Michael Lee, Evelyn Klienke, and me ready to go back to Togiak.
The holidays are approaching so quickly. I can't believe Thanksgiving is already next week! It's exciting to be approaching the end of the semester. I feel like there's just enough time to wrap up what we're doing and take our finals. It's a cool feeling.
This week in PE I invited a villager to come in and teach native dance. It was kind of bitter sweet. Some of the kids were really into it and some loathed it. The guy who came in was expecting a student to be able to show the other students how to dance while he drummed and sang. That was not the case. Luckily, I was able to convince the secretary (who knows how to dance) to take a few minutes away from her desk to at least get us started (she ended up staying with us for most the class period). I danced with the kids as well. I really enjoyed learning those dances and learning more about native dance, how it is structured, and what it means. I even got the songs stuck in my head, but couldn't do much more than hum and mumble since I don't speak Y'upik. I learned the praise song, the reindeer love song, the kissing song, and another I don't know the name of.
The beginning of the week was pretty normal, but Tim and I both had a busy ending to our week. I was asked to be on the science committee for our district to help create an updated science curriculum and adopt new textbooks. Friday we had meetings in Dillingham. I was told that we would leave right after school on Thursday and that we would return Friday early evening. Thursday morning, I brought my bags to school and had my sub plans all completed. All I had to do was write a few things on the board at the end of the day before I left. During class on Thursday, about 11:40, I got a phone call that told me to be ready to leave in an hour and a half. What? That's way before school gets out. I guess the pilot had called and said he was making only one more trip that day and it was then or never. I got my students working on their lab and then walked around trying to help them, but really my mind was just consumed with "what in the world am I going to do about my last two classes of the day?" There was no way a sub could teach what I had planned for the end of the day. (We're discussing the reproductive system in health class.) As soon as class ended. I took my lunch hour to make the fastest sub plans of my life. Luckily, I had a few Health/Biology movies in my classroom and just convinced myself they would have to do. By the end of lunch I was just about ready. My sub showed up and I was off, although not entirely pleased that my lessons for the end of the day were botched.
I did love the idea of a bit of an early weekend. Technically, I was still working on Friday, but district meetings seemed like a breeze compared to school. Our meetings went well, but unfortunately, by the end of them the weather was bad. We got stuck in Dillingham, not only Friday night, but also Saturday night. The good news is that I had good company, Michael Lee and Eve Klienke (other Togiak teachers), stores, restaurants, internet, and a good book. Michael did point out to us this morning that we were blessed with a relaxing weekend. If we had been home all of us would have been at the school working all weekend. This way, we had to take a break. He had a good point.
Tim had a wrestling tournament in New Stu this weekend. They left the school early as well. So Tim had to deal with unplanned sub lessons as well. They wrestled Friday night and Saturday morning and then were stuck there for Saturday night. Tim told me it was a bit of a rough weekend. A lot of his wrestlers were sick and couldn't spend much time away from the bathroom. Tim made it home just earlier this evening.
Our poor apartment looks pretty neglected. The weekend is usually the time we clean. I guess worse things have happened though. :)
I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!
This week in PE I invited a villager to come in and teach native dance. It was kind of bitter sweet. Some of the kids were really into it and some loathed it. The guy who came in was expecting a student to be able to show the other students how to dance while he drummed and sang. That was not the case. Luckily, I was able to convince the secretary (who knows how to dance) to take a few minutes away from her desk to at least get us started (she ended up staying with us for most the class period). I danced with the kids as well. I really enjoyed learning those dances and learning more about native dance, how it is structured, and what it means. I even got the songs stuck in my head, but couldn't do much more than hum and mumble since I don't speak Y'upik. I learned the praise song, the reindeer love song, the kissing song, and another I don't know the name of.
The beginning of the week was pretty normal, but Tim and I both had a busy ending to our week. I was asked to be on the science committee for our district to help create an updated science curriculum and adopt new textbooks. Friday we had meetings in Dillingham. I was told that we would leave right after school on Thursday and that we would return Friday early evening. Thursday morning, I brought my bags to school and had my sub plans all completed. All I had to do was write a few things on the board at the end of the day before I left. During class on Thursday, about 11:40, I got a phone call that told me to be ready to leave in an hour and a half. What? That's way before school gets out. I guess the pilot had called and said he was making only one more trip that day and it was then or never. I got my students working on their lab and then walked around trying to help them, but really my mind was just consumed with "what in the world am I going to do about my last two classes of the day?" There was no way a sub could teach what I had planned for the end of the day. (We're discussing the reproductive system in health class.) As soon as class ended. I took my lunch hour to make the fastest sub plans of my life. Luckily, I had a few Health/Biology movies in my classroom and just convinced myself they would have to do. By the end of lunch I was just about ready. My sub showed up and I was off, although not entirely pleased that my lessons for the end of the day were botched.
I did love the idea of a bit of an early weekend. Technically, I was still working on Friday, but district meetings seemed like a breeze compared to school. Our meetings went well, but unfortunately, by the end of them the weather was bad. We got stuck in Dillingham, not only Friday night, but also Saturday night. The good news is that I had good company, Michael Lee and Eve Klienke (other Togiak teachers), stores, restaurants, internet, and a good book. Michael did point out to us this morning that we were blessed with a relaxing weekend. If we had been home all of us would have been at the school working all weekend. This way, we had to take a break. He had a good point.
Tim had a wrestling tournament in New Stu this weekend. They left the school early as well. So Tim had to deal with unplanned sub lessons as well. They wrestled Friday night and Saturday morning and then were stuck there for Saturday night. Tim told me it was a bit of a rough weekend. A lot of his wrestlers were sick and couldn't spend much time away from the bathroom. Tim made it home just earlier this evening.
Our poor apartment looks pretty neglected. The weekend is usually the time we clean. I guess worse things have happened though. :)
I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!
