Welcome Back, Kotter

While back on my break I tried to be open and honest enough with my friends and family when they asked questions about life on the Rock and teaching in rural Alaska. I tried not to be rude or disrespectful of the people of Kivalina. I hope that I didn’t come across as not enjoying my experience at all and learning nothing along the way. Some things here though are difficult to put in to words.

First day back to school from Christmas Break and the Sweathogs were in fine form this morning.

Following are some excerpts of an email that I sent to my wife just before lunch -  Monday January 4, 2016…

Holy Crap....what a day!

You probably won't believe me...I'm not sure I believe it myself...but today - the first 3 hours of class have been “KIVALINA in a Nutshell”...like, they should video tape my class and use it at Inservice...

So....

9:00 - I go to the gym to get my class AND - there's a New Girl in line. Yep - I've got a new student but she won't talk to tell me her name. The kids all know her...Katrina from Noorvik - she used to live here. I stopped by the office to ask the secretary - "Do I have a new student?" - Oh yeah, but their Mom hasn't registered them yet...she might later when she finds a babysitter.....- so - yep - you've got a new student - welcome back.

9:15 - new seating arrangement. Trying to mix things up a little and integrate Sammie back in to the general population and she gets under Joseph's skin so quickly that he completely blows it! Like ROOF OFF!@#$%^%$#...Throws his desk – (towards the new girl ironically)...kicks the door harder than anyone's kicked it all year, screams and goes in to the hall crying. Sadee laughs. 

I barely skip a beat.... why? Because I am supposed to have 3 aides...NONE are here today - well not On Time anyway.

One is sitting in the hallway with her son and I ask her if she's working with Sammie today - when she replies "Yes" - I let her know that Sammie is responsible for a blow up already and that I could use her in the class.

Another Aide is still in Anchorage and didn't tell anybody (She called in at 10:30) - that's OK – Principal Zoe hired a young girl to Sub for her today on the spot...so now I've got a new gal working with the autistic boy...I think she's 19.

General Classroom Aide - yeah, she's not in today either...why you ask?

She called at about 10:00 to tell the principal she was in a “domestic dispute”. Like Boyfriend assaulted her so bad that she cannot come in to work looking like she does...she'll let her know later in the week when her face starts going back to normal. : ( 

9:30 - Timmy tells me that Davey has a stomach ache... I asked Davey if he could wait until our 10:00 bathroom break to call his Mom to come and get him. He politely nodded he would wait.... at 10:10 bathroom break I walked up to him and asked him how he was feeling...the second I put my hand on his shoulder he started Vomitting...yep - Puking all over...none on Me though tahnkfully! : ) 

We made it to the Garbage can and called his Dad...Enoch came and got him....

We've made it through an Ecology Reading Lesson and are half way through the Flying Squirrel Math lesson....they loved the pictures of Logan and the Dogs out hunting... I wish I had a better picture of the Squirrel!  : ) 

Made it to Computer Lab and Inupiaq class....what a day!  :) 

And I'm back to work...no more Jet Lag! : ) 

Not stressed out because this is what life is like teaching in the Village...

11:46 and I've had...

A new Kid - unannounced.

A desk flipped - door kicked and screaming crying kid out to the hallway

1 late Para - and 2 AWOL Paras

A puker.

A new employee.

And a Sammie incident calling me "Real Ugly" 

Almost time for lunch!  : ) 

Crazy eh?

Love you. 

K

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It feels good to be back. At least now I have a different outlook on things. I am still here to teach but my focus is on small things – Like getting the Sweathogs to READ on their own accord. Getting the Sweathogs to not be afraid of multi-step Math problems. Getting the Sweathogs to not kill each other under my watch.

You know, the important things…

“Up your nose with a Rubber Hose, Mr. Kotter.”