Dillingham

So it's been a while that we've posted, so I took it as my cue to start sharing how our professional development is going. Dillingham is great, but it's had its downfalls too. I love that there's a store, which we've visited almost every day since we flew in. It's also nice that everything is within walking distance. We have had opportunities to walk to the Neqleq store, which is an outdoorsy-type store offering rain and winter apparel. We've gotten to go out to eat on a number of occasions, and on most of them we've had good experiences. The district has fed us well, including a salmon bake on the grill, and the best salmon spread I've ever had. On the flip side, I've realized that I will never be much of the type that enjoys travel weeks at a time, whether someone else is paying for it or not. I could never be a flight attendant, especially considering the last three weeks of flight in this area.

We've been given a ton of information in the last week, all very pertinent to our success as teachers to students with full laptop access. We've been given an opportunity to take professional development courses which introduce us to life in rural Alaska and the native Yup'ik culture we'll be interacting with. That'll include field trips at our respective villages, berry-picking, fishing, preparing and subsistence living. What an opportunity to submerge ourselves into the landscape and culture?! I'll also be taking a three-credit course called RTP, a discipline program that our school implements. I'll be fulfilling my 6 credits for a standard teaching license over the course of the year. The school district is very good about preparing us as educators and ensuring that we're highly qualified. Highly-qualified is determined state by state, and therefore there are Praxis 2 tests we all have to take to be HQ in our respective areas. Being a special education teacher, my student needs will determine the need for me to be certified in a number of different areas. I am excited to learn more about my students so I can work on the process of becoming highly qualified.

The last two days have been quite overwhelming as we've had Apple educators in, teaching us about the applications we can use with our students. I love that we're having some in depth technology education, but I am shocked at how much my coworkers utilize these programs. It's a little intimidating and definitely a jolt to my confidence. I have always thought I was technologically savvy, but it's clear I have quite a bit to learn.

On the social front, we've gotten to meet a number of different people, some natives, some foreigners, some coworkers. We've had a lot of fun staying up late to play cards or just talk about what brought us out to the bush. Most people have been very kind and welcoming.

Well, I have so much more to share, but I can't seem to stay on one thought right now. I think my brain might explode. I miss my husband and can't wait to get home. I'm also excited to do some work in my classroom. My schedule is still fuzzy, so I'm nervous for our first day of school (Tuesday). Hopefully my coworkers are patient with me as I transition into new kids, new paperwork and new routines.