Teaching in Rural Alaska Part 2

I had some questions from a couple of my readers in the last post. Yay! So, I thought I'd take a moments and answer those questions first.

What do you find most rewarding working in Akiak?

Hands down, it's working with the kids. I have really great relationships with most of the kids and we have a lot of fun together. But at the same time, I'm not their friend, I'm their teacher. Which is a hard balance to maintain, especially when I'm friends with their families and older siblings. But I put a lot of work into establishing a good relationship with them and it pays off.

This year has been challenging. And the district is just using a reading fluency test as my example of student growth. Which doesn't sound bad, except they are only looking for who is proficient at a 2nd grade level. And several of my students came into my classroom still confusing their letter sounds. So if you were to look at my results....I'm not getting any. But the other day, one of those same students went over to the classroom library and pulled out The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. She sat down and began reading the book to herself out loud. Successfully reading it. And I found myself stopping, and realizing...my kids have come really far. I felt like a teacher. My test scores will say I didn't do my job, but that test score doesn't show the growth my students have really made.

Over the last 3 years, I have laughed so hard with them. We've danced. One little first grader (who is now one of my 3rd graders) taught me how to 2 Step at a fiddle. They've been so loving and I constantly get love notes and drawings. I was surprised at Valentine's Day getting a stuffed bear for the first time in my life. There's so much love there. And so much laughter. They are the most rewarding thing about working here.

What is the most frustrating?

I've thought about this question a lot. I think the most frustrating thing is that everything is so much harder here. From the basic necessitates like: power, water, heat, and sewage going out, to getting your groceries, to having a social life, to getting school supplies & materials...never mind actually the teaching part, which is challenging onto itself. 

Teaching here has been the hardest gig I've ever had. Even jobs I've hated weren't as difficult. I think it's been worth it, but make no mistake...it's hard.

I don't really want to nit pick all the challenges, because I feel like that would be too negative. But it really is every aspect of my life is harder. Keep in mind, I'm an urban girl. I never cooked before or lived in snow. I became a teacher in the town I grew up in. In fact, I taught right next to my high school. I never liked camping because it seemed to me like a lot of work. 

So why did I move out here to begin with, right? Maybe if I was used to some of the lifestyle, everything wouldn't be so hard. And some things aren't hard anymore...just annoying. Like losing water. There was no water in the village on Sunday. Akiak ran out. I've learned over the years to always keep some on hand. And to jump up and fill some buckets when I hear the water alarm. I've also learned how to manage with no heat in subzero temperatures as well (if you have power, turn on the oven). 

I've learned how to handle the difficulties and I've learned to let the little stuff go. Like traveling. I just plan on getting stuck. I've been stuck in Anchorage and Bethel. I've learned how to sleep in an airplane terminal and how to freshen up. I've even learned how to make a honey bucket that's easy to clean up. 

The isolation is hard. But it's really my own fault. Kinda. I wasn't able to visit California because of my animals. I didn't have anyone who could watch them. And I didn't think I could bring them all to California. So I stayed in Akiak for all of July....then August...and then I went to Anchorage for a few days to visit my mother. But I stayed here for Winter break to save money. And spring break. I was planning an Anchorage visit to buy a car. But I'm not doing that anymore. So come May, I will have been in Akiak almost a full year with only leaving for 2 weekends. That's too much isolation for me. I wouldn't recommend that to anyone. Even the natives have gotten out more than me. So I think someone could manage the isolation in chunks....11 months is too much. 

2 cats and a giant dog make life hard to travel, and at one point, I was the only teacher left in Akiak.

And as far as why the teaching part is hard.....It's hard to be a teacher here. Some don't last the year. Most of the students here are traumatized for something or another. There's a lot of drinking and violence happening in some of the homes and the kids see it if not are victims of the violence. 

I will give you an example: a few months ago, a guy got drunk and set fire to a house with several people still in the house. Members of the village rushed to put out the fire. The community came together very quickly. (There's no fire department.) The fire was put out and the people trapped inside were able to escape. The next day, a bunch of kids told me about it. It was a big deal and the kids were worked up about it. Which is understandable, the community helped out, so naturally the kids would know about it. But they all know there were people trapped inside. What a terrifying experience for everyone involved!!! 

So, it's hard but if you are able to see the beauty and the laughter, the hardships don't have to define your time in rural Alaska. But sometimes it's easy to get stuck on what's hard than what's fun. But I think that's a statement about life in general. 

How much time did they give you to decide once they offered you a contract?

I'll keep this one short and sweet. I had 30 days to sign my contract. 

Do you live in the same house each year?

I've lived in this house for 2 years now. You can move around here but you can also stay put. I moved to a smaller house so I could live alone. The roommate situation really affects where you live. And sometimes, if a nicer house opens up, it might be worth grabbing. Some people don't want to go through the hassle of moving as well. It really depends on the availability.

Do you have to live with a roommate?

In my district, you may have to. Other districts may have enough teacher housing. My first year out, I was assigned a roommate. Whereas, two other single women got to live alone that same year. One year, it was the choice between hiring a male or a female for the same job and based on who the roommate could be determined who got the job. Sounds messed up, but they didn't want to hire someone they couldn't provide housing for and they don't make members of the opposite sex be roommates. 

I prefer to live alone. My house isn't as nice as my last one. The floor is ripped up and there's still nails from the carpet that someone pried up. Someone painted the walls without protecting the floors, so there's dried paint all around the edges of the bedroom. The walls are painted plywood and there's random nails left behind by previous tenants. But it's too small of a place to assign a roommate to me. So I am able to live alone. And my house is warm and cozy. And I live alone. Yes, I said that twice. But I live alone. 

Remember, I essentially live with my coworkers. I socialize with them. They've watched Dakota grow up from a little (ahem, maybe not so little) puppy. They hear stories of my life. They know I don't get up on the weekends before noon. They've all seen me in my pjs....some of them have even seen me in my towel wrap. Before I moved up here, I made it a point that none of my coworkers saw me without makeup or knew my sleeping habits. Now, my Literacy Leader knows she can call me if she sees Dakota outside because she knows I won't sleep as long as he's outside. My co-workers know me too well. 

And my roommate knew even more intimate details about my life. I guess I'm just one of those people who prefer a little distance between work and home. I don't want my coworkers to see me at my worst, and I want the freedom to be at my worst when I'm in the privacy of my own home. 

I like to swear. I find a lot of offensive stuff funny. But I want to preserve that image of me being a lady in public. I was watching something that I found too vulgar at times at my house...but most of it was funny (Mr. Plinkett's Star Wars reviews) so I kept watching it. And then I heard our classroom management coach outside my door talking to my duplexmate. I hope he didn't overhear some of the stuff being said! I would be horrified! But it was pretty funny, so I just turned it down.

There's a story of a teacher coming out and insisting that she live alone because her husband was planning on visiting her. So they gave her a house all to herself until her husband could join her. But then the husband was never mentioned again. EVER. Did he ever exist? I dunno. It's a mystery. I joked that I should get married just so I can live alone. Instead, I just took a teeny tiny little house. And then I filled it with a Giant Alaskan Malamute (accidentally mind you). Go figure!

I guess the bottom line as to roommates is: it depends on the housing needs and who's coming back and who's new.....

So this concludes Part 2. I will write a Part 3 because there's still some tips and hints I can add. But this one's pretty long...

If you would like to ask a question, I will be happy to answer it! Or feel free to leave a comment too....

Teaching in Rural Alaska Part 1

Greetings! It's that time of year again, where districts start posting jobs and the hiring process for rural Alaska is about to begin. The 3 year anniversary of my attending the Anchorage job fair will be in a few weeks.

I wanted to talk about some things a teacher might encounter when teaching in the bush. Now, some of this may be things I've said before, but I have to admit, I've sugar-coated some of my experiences. I don't intend to write everything down in one sitting so this will take more than one post. 

Please note that I can only speak from my experience and I have only lived in one village.

The biggest issue I faced was in the beginning. Before I left, the head of HR of my last district had come up to me after I dropped off my letter of resignation. Several people in the district (admin included) were trying to talk me into requesting a leave of absence. It was a good idea, one that meant I could take a year off and then come back. But I knew the best thing for me was to cut my safety net. If I had my job in California waiting for me, I would never have tried so hard to make it work in Alaska. I knew myself. So when I resigned, it came as quite a surprise to people. The head of HR came up to me and asked, "Miss Ruark, what did you do?" I told him that I did what was best for me. He smiled and shook my hand.

Once I had arrived in Akiak, it was like nothing I had ever known. I was a city girl who had only traveled to other cities. London, New York, San Francisco.....and Reno....never anywhere rural. As my culture shock reverberated through my body, I had his words running through my head. "What did you do?" Except it was in my own voice. The houses looked different, they looked like they were up on stilts and the buildings all looked similar. There was no two story buildings anywhere. The road was dirt and I had already noticed on the bush plane over that Akiak really was in the middle of the tundra. 

The Main Road

My new bedroom was the size of a prison cell and it had no door (there was a bigger room that had already been claimed by my roommate). The windows of my house were boarded up. There were new sounds, new sights, familiar sounds were gone (cars, jets, sirens, sprinklers), and the animals looked wild. I don't know if I have ever admitted before that I struggled HARD that first night. I was asking myself if I had made a mistake coming out there.

AHHHH! But I had no job to go back to. So I awoke the next morning with new determination. This was going to work because it had to. And here I sit, 3 years later. Well, you know what I mean. 

My 1st Bedroom

*Culture Shock

Yeah, it happens. But you can move beyond it easily enough. For me, not only did cutting my safety net help, but so did finding something familiar. The kids. I had fun with the kids. And it wasn't until I started interacting with them that I felt myself relax and I felt normal. I thought I'd have to turn into a super outdoorsy girl who liked to rough it. Naw, I still prefer room service or a fire pit. I've cut fish but I still prefer my fish out of can. 

*Head Lice

So, in my village several of the kids have head lice. Some people even believe that head lice helps prevent sickness in children. The first misconception I've heard teachers (who are no longer here) make is that it means the kids are dirty if they have lice. That's not true. Head lice prefer clean heads. The eggs stay on the shaft better if the hair is clean. 

I've seen teachers treat the kids who have head lice like a leper. One teacher (no longer here) told her students they couldn't play with another student. And she'd hug some kids but not the one who had the head lice. There's no need for cruelty. Head lice can be easily taken care of in one evening. My roommate got head lice and I thought I had gotten it too. But that was before I got to know the little buggers and now I'm not so sure. I had just dyed my hair a darker color and so I think it was dyed skin we were actually scrapping off. 

Ladies - wear your hair up. I still hug kids. I haven't gotten it. And I also use a preventative spray (It's called Fairy Tales) that I spray in my hair. Another thing that keeps head lice away (and kills it if you do get lice) is to dye your hair. Hair dye is actually not as harsh as a head lice treatment. Although, you'll want one of those on hand. Especially get one with a spray for furniture. Remember, it's heat and extreme cold that kill lice...pillows can go in the dryer or left outside in a baggy overnight during the winter. But the spray works for couches and chairs. 

I recommend this product!

If you see a louse in a child's hair, please don't freak out. I've been talking to kids before when I saw a louse walk through their hair. And it's not the child's fault, so be gentle. One student of mine kept getting nits (which doesn't qualify a child to get sent home, only live bugs) in her beautiful long hair. So the parents chopped it off. I've had a little girl with a shaved head before. I never comment on it, and once a girl got her hair chopped for lice, she wore a hat for 3 months, and I let her.

My take on head lice is: you can't be scared of it. If you do get head lice, it's not the end of the world, you can get rid of it. But there are products you can purchase that can help prevent it. And I would also suggest buying a metal nit comb...for those times your head is itching and you just want to be sure....just writing this has got my head itching something fierce. 

A Metal Nit Picker

*Watch Out for Negative Nellys

Before I moved to Akiak, a villager had gotten drunk and broke into several teacher's houses - trashing them and stealing their clothes. I believe it was an "off his medications" incident and that was actually pretty rare. 

Well, one teacher (who's no longer there) had told several of us newbies of the incident. And told us to WATCH OUT! Because it was a message for new teachers telling us we were not welcome. And we were told this in Anchorage before we officially moved out there. 

Now, let's stop and think. The houses in question were already being lived in, hence the clothing. So, if it was actually a message to new teachers, wouldn't the damage had been to new teachers houses? Instead of returning teachers? And is the message: I'll break into your house & come out wearing your clothes? 

My point of this story is to say that some people will tell you the most negative things: Your district doesn't care about you or the kids. You're house will explode in the winter if you have a leak in your pipes (one of my personal faves). All Alaskan Natives hate white teachers. None of these kids can learn. Every one's always drunk. Every husband beats his wife. No kid will like you. It doesn't matter what you do, cause there's no use trying. And every year I hear: it's gonna flood.

There's always someone who is completely negative. It's harder to deal with in the bush because there are so few of us and when you are new, you want to get as much advice as possible. It's hard to weed out the BS versus the real advice. 

So here's my tips: avoid believing statements that are actually generalizations. Words like "ALL" or "EVERY" tend to be dead giveaways that you may not be able to trust what you are about to hear. 

Use some common sense: like the house exploding (seriously, that was a warning), really stop and think about what they are saying. My logic was if that were in fact true, wouldn't there be remnants of houses that actually did explode? 

My advice is to find someone who the kids really respect. Find someone who seems to be having a good life out here. That's what I did. Not only did I gain valuable insight into my families, but I got to know them so much better through my mentor. Look for someone who's making it work. Not someone suffering through it. Misery loves company and someone may just be trying to suck you in!!

*FAS

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - when a mother drinks while pregnant and the baby is born with birth defects. Some kids may not be full FAS, they might just have moderate symptoms. The state of Alaska requires all teachers (read that again please: ALL TEACHERS) to take mandated training on FAS and it's symptoms. Why would a state do that if the numbers of students in the public school system with FAS related symptoms weren't incredibly high? 

State-wide, the numbers are high. Now, just because there's no diagnosis, does not mean you won't see some alcohol related effects in your students. Many times, it will look like ADHD, kids will need more breaks, and sometimes a student actually cannot remember what you taught them the day before. It literally left their brain. It's not that the student is trying, the student may really be doing the best that he

/she can be.

Okay, I am not going to delve into FAS. I just want to point it out. You will take training on how to teach students with FAS if you come to Alaska. All teachers have to. And there is a reason. And don't worry, the training will go over tips for your classroom far better than I could anyways. 

To Be Continued......

(Note to self: mosquitoes, dogs/dog yards, winter gear, shopping)

****If you have any questions you would like answered, please leave them in my comment box and I will address them in Part 2*****

Make It Work

The other night, I experienced a moment of self-doubt. I felt “the fear”. I was talking to my mother about my road trip in May, when I started to feel nervous. Would it be easier to just fly to California? What if something bad happens on my trip?

And then, I started worrying about my trip to Iceland. What am I thinking stepping off a plane by myself in a foreign country? What if I can’t find my way around Reykjavik? What if I can’t get on a tour to see the other places I want to see? What if someone tries to mess with me? What if my trip sucks?

Then I realized, I don’t want to be a woman who doesn’t try new things because she’s scared. I want to be the kind of woman who goes off on adventures despite her nerves. I want to be the kind of woman who doesn’t let things like fear stop her.

So, I thought about my trip to Iceland. I know I can get on a sight seeing bus and discover Reykjavik without getting lost. I know I can contact tour companies and arrange a tour….or find a group I can join.

As for my road trip, I just have to know the main roads that I am taking and go from there. I ordered The Milepost, and it arrived today. It’s a guide that tells you all the stops and things to see on the Alaskan Highway. It will tell you what is available at each stop…it even gives bear warnings.

The more information I have at my disposal, the safer I shall be. And I know I can think on my feet and keep a clear head. Sadly, I know this the hard way. I once encountered a drunk man, and I’m not sure if his intent was to seduce me or rape me, but I knew I had to keep him calm and not piss him off. I was able to distract him while I called for help and he ran off. But the incident showed me that I can be calm and use my head, even with my heart pounding in my chest.

I have been told that I was brave for moving to rural Alaska. I didn’t feel brave. I felt determined. This was going to work out because it had to. Bravery had nothing to do with it. It was sheer stubbornness that pushed me through. Okay, I will let you in on a secret. A few months before I moved away, I participated in a webinar where someone listed the qualities of a successful bush teacher. Flexible, resourceful, strong, etc…and I knew I had those qualities. So I went off to Alaska because I knew I had what it takes. I knew I could do this. That helped, I was determined to make it work because I knew it could.

So when faced with “the fear”, I had to stop and think. Do I have what it takes to drive to California or to go to Iceland by myself. Yes, I can do this. Am I unwittingly putting myself in a dangerous position? I can’t plan everything, however, I have enough common sense to stay safe in a city. That applies to life. I’ll have my dog on my road trip and Reykjavik is known to be a safe city for women to travel alone. And just to be on the safe side, I will watch the movie Taken (can’t hurt).

I see some people I know who let the fear stop them. Trying something new and/or stepping into the unknown is too scary for some people. And while that’s fine for them, it’s not for me. Before I moved away, I was one of those people. I hadn’t been on an airplane in over 10 years. I had excuses. I couldn’t go traveling anywhere because of my cats. Or I said, I don’t like traveling. But Alaska has awoken my desire for adventure, my desire to see new places, and helped me realize that I am stronger than I thought I was. Things are scary but I no longer will let the fear stop me. It hasn’t stopped me in 3 years, and it’s not going to now.

My drive down to California will work out because it has too. It doesn’t have to go according to the plan (the bush has let me experience flying by the seat of my pants, thank you very much), but I will make it. I don’t feel brave, I feel determined.

Iceland will be awesome, because it already is. I want to see Viking museums, waterfalls, geysers, geometric pools, spas, and cafes. They are already there. I want to hear Icelandic being spoken and understand some words. People are already speaking Icelandic, I just have to keep learning it. I will sign up for some tours this month. I will read over my guidebooks. I will step off that plane and have a bus ready to pick me up. I have done my homework. I may not make any new friends in Iceland (I’ve heard the locals are a shy bunch) but notice my list didn’t say I wanted to make new friends. So if I do make a friend, it will be a nice surprise. A bonus you could say. And I might meet some people from other countries, you never know.

I am strong. I am determined. I don’t feel particularly brave, but that’s okay. I don’t need to be brave. I just need to make it work and have some fun in the process. 

Sunrise in Akiak

The Mighty Dakota

Snow Storm 

Another Akiak Sunrise

In Snow Up To My Knees

Me - bundled up!

A Dog Yard

A Short Cut to School

Celebrating Dr. Seuss