a bit.

12:15 pm: Lunch - time to breathe a bit and switch gears for the younger classes of the afternoon. I usually bring mine.

12:50 pm: Two more afternoon classes for the younger grades. The first is mostly 7th graders, the second is mostly 8th graders with a couple 9th graders thrown in. Since they are younger, I keep the afternoon classes together in terms of content. It would be chaos otherwise.

3:20 pm: Homeroom for 10 minutes. I have my first longer 'block' group of the day for homeroom, and they always keep me on my toes. Most of them are 9th graders and have lots of energy.

3:30 pm: The bell! Most days, I just sit at my desk and hope that I can find a few minutes of quiet. Other days, students come in to chat or just to sit and draw; apparently I have the best colored pencils on the second floor. I am happy to let them hang out and chit chat with me or each other. While they do that, I check my email, attempt to process the day and get ready for tomorrow.

The school.  To the right is the new teacher housing that is being built.
The move-in date is rapidly approaching!

I am usually back to my house by 6:00 pm. If I haven't gotten enough exercise running around my room, I'll pop in a workout DVD to clear my head for half an hour. Then it's supper time, and I usually try to convince myself to go back up to the school to use the internet. Some nights internet wins; others, we teachers throw in a movie. If I'm really lucky, I get to spend a few precious minutes practicing guitar or indulging in a tiny bit of recreational reading.

My evenings may change soon as I have added a new title: assistant volleyball coach for the high school Mixed Six team! Mixed Six is - you guessed it - a team comprised of three boys and three girls, and boys can have only two consecutive hits. I was tapped for this position simply because I am the first teacher here to have any sort of volleyball experience. I've only helped a few days, but practice is from 6-8 most nights. I am already sore from playing with these young'uns, but it's been so much fun! Even better, I get a bit more respect in the classroom. Hey, whatever works, right?

Below is just another shot of the sky from my classroom. If you tire of these, let me know. The sky just seems bigger here, if that makes any sense at all.

So, that's generally how my day goes. Each day is different and challenges me in a new way. Daily, my kids teach me more than I teach them. The mix of teachers we have here is starting to gel, and I am excited for the year ahead.

Just one week remains in the quarter, and next week I go to Anchorage (all paid for by the district - bonus!) for a conference on the school environment's impact on children's health, and how that affects their learning. Five days in the city will do me some good; I can't wait to have a little wine, beer and access to cable television! 

Seal flippers? Um, yes, please!

This morning during first hour, the principal came to me and asked if I'd be interested in any seal bones to articulate, or put together, either as a class project or to have as a resource in the classroom. Well, by golly, of course I would! I figured he knew a guy who had access to one, and went about my morning.

I didn't expect to have access to any seal parts as soon as I would. The principal found me with about 10 minutes left in my lunch break and said, "They're butchering the seal now! Get to the Yup'ik room if you still want those bones - they are about to cut them up and eat them if you don't speak for them!"

So much for a few minutes to relax...I hurried to the Yup'ik room where the cutting was taking place. Buster, a hilarious fellow and the school handyman, looked at me and said, "Hi Sunshine, how are we today?" (Unfortunately, I cannot clearly communicate how he says this sentence; it is always in one breath, without pauses, and just below shouting level. Perhaps a better representation is "HI SUNSHINE HOW ARE WE TODAY?" The only variation is that other days he calls me Nichole, "Sugarplum," or, if he is speaking of me to another person, "that there woman." I'm starting to get that my name is not too common up here.)  Buster is a wiry yet boisterous character, and I have one of his sons in class. More on him in the future.

Anyway, Buster and another woman, one of the elders in the community, were working on the seal. They cut up the blubber into a bucket, where it will eventually change into oil at room temperature. Seal oil is a precious commodity here; it will be shared amongst the villagers as equitably as possible. Buster gave me the flippers to use in class and offered to boil the bones for preservation. The principal, a student and I rinsed off the flippers and the tail, and I rushed upstairs to meet my afternoon class, bag of seal parts in hand. I gave a brief talk on adaptations and the students then got to play with the flippers. It was a pretty good lesson, and fit right in with our current theme. Also, I have found that if I put whatever I am talking about into terms of bear, salmon, moose, wolf, or seal, I have 'em hooked, which is half the battle of teaching here. Or anywhere, really.

No pictures right now, but they will be up as soon as I get my hands on them!  Hope this story shed some light on how a typical day goes for me. Thanks for reading!

Life in a Screensaver

Most of the leaves are gone now, and we expect snow to cover everything soon. In light of this reality, this post will focus on the beautiful scenes I've been able to capture in my experiences so far. Most are my images; some are from other teachers.  Enjoy!

Sunset on the beach at Mountain Village. This picture doesn't even really do it justice. 

Same sunset as above, just a few minutes earlier. 

Beach at Mountain Village.

Winding slough on the way to the airport. 

Canoe trip from a few weeks ago. I am the second one from the left. Accompanying me L-R are Special Ed Teacher, the visiting public health nurse from Bethel, and 4th-5th Teacher. 

The water was spectacular. I wanted to ski, but the water temperature probably would have made me cry.

Canoe trip from two weeks ago. No, I'm not winking, that's just my lazy eye. 

Nearing the end of this branch...isn't that a crazy reflection?

We beached the canoe and braved the mucky banks to explore the tundra a bit - 4th-5th Teacher nearly sank and lost her boots as we got out, but we survived. Shortly after this picture was taken, I slipped as well but did a quick 180-degree turn and caught myself on a tree branch. 4th-5th Teacher said, "You're pretty scrappy like a cat so I don't really worry about you, but I sorta feel like I should have my hand on your collar, just in case!" Sounds about right.

Just too cool not to include. 

Sunset view from near my front door.  Definitely a pleasant goodbye to any day. 

And now two pictures from the week in Anchorage in August - more to come in the future!

The Chugach Mountains - we took a day trip to view the Portage Glacier.

Double rainbow - first I'd ever seen. 

Produce & Popcorn Cakes - Special Treats!

Hola!

It's Tuesday. I had a pretty good day today, and we leave tomorrow for a district-wide inservice in another village, so it's a short week. It will be good to get out for a couple days and see some friends from other villages. I'm only worried that the good behavior I've seen this week will be forgotten over the four-day weekend. We shall see how it turns out!

This may sound silly, but I've been wanting to post about the subject of fresh produce. You see, it is something we do not take for granted here. The vegetables sold at the co-op only last a couple days (both at the store and on the counter) and they are fairly expensive. They will do in a pinch, but both variety and freshness are usually lacking.

Luckily, there is an organic farm in Bethel, and they will send a box of random vegetables for a fair price. We do not choose what they send; whatever is in season is what we get, which is kinda cool- it adds some mystery and anticipation to the whole ordeal. The last time we got one of these boxes, there was a special announcement over the intercom system at the end of the day: "Teachers, there is a box from Bethel. I repeat, a box from Bethel." This odd message was just cryptic enough to get me out of my classroom for a much-needed break.

When I got to the principal's office, where the highly anticipated box was sitting, untouched, there were about three other teachers in there. We waited for two more. It was almost ceremonious. We did not want to ruin the moment for anyone. As 4th-5th Teacher opened the box she'd ordered, Math Teacher gasped. He prodded at the lettuce that spilled out of the top as though he had never seen it before. My own eyes were nearly as big as saucers. I think my jaw even dropped a little. It was like we were looking at a newly discovered species. Or gold. (Take your pick.) We all looked at each other, thinking, "Is it real? Can I really have some of that? What should we do with it?" All of a sudden, the day was forgotten and our energy renewed by the thought of....a SALAD! I wish I had a picture of all of us crowding around the precious box, gazing in wonderment at its contents.

A rare salad before dinner. This was actually brought by our
mentor teacher, and we ate every last bit.

In addition to about three types of lettuce, the box contained kohlrabi, parsnips, potatoes, and beets. I'd never had kohlrabi or fresh parsnips before, but it was all good. Absolutely no complaints. We divided up the produce and went on our way. I never thought that getting a box of vegetables could make my day, but stranger things have surely happened.

OK, enough about veggies. For those of you who have been fortunate enough to enjoy my Grandma Ruby's popcorn cake, I hope this next section makes you proud. I've been meaning to master the art of crafting these delectable cakes, and I think I'm on my way. I hit a couple snafus, as evidenced below by the fact that the air popper cover blew off, throwing popcorn everywhere. You can laugh. I did. After cleaning up this mess, I set about making the caramel.

To make this addicting concoction, real cream is required, which is not available here. My mentor teacher brought some to me just for this purpose. I got to work, confident that I would remember exactly how to make the caramel from the times I had helped Grandma. 

No dice. As it boiled, I continued reading the directions: "Boil until soft ball stage." Huh?

I called Grandma in a panic because I had no clue how "boil[ing] until soft ball stage" would appear, nor do I have a fancy shmancy candy thermometer. Of course, it didn't occur to me to call her before I started boiling the stuff, so thank goodness she was home and answered the phone. Laughing, she talked me through it, and I'm sure she'd approve of how it tasted. Turns out it's not so hard to recognize, but I did call her just in time; "soft ball stage" doesn't take too long to reach. I also sustained a nasty burn on my forearm in the process, but it was worth it. I was due for another accidental self-inflicted scar, anyway. 

Here's the proof! So tasty. Didn't last long, and made another
for the last teacher potluck. 

Overall, it was a success. So, that's it for today! Thanks for all your encouragement and emails.  Keep 'em coming!

Week 5 Update

Hello all!

Well, week 5 is done, thank goodness. Next week there is a teacher inservice in another village, so we will teach three days and then leave for that in Mountain Village. It will be nice to see some of my friends from the Anchorage orientation for a couple days, plus we make it back here in time to have the weekend to ourselves. I can't really complain about that arrangement!

Folks, it had to happen. This week was rough, student-wise. It seemed that whatever I said or asked, certain students did the opposite. My last class of the day is the toughest one to engage. On Tuesday, only two students were working; the rest of them either directed their farts straight at me, laid on the floor to nap, or hung out of the windows, spitting or throwing stuff onto the playground. There is absolutely no punishment or reward that seems to get to them; in fact, some ask to go to the principal's office. Only a few demonstrate internal motivation. And why should they? Most plan on staying here, where minimal reading and math are necessary to survive. Then I remind myself that these kids do not have the support I had growing up, nor do they know much about life outside of this village. Some still test me, trying to find out if I will leave after a year or if I will still pay attention to them despite their pushing.

I wasn't alone; Math and First Grade Teacher also had rough days this week, the latter coming to tears over her kids' behavior. First and second-year teachers get mentors to help us navigate the world of teaching, especially teaching here in bush Alaska. My mentor teacher was visiting this week, and of course the class that gives me the most grief acted nearly like angels while she was here, or as close to angels as I ever expect to see. She is a great person to vent to and helped me to see that I was making good decisions even though I felt absolutely powerless at certain times.

I will keep trying because it is all I can do. A bonus is that I find myself saying sentences like, "Thank you so much for tooting in the hallway!  That was so considerate of you!" and genuinely meaning it, or, "You know that if you put your hands in your armpits that they will stink. So, don't complain about it!"  After these things come out of my mouth, I take a moment, turn it over in my head, and I have to smile, because in what other profession would I get to say things like that?

Not every day is like that. There are some really awesome bright spots. For example, I have one student who has a scholarship to University of Alaska-Anchorage, and his eyes absolutely lit up when I offered to provide him with his own work and assignments in biology, as he is nearly a year ahead of his peers. He coolly replied,"Sure, that'd be OK..." when I gave him this option.  I could tell he was excited and proud to have this chance to work on his own, but he tried not to show it; pride is not held in high regard here. Another student has already started flight school; another told me in secret that she wants to be a teacher someday; another, a physician's assistant. It is for these kids that I will continue to show up each day, prepared (though that is a lofty goal), and try to provide them with a decent learning environment despite the chaos that goes on around them daily. As for the others, if I can get a few to follow the example set by the goal-oriented students, then I will consider that to be some sort of success.

When I am done for the day, I always get one last reminder that at least a couple of students have accepted me. Below is a picture of my front door. I now live where Mary, who taught here 12 years, used to live. It made my day to see the addition that was made, and still makes me smile when I come home each night. It's small, I know, but the boys who made the change owned up to it, and they continue to work hard for me, so I'll take it.

The above picture was taken from my classroom, and gave me a little bit of repose during my rough week. Sort of heavenly, no? The scenery and views continue to be spectacular, and I might dedicate a post just to that subject.

Thanks for reading!

Camping with Middle Schoolers: A Lesson in Humility

It's been a crazy week and a half. I'm not really even sure what I taught this week, what my bed looks like, or what day it is. But I'm still breathing and happy, so I'm ahead of the curve, right?

The craziness started with a camping trip for the middle schoolers. I volunteered to chaperone the trip because I thought it might be a good way to get to know the students as they truly are outside the classroom, and also to afford them the same opportunity to learn about me in a different setting. I borrowed almost all gear that I took on the trip, and was grateful for each and every thing I had with me. Math Teacher found out he was going with us the morning that we left, so that made for some creative re-scheduling of our high school department. The trip was a bit delayed due to weather, but everything worked out fine. It was really a great time, filled with rain, canoeing, boiling our own drinking water, and regenerating SPAM - more on that later.

We left for the trip in rainy weather, but luckily it did not last long. We got to the camping site, and the kids were great - they grabbed their stuff and immediately began to set up their own tents.  They then helped me stake out a good spot for my own. The chaperones set up a shelter to block the wind and provide a safe place for the fireplace. Once that was done, the kids took to the canoes and did their own things - some went on hikes, others sat around the fire with me.

Math Teacher designated himself as the cook, which turned out to be a bit of a challenge at times. Apparently, a whole tub of food was left at the school, so we had to get creative with hot dogs, pre-made omelets, Pilot Boy crackers, some SPAM a student brought, Smucker's Uncrustables sandwiches, and a can of chili. Also, our drinking water never made it to the campsite, so we ended up boiling river water for our hot cocoa and just to drink. It worked out well, actually. No one went hungry.

One student cooked his can of SPAM and offered it to several people around the fire; he stored the rest with the school food. Over the course of that night and the next morning, that single can proceeded to pop up everywhere, seemingly having regenerated each time. Math Teacher and I started to wonder what exactly was going on with the unnerving can, as we were sure that it had been finished and thrown out at least three times. At one point, Math Teacher was digging through the cooking supplies, and he suddenly, audibly jerked back, as though spooked. The SPAM can had appeared, its contents now refilled. We looked at each other, honestly becoming worried. We are absolutely sure that only one can was ever present. There is still no explanation for this mysterious can, and though it was pretty tasty, I am now hesitant to consume it ever again. I have no pictures of it for you - I didn't want to give that can any sort of extended life - so use your imagination.

Eggs and boiling drinking water.

A couple older high school boys came along to help us novices, and they went hunting after they got us settled. One returned that afternoon with a goose; before long, he had plucked and gutted the bird and built a spit to roast it over the open fire. He cut off the feet, and the kids each took their turn playing with the tendons, getting the foot to flare when pulled. Of course, I took the opportunity to show them that they could do the same with their own forearms. I think I earned a bit of street cred (or, in this case, wilderness cred) when I showed them that cool anatomy trick.

Everywhere I looked, students demonstrated their impressive store of knowledge of nature. In my head, I was thinking, "that's a lesson. That's a standard I could check off. This kid is great at building things out of raw materials. That kid really understands fire." It's too bad we couldn't spend a whole week out there. I truly think they would adjust to school better if we could hold class outside for the first month.

A student-caught bird roasting on a student-made spit.

One might think that being in the wilderness with a bunch of kids, each with his own pocketknife, would be a nerve-wracking thing. However, I was glad to hand over knives and also to allow kids to help chop wood. Some kids whittled just to whittle; others gladly made roasting sticks out of branches nearby. They were sure of themselves and took every proper precaution without any bit of a warning from me, Math Teacher, or any of the other chaperones. They were excited to show me certain plants, animals, and even beaver houses. I was amazed, but not surprised. Some kids who usually try every trick in the book to get out of work in the classroom or to bother their peers were suddenly working together without even being asked. Something about the four walls of a building just sets some of them on edge. Even better, toward the end of the trip, some kids started looking at us with a certain respect and a nod, kinda like, "You're all right. Not all evil." I am positive that this trip will repay me in spades.

Canoeing with some kids. The kind souls didn't
even try to tip me... even though I tried pretty hard
to tip us on my first step into the boat. Luckily, my
partner balanced me out. 

Standing on a beaver house.

I turned in for the night, exhausted but content. The kids, however, stayed up all night, some until 8 am.  I know this because I heard them until 5 am.  Even though I came back from the trip on about two hours of sleep, my brain was absolutely refreshed due to the fresh air and time outside, completely disconnected from the rest of the world. We were told not to bring our cell phones, as there was absolutely no coverage that would enable us to use them. The break from technology was a blessing, and quite welcome.

The good news is that the same number of students we took on the camping trip returned with us the next day intact, as did the chaperones and myself. Regardless of anything else that could have happened, that's a win. Math Teacher and I earned ourselves nicknames from the kids. I am now Miss Coats, because I wore two coats almost the entire time I was there.  (Give me a break: one was for warmth, the outer one was for rain protection.)

Well, this post is a bit rough, but I wanted to get something up before the week starts tomorrow. We are already midway through the first quarter!  I can't believe how quickly it's gone. Here's hoping I make it through the first quarter!

(An Attempt in) Hiking Mount Pilcher

Over Labor Day weekend, a student, an aide, and some fellow teachers and I hiked Mount Pilcher.

Or, more precisely, that was our intent. We almost made it to the foot of the mountain. That counts, right? We gave a gallant effort, but to no avail. We came across the only stop sign in Marshall as we started our hike, and it may have been a warning sign.

Marshall's one stop sign.

Time constraints prevented us from completing the intended hike, but, looking back, I think it was a blessing in disguise. Math Teacher and I walked through the same deep marsh as everyone else prior to trekking across a considerable patch of tundra, but we were the only ones who managed to completely soak our feet at this juncture. And, I might add, we did so within the first 10 minutes of the journey. Luckily, a student of mine came prepared with plastic bags to cover our feet, and the aide had us stuff our muck boots with grass to soak up excess water. It worked quite well!

Math Teacher tries to deal
with a soaking boot.

Seriously, who the hell did we think we were to attempt such a hike with absolutely zero prior training or hiking experience? This thought went through my head several times as I struggled across the tundra. As you may recall, walking on the spongy tundra is no piece of cake.

However, if cake had been waiting at the end, it might have made things slightly more bearable, even though I'm not particularly a cake fan. Unless it's Mom's 'Wacky Cake.' That's a different story.

My newly fashioned sock
made from a plastic bag,
cushioned by some grass.
You're envious, and it's OK.
If you look closely, you can
see my dripping sock dangling
off my backpack.

Anyway, each and every step was a challenge because my feet sank 5 inches minimum with each step. If that weren't enough, pushing out of each step to take the next was made more difficult due to the tendency of either foot to slide in any possible unpredictable direction--left, right, back, forward, down at a sharp angle, or any combination thereof. My poor pathetic knees and elastic ankles were not used to this kind of stress, and it truly was a wake-up call in terms of fitness! Imagine being on a never-ending stairclimber (which I loathe) without the luxury of assured footing. Plus, the longer you stand, the longer you sink, and the further you must climb out to take another step. That's tundra walking. Really, it's great fun! By the time we got through the half-mile of tundra, we needed a break on the flat road to catch our breath, hydrate, and have a snack.

Whoever said the tundra is barren is full of it.  Really, check it out:

We grabbed some berries during our tundra walking; the blueberries are perfectly ripe right now. Those other berries, salmonberries, are far over-ripe. I was not a fan. It tasted like a soggy saltine cracker, with the texture of dried out gelatin. Maybe I can catch them at a better time next year.

To the right is a shot of the tundra grasses. Like I said, pretty cool and very autumn-like, especially when it has only been described as "barren" my entire life. Maybe I'm being picky here, but when I hear barren I am able to conjure up only nothingness and dirt in my head. Anyone else with me on that one?







My student and the aide brought along their guns in case we ran into any bears. (Don't worry Mom, none were spotted.) These two ladies provided much-needed advice along the way, even forcing us to slow down so as not to tire ourselves and to stay together. We walked up the road toward the mountain, talking and stopping to take some practice shots at some geese flying overhead. Overall, it was a great time, and my student captured some pretty great pictures for me, some of which you see on here. Maybe now that we know a bit more of what we are in for, we can make another attempt before the snow flies. If not, there's always the spring!

This is the winding slough that I canoed a couple weeks ago,
taken on our way back down from the foot of the mountain
that we did not reach.

The girls. See, I'm tall here in AK. Who knew? L-R, we have
the Kindergarten, 1st-2nd, and 4th-5th teachers. 

We turned back early because of a planned potluck dinner for the teachers, principal, and counselor, which was to take place at my neighbor's house. Moose stew, salmon, she-fish, and rabbit were on the menu. I served myself a plate and went to return to my spot on the living room floor. Unfortunately, my legs decided that lowering myself was way too much to ask, and they completely gave out as my knees neared a 90 degree angle.  In that split second of falling while holding a plate of food, I realized that I had two choices: 1) go with my first instinct and break my fall with my hands, thus sacrificing my food, or 2) focus any energy left into balancing the plate and accept whatever sort of landing might ensue.

I chose choice number two.  As my friend Mary says, Grace is a nice lady, but I don't know her well.

It worked out, luckily, as I did not wish to wear out my welcome so early by dumping such pungent food all over the carpet. The trade-off was that I completely fell into the TV stand, stopping all conversation and threatening the already shady stability of the front door on said stand. Some people asked if I was OK; others laughed, including myself. Nothing broke, but wow did I feel like a fool - not that this was a new feeling for me. One of the girls who lives at the house burst out laughing, because she saw the whole show and knew exactly how tired I was. Later, when I went back for dessert, I wisely handed it off to someone prior to crawling back into my spot, and Social Studies Teacher asked if I was really OK or not. I realized I truly must look wretched and be moving in an even worse fashion, because he doesn't normally voice concern.

All said and done, it was an awesome day. I spent not one minute on lesson planning or the computer, and completely took advantage of the sunshine and fresh air. I hope there are more days like this to come, complete with snafus and all. I'm not sure how many adventures I will be having once the light decides to leave us, but I am told that Eskimo dancing, dinner parties, and open gyms will be on the list of events. Thanks for reading!