Modes of Transportation

Every small town has a sport that they love. Here in Eek, and most of the tundra, it is basketball. This weekend it was my job to accompany our junior high basketball team to Kwigillingok, another village in our district. The junior high team is coed, and therefore they needed a female chaperone. It started out with a fun plane ride. The students asked me if they could ask the pilot for a "roller coaster". I said sure. I like thrill rides, so I figured this would be ok. A roller coaster is when the pilot nosedives the plane toward the frozen tundra, and then pulls up and goes higher than the usual flight track. It was so much fun! Trash, paper, clipboards--everything-- flies into the air due to the lack of gravity. Of course, we had to have one on the ride home too.

The highlight of the weekend was meeting Bill, a teacher at Kwig, who builds kayaks in the Native American traditional way.

This is a kayak that Bill is working on.

These are the frames for kayaks that are a work in progress.

This is the inside of a kayak. Notice how the "ribs" are bent? They bend those with their teeth!

This is a kayak made in the most traditional Native American Way. The skin of the kayak is seal skin, and the colors are made with crushed rock and water.

This is another traditional kayak. Notice the vein running down and forking out at the bottom. That's where Bill and his sons patched together two pieces of seal skin. It's held together with moss and seal fat as the "glue". This is one of the most interesting experiences I've had since I've been here. I'm really glad I got the chance to see this work.

This last picture is just a pretty sunset on the tundra.

Class is in session

I've been thinking about a topic to blog about. I tried to think of the one thing that people asked the most about while I was home for winter break. And, I have to admit that most people asked lots of questions about school up here. So, I'll do my best to point out, what I consider to be, the main differences between Ohio schools and here in no particular order.

1. The students call me Erin. Not Miss Schalk or ma'am, but Erin. It truly is a village feel here. We all live together and are "in it" together, so we're all on a first name basis. It's true that in Ohio, I have given students detention for calling me Erin, but here it's normal. And, I have to admit that it doesn't bother me. It's made me realize that respect is more than a title, but your character.

2. We don't give traditional grades. Although teaching isn't different, and learning is the same, the way we structure curriculum and grade is different. It's more holistic. For instance, students aren't really in grades. They have indicators to meet for a "phase". Once they finish, they can move up. Therefore, motivated students can move quickly through curriculum and less motivated students don't move. In some ways, I think this is great. I think it allows for a more individualized education. On the other hand, there is a high turn over rate here, and therefore spotty record keeping. So, it can backfire on us.

3. Students come to my house-a lot. They always want to visit, and it's considered normal to let them sometimes. In Ohio, I NEVER would let a student in my house, but here it's ok. They'll come in for a little while, watch TV, play cards, whatever. In my opinion, it's just something to do in a town with very little to do.

4. Student behavior has different standards. The students here often come tired, and sometimes, we let them sleep.

5. I don't give homework. Ever. It's just easier not to, and frankly, I can't say my results are worse than they were in Ohio.

I really feel like I work twice as hard here. I had 2 or 3 different classes to prepare for in Ohio, here I have 6. The lesson plans that are required are more involved, and the classes are longer. So, I work every weekend. I could count on one hand how many days I have been in the village and NOT gone into work. But, I also think it's more rewarding. So, in the end, it's worth it.

Heading Up North

I'm currently sitting in the Anchorage airport awaiting my next flight. Despite a Midwest snowstorm, I managed to get out of Pittsburgh on time and even made my flight in Phoenix. When I arrived here in Anchorage I attempted to check only to find out that 1 AM is not the beginning of a new day. In fact, the new day starts at 4 AM according to Alaska Airlines. So, I'm sitting here waiting for a few hours to check in. I thought I would use the time wisely to reflect on the past month. Here are some highlights:
1. I got to see just about everyone on my list of friends and family. It always amazes me how much people can change in a few months. Between new significant others, pregnancies, and hairstyles. I was shocked by my friends multiple times. Although, I found myself saying that I didn't realize how much I'd missed everyone until I saw them.
2. My nephew, Caleb, has grown so much! When I saw him at calling hours, I had to ask if that was him. Of course, anyone who has kids or knows kids understands that 5 months makes a big difference with babies.
3. My niece, Alex, is still the same sweet, lovable, stubborn kid she always was. I was ready to come back to Alaska until I said goodbye to my niece and she clung to my leg begging me not to leave or to take her with me. Although, she does fit in my suitcase, I didn't feel that I should bring her.
4. Prioritizing while packing has a whole new meaning when you have to ship everything instead of just throwing it in a car.
5. Procrastinating is much easier when you're far away from responsibilities. I definitely did not get as much work done as I'd hoped. Oh well!

I had a great time at home, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing all my Eek friends and getting back to work. Here's looking forward to May!