Teaching in Alaska Part 3 AND a Rather Big Announcement

It's been a while, and for those who asked me questions, I apologize. We had our state testing and my internet has been spotty on the weekends.

I have been busy. My friends know my announcement, but I've only recently told my students, so now I can throw it out there for the world to know: I am leaving Akiak.

I am moving back to California. I have loved my experiences here in the bush, but 3 years of isolation is hard. I miss my friends and family. And I am single. I miss the possibility of a chance encounter with my own Mr. Darcy. We don't get too many strangers out here. And my animals make it hard for me to get to Anchorage.

Plus, I miss the Bay Area. San Francisco, Napa, the bay.....there's so much there that I didn't take advantage of when I lived there before. I want to soak it all up. Take Dakota hiking, maybe even try my hand at urban mushing (him pulling me on a scooter). It will be so much easier for me to leave my furbabies for a weekend trip somewhere.

The adventures are not stopping any time soon.

Getting back to California was quite an ordeal to work out. Dakota's crate is too big for the commercial jets to fit him. Unless I pay $3,200+ for cargo space or $18,000 for a private plane (and that just gets me to Washington), the only option for me is to drive him down the ALCAN to California.

So, I bought a car. A Honda CR-V, and my mother is meeting me in Anchorage. We are going to drive Dakota and my two kitties home that way. Look for that adventure mid-May!

I do not have a job in California yet, however the hiring season hasn't really started. I am hopeful and determined. It will work out.

So, now to the questions I have been asked about teaching in rural Alaska:

How do you find the weather. Does the shorter daylight cause some depression? 

The weather is extreme. However, if you bundle up, it's manageable. Teacher houses here don't have a fireplace or a wood stove, so as long as you have power and a working heater, the weather is not really bad. If you are planning on traveling at all. The weather can mess with your plans. EVERYTHING is subject to the weather on that regards.

Does the shorter daylight cause some depression?

I had an Aerogarden in my house that gave off natural light. And I had a Happy Lite. I did not get depressed. I did in February (which seems a hard month for most people) but other than that, I enjoyed the darkness. I got a kick out of the weird darkness. But the lights really do make a difference.

 You mention a lot of coaches. Would a new teacher or teacher returning to the field find a lot of mentorship there? 

At my site this year, we had two coaches, one a peer coach and another classroom coach, plus new teachers are partnered with a mentor for two years. 

Are most of the staff supportive of each other? 

I would say yes. It's really just like life. There are some people you meet you like and others you don't. I've had a very supportive year and a year that was kind of on my own. It also depends on you and how involved you want to get. When I first moved here, everyone was so helpful and supportive, it took me back. I think maybe I'm used to it, because if you have a problem, even people you don't normally talk to will jump in and help you out. 

Is it super expensive to get school supplies or professional books sent there?

Yes. It's super expensive to get anything out here. There are some tricks. Amazon Prime offers free shipping on most items, as does Walmart. If you find free shipping deals, then nab them while you can. Most companies though charge a lot to ship out to rural Alaska. I was very lucky with school supplies. My mom and a friend of mine went crazy this summer and bought a bunch of stuff and sent it up to me.  Care packages are a good way to get what you need and what you miss. Let me tell you, I've never appreciated opening a box with lined paper in it so much!

What math program do they use?

For elementary we use Every Day Math. 

So, I assume you are staying for another year?? 

I am not actually.

What are the ramifications of not making the reading progress you mentioned? 

According to the new Teacher Evaluation Tool adopted by my district, nothing this year. However, if I do not make proficient in my Student Progress section for two years in a row, then I don't remember if I would be placed on a Plan of Improvement or let go. I think I'd be let go. I have to be honest, being given an unrealistic goal was not a good feeling. Grades 3+ just have to show a year's worth of growth, and my students actually have made a year's worth of growth if not more. However, that's not a piece of my evaluation. While it wasn't a motivating factor as to my leaving, I won't miss my district evaluating me. Common sense tells me the district will have to go back and re-evaluate that piece, at least for future teacher's sake, I hope they go back and re-evaluate. They should anyways. For some of my students, they needed two years worth of growth. Yeah, that's been a thorn in my side this year.

Did you get to choose your grade level? 

I did not, however I was able to apply for a Second Grade position. If I really wanted to change grade levels, I think I could have if those positions were available. Some teachers I know have changed and others, like me, have stayed in the same grade. 

What do you do if you are sick?

Hope it's not serious. Ha ha. We have subs, but it might be someone's spouse or significant other. There are people in the community who come in. I've had some very good subs. Actually, subs like subbing for me. I'm not sick too often, but it happens. There's no real training for being a sub, and sometimes they really do just need a warm body to supervise. Like I said though, I've been lucky. I write detailed sub plans with times and next to my sub plans I have the Teacher Editions with the pages flagged and a stack of handouts labeled. I'm pretty specific about what I want and where they can find things. For example: my student readers I call: The Hardback Green Books. And I let them know which student can help with that.

On another note, I've also decided I'm not going to shut this blog down. This blog was designed for my adventures and since I plan on having more adventures (Iceland - July 2013!!!) and day trip adventures, my blog will stay. I just won't be writing about rural Alaska. Some would argue that a fresh start needs a fresh blog, but no. I've grown and changed and life around me has changed but the blog has been here.

So thank you for reading me and please, stick around....with my life, you never know what's around the corner!!!