Whoosh!

Another quarter is already halfway over! Third quarter has been running in full speed. For the past month I have focused primarily on my Battle of the Books team. I have been the “coach” for the 3^rd/4^th grade team. We have practices from 4-5pm twice a week. Last weekend I had a sleepover at the school with my team and the middle school team (my roommate is the coach for the middle school team). Although it was exhausting to watch the kids for the evening and keep up with their energy, it was fun watching their excitement over books. We were able to read and discuss questions and started to bond as a team. The kids have done a great job reading the books and are really pulling through. At the end of the week we have our first battle. It will be new to me because battles in the village take place as a Video Teleconference. I’m just hoping for the best!

Life is crazy right now. There is so much to learn and teach and it's already February! My students have been going through a phase of…I'm not really sure how to describe it. It's a lot of energy that is focused in the wrong direction. I'm hoping once the weather gets cold it will get better (it's been in the low to mid 30s!). As a girl that grew up in Alaska I understand how refreshing it is to have warmth. All you want to do is play outside! Usually this antsy type of behavior doesn't really appear until mid March or even April (break up season…I mean Spring). Since it is so warm outside right now I think that we are going to have two "Springs". I don't know how well people will follow what I just wrote. It's a little difficult to describe to those that are not familiar with Alaska. Anyway, my students just feel crazy to me. Tomorrow I am going to be taking a break from some class work and having TWO class council meetings. 

I'm beginning to figure out that I am going to have to reteach my expectations. Everything that we did last semester doesn't feel like it's working. I'm pretty frustrated and my brain is fishing for new ideas to help keep my kids focused, respectful, and responsible. As I think about it now I wonder if I smiled too early. In the past some people have told me that I am too strict or uptight, but now I'm learning that I am being way too nice. I don't know. I feel like I am drowning right now. Hopefully tomorrow's talk will make it a little better. 

On a happier note, my oldest sister had her baby yesterday! I am ecstatic! Actually, my students are too. They have been waiting for February for "Baby Month". When I told them that she had the baby they all jumped out of their seats and ran to me to see if she had sent pictures yet. They could hardly wait! I now have a niece. I can't wait to hold her next month when I travel to Fairbanks for Spring Break. 

Another exciting thing happened yesterday! A high school student that I coached in volleyball last semester gave me an Eskimo name. It was a huge honor. I wasn't sure if she was being real or not at first. She walked into my classroom with a cup of water and told me that she wanted to give me an Eskimo name. The water is to drink after you receive the name. It's understood that the water symbolizes respect. I don't yet want to announce what it is….so in my next post! 

There have been so many ups and downs this past month, but I try really hard to do as my students do: Get over it quickly and pretend like it didn't happen yesterday. Those of you that know me well should know that this is a task that I am really really really really bad at. We'll see how long it will take me to accomplish this task. 

I have added pictures below from some of my January adventures and some from earlier in the school year. More later! There are so many things that happen all at once that it's hard to keep up with it all. Best wishes to all of you! 

 We had a storm so we are enjoying the snow.

 My parking lot includes Hondas (aka 4 wheelers).

 The teachers come home from Christmas. It's a good thing we all went to the Post Office together...

 My new Guspuk!

 I was a crayon for Halloween.

 Agutaq…Eskimo Ice Cream

 My school from afar.

 Movie night at the school.

 The outside of my apartment complex. This building was the original St. Michael school.

 My students are wonderful when they are working hard!

The view from my window. 

A New Year, A New Start?

Happy 2014! I can hardly believe that another year has gone by. It’s weird to think that I have almost completed my first year of teaching. The end seems so close yet so far away. I was so glad to make it to Christmas Break. However, I got stuck in Unalakleet for 31 hours on my way to Anchorage!! THEN, I got stuck in Unalakleet another night on my way back from Anchorage! It was really quite frustrating. I felt really bad for Pippi. She was very very very glad to be back in her cage at home. Nevertheless, I was SO happy to get a break. It was nice getting to see my family and some close friends during my break. I was able to get a lot of rest and began to reflect on the first and second quarter. I came away with some new ideas and a refreshed mind. Seeing everyone in St. Michael was really nice. It’s getting to the point where I can truly call this home. The best part about returning was getting to see my kids running at me when I first arrived.

The first week of school was crazy. It almost felt like I was out of shape. My students were out of shape too. All of the rules needed to be relearned and routines needed to be practiced. It was pretty frustrating, but I’m feeling better as we enter into our 3^rd week. It’s really crummy to say, but I feel like all I am doing is scrambling to make sure my kids know enough for the SBAs in April. The pressure feels immense and I can tell that I am easily irritated with my students because I want them to do well, so when they show me less than their best it is really worrisome and disappointing.  As long as I keep everything interesting and lively it should be okay, right?

I’m still teaching music to my students, but this time we are working in more depth on rhythm and musical components (measures, time signature, note names, note values, etc.).  My kids can now read, write, and imitate rhythms! Occasionally, people will make a comment about how music is worthless. This really bugs me, but I try not to let it show. Music is so important to me and I can’t imagine not being able to play my flute or sing. I mean, can you?

Anyway, I’m feeling empowered for this next semester. Although I am nervous for my first “testing” experience, I am excited to see how the school year comes to a close.  

The Final Countdown

Well, 2nd quarter has come to an end. I am exhausted. The past two weeks the kids have been off the walls because of Thanksgiving Break and the coming Christmas Break. My head is spinning. Most days I come home from school and almost immediately fall asleep on the couch. Needless to say, I am ready for a break. I am currently sitting in my classroom waiting for parents to come conference with me. As I sit here I can't help but think about Friday: the day I travel back to Palmer. Friday seems like forever away. I have a lot to do until then...I just don't have the energy to do it. For example, I have to have at least two days of lesson plans and materials out before I leave for break just in case I don't make it back (planes might not be able to fly because of the weather).

I had a couple of interesting cultural experiences. An elder past away so I learned the community rituals. The body stays in the home in a casket for several days until the funeral. During that time, people in the village come to the home and see the family. Then, for the funeral, the whole village shuts down until the funeral is over. The church is packed with people. It's really a cool experience to be apart of village events (even though that one was very sad). Another experience I had was during the Thanksgiving Basketball tournament. The villages thrive in basketball. We went to the city gym and watched all the teams. The crowd gets super into it! It's fun to see who everybody roots for. Even my students have a favorite team and talk about it. 

Anyway, this quarter went fast. I didn't feel like I had enough time to effectively teach anything. My students struggled immensely with division. I honestly cannot figure out how to teach it in any other way. I've gone through my books, I've looked online, I've talked to teacher after teacher. Nothing seems to be working, but I have to keep moving on. Hopefully it'll come with some more time.

I decided to just focus on science this quarter. We learned about the animal life cycle and the human body. I was very impressed by how hard the kids worked and how much information they retained. Last week, the class learned about the brain. I was so excited that my sister was a guest speaker (via Skype). It was much better for them to learn about the brain from an expert rather than me. The kids LOVED her and were so curious about her and her life. It was great to see her again, even if it was through Skype. My students also discovered microscopes and had a blast exploring. I was able to get some great science shots of my students being curious.

Now, the best thing of all....The Christmas Program!! It was a success! We practiced how to walk on stage and our order. The kids practiced watching me and waiting for the commands (records up, ready, 1,2,3,4). My goodness we knocked them dead. I was definitely nervous, but I went in with the attitude that I've done all the teaching that I can do, and now it was up to them. Even the students I was really worried about did well. I am so relieved that it is over. Now, I just have to prepare for music next quarter. My students complain about it and say it's boring, but once they get it that's all they want to do. Music is too important for me to let it go though...so they will just have to get over it!! :)

Well, my friends, I am counting down the days until I hop on the little Bush plane and fly back to the Valley. I have a lot of preparation to do, but I'm ready to just do nothing. 3rd quarter is going to be long. SBAs are in April so 3rd quarter will be a race to get everything done to prepare.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

P.S. I'm trying to get my pictures uploaded!

Christmastime is Coming

Happy Thanksgiving! This quarter is going by so quickly! I feel that 2^nd quarter has been more of a success than first. I have made a lot of small changes that have made me feel more in control and like I am making good progress toward becoming a better teacher.

I have become very attached to my students, which is definitely helping as the year progresses. Currently, we only have two and a half weeks left in the quarter (then Christmas break!!)! My students have been working very very hard at the recorder in order to prepare for the Christmas Program in two weeks. I know that I am getting super nervous. Some people are finding my class very annoying with the recorders, which makes it that much harder for me to feel prepared. I’m hoping that my class will really step it up during the performance. They all know how to play it, but it’s a matter of playing together as opposed to playing at the same time. We’ll see….

It’s getting colder as the winter progresses, but it hasn’t been too bad. I do have to wear my parka and facemask now. When I get a ride on a Honda I usually have to wear my goggles so that my eyes don’t get too watery. It’s all fun though. My body is adjusting to the cold pretty well. After mostly living in Oregon for the past four years I have forgotten how different the darkness is. It has finally reached the point of 10:30 or 11:00am sunrises. I can truly say that I am at school before the sun is up and after the sun is down.

My work hours are long and I am pretty exhausted, but the fact that there are only two and a half weeks left really helps move me along. Pippi is also a big help. She reminds me to play and to love. We often cuddle and she now runs around the apartment floor freely. She can be quite the character! The kids in the village love her and they all want Guinea Pigs (sorry parents).

Although stressful, I really love working here. St. Michael is treating me well. I miss Oregon a lot, but I know that I can make this my home too. It’s different from places I have lived recently, but the uniqueness makes it worthwhile.

Well, my friends, that is all for now. It really hasn’t been too eventful lately, just a lot of work. At this point, I’m praying for a successful end to the quarter and a fantastic Christmas Program.

Happy Holidays!

Breathing Again

My fellow readers, I am sorry for the long delay! Life in St. Michael has proved to be very  busy (despite the fact that there is not much to really do here). The last time I wrote was before school even started. Let me do a quick catch up....now that the first quarter is over.

I went through the longest in service in August. The result: a head cold and brain overload. I was exhausted by the end and getting very anxious about school to start. After in-service I felt so overloaded with information that I didn't even know where to begin. My classroom became student ready and I decided on the activities that we would do for the first three days. My energy remained high as I tried to keep up with the bustle of the classroom. At the end of the week I collapsed in my chair and looked around my classroom. Even though my classroom was a mess, I was exhausted, and at a total loss about what to do with my class I quickly loved my class even more. It's nice having a clean classroom with everything put in its place, but it's even better to have a classroom that is lived in. My classroom is my second home here (maybe first). For my students this really is like another home to them. I have a group of students that are my children: my children. I see them all the time, inside and outside of school. Even when they are angry with me, it doesn't last long. The kids here get over things so quickly. After a long day of lecturing students they still run up to me outside and give me big hugs.

In college, we learned to make a list of positive things about students we were frustrated with in order to remind us of the good things about that child. In St. Michael, all it takes to remember the wonderful things about a kid here is seeing them outside of school. They have so much energy, and they can provide so much love. It's so much fun to see them at my window almost everyday. It is a constant reminder that they still love me even when we had a bad day at school. I have a tough group of kids in my class as a whole (they are testing me), but they are all so sweet, smart, and have so much to offer.

St. Michael is becoming more my home everyday. I get along well with the staff and community members. I am learning some of the cultural norms and find myself feeling more like a member of St, Michael. I started going to a church here (Assembly of God), but it's not my style at all. I miss my church in Palmer and McMinnville very much, but it's something that I am trying hard to get used to. My roommate and I are going to start a weekly bible study to help us feel more comfortable in our beliefs. Besides church, I have made a few good friends that I spend my time with. Most of the time we sit and play cards or watch a movie. I have learned cool new card games and am getting very good at strategizing in them (better watch out!). It's weird to get a paycheck once a month and go home after a day of work and not have homework that I have to get done that night.

Now that first quarter has ended, I actually feel like a real teacher. It has taken me so long to really feel like this is real...First quarter was my trial. As second quarter begins I feel that I can wipe my slate clean and start the quarter with more confidence. I am quite relieved that a new beginning is on Monday.

A new quarter means a fresh start: new grades, new methods of teaching, new confidence, new units. It's all there. I just have to grab it and run. It's time to show me as a teacher. As one of my students told me, "You're the best teacher". Now I have to go out there and prove it: to myself and my students.

I will try to write more! As I said: Second quarter is a fresh start!

Caution: "Destruction Zone"

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write! Let me just say that the past month and a half has been crazy. The end of the summer came faster than I expected and I found myself scrambling to get everything done. Long story short....I'm finally here (without very many options for internet or phone service)! Pippi, my guinea pig, and I hopped on a plane last Friday and landed in St. Michael, AK a few hours later. It was quite relieving to finally make it to my new apartment. Within hours of arriving I was eating dinner with my colleagues and meeting people from the community. There wasn't any time to feel lonely or scared; I had to jump right in. Villagers make you feel so welcome. I couldn't imagine a better welcome. One teacher came to my apartment within the hour that I arrived and gave me a big hug. Let me tell you: that was the best way to start a new chapter.

Like a true nerd I got to see my classroom the very night that I arrived. I became a little kid on Christmas. My eyes scanned the room looking for a place to start. Little did I know that I would soon be overwhelmed with the amount of work I needed to get done. The first day of being in my classroom turned into a day of destruction. I pulled furniture across the room, took books off of shelves, unpacked an art supply drawer, and changed the layout at least three times. By the end of the day I was exhausted and defeated. I was so relieved that my mom was coming in the very next day. Without her I wouldn't have been able to complete everything. I'm pretty sure that I would have fallen to the floor and started crying like a two year old.

I am incredibly lucky to have my mom come and help me set up my first classroom. Simultaneously, I want everyone to know that that was something my mom and I always planned. When I helped her with her classroom at the beginning of every school year, she told me that she would come help me set up my very first classroom. My mom kept her promise. Yes, I'm incredibly lucky.

We spent at least two entire days in my classroom, but I have cupboards that are organized! As I looked around my classroom, I couldn't do anything but smile. In the end, my classroom actually looked like a classroom. With the exception of planning, I was ready to have kids in my class. Real life keeps getting more and more real as the days go by...

The Anticipation is Killing Me

The summer is going by quickly; I thought it would seem like an eternity before I leave for my new home. As the days pass I make lists upon lists of things that I want to get done before August. Amazon Prime has become my best friend as I find my sheets, towels, pillows, and a happy lamp (shipped for free). Shipping my totes is becoming a chore in itself. Every day, I tell myself that I need to ship them out; they are still sitting in my living room.

With each new day I become more anxious. I'm second guessing my ability. My mind feels blank - do I remember how to teach? Really my most challenging hurdle right now is knowing how to start a school year. What do I say? What do I teach? The questions seem never-ending. Luckily, I have been able to create templates so that I only have to put it together when I'm there. I wish I could have everything ready....

In exactly two months I will have twelve little bodies in my very first classroom, and twenty-four eyes staring at me. Twenty-four eyes staring at me: the new teacher-new to the school, new to the village community. The only thing I can even think up to say: "Hi, my name is Miss Rozzi. I am your 4th grade teacher."