The Beginning of a Journey...

Hello again! I first would like to apologize if you checked this every day for the last week and were disappointed that there was nothing new. But this entry will hopefully be worth the wait!! :)

My last entry was nearly an entire week ago, and it has been a busy one! Last Sunday I slept in and spent the afternoon at the school.  I was planning to spend more time at school, but my roommate and I were invited by one of the other teachers to go fishing! It was nearly a half hour boat ride up the Kwethluk and Kuskokwim rivers to where we heard there were fish.  

The scenery was incredible!

The photo to the left is a view of my school from the river and to the right is a view of our house from the river.

Although we only had one bite, we did bring a silver home!  Another teacher had asked us to check his net and this is what we found...I will admit that I did not do a whole lot to help. Hah!

So we brought this lovely silver home and our neighbor's wife showed us how to properly gut and filet the silver.  I can only imagine what Grandpa Royce was thinking looking down on my first Alaskan fishing adventure. :)

Sunday night Stefanie(my roommate) and I had fresh salmon for supper and I was sooo excited that I had to take a picture of it!

I really think this photo could be found in Taste of Home!

Monday was a work day for teachers, so I got to spend the day finishing up my room and finalizing my beginning of the year final touches! I was pretty nervous when I left in the evening on Monday night thinking about what the First Day of School would bring! I have to say that I had never been so nervous for a first day of school in my life.

Surprisingly, I slept well and felt rested Tuesday morning, ready for whatever was coming my way!

The pictures below are just a taste of what I see in the morning on my way to school.

I should explain that originally, I was expecting to teach Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, and Applied Math.  With some last minute changes to my schedule, I am now teaching, Algebra I A & B (the first and second half of the textbook, at the same time, in the same room!), Geometry, Pre-Algebra A & B (also the first and second half of the textbook, at the same time, in the same room), 2 sections of Health II, AND 7th grade Career Explorations!

Who would have guessed how versatile a teacher would need to be for this job. :)

With a little apprehension, and maybe anxiety about WHAT I would be teaching, as well as having no idea WHO I would be teaching, I began my first day at KAMS.

And was it incredible!! I know exactly why I am where I am and doing what I am doing.  My first day was my dream first day of school.  The kids were great, the classes were good, and I survived!

Oh yes, there were some bumps in the road, but overall I couldn't have been happier with everything that went on. :)

The kids that attend this school are some of the most intelligent, driven, exciting, funniest students.  And after just one week with them, I know that I would do anything to see their successes.

After the first day of school, the high school science teacher and I walked to the native store (the closest thing we have to a grocery store) to get a celebratory Coke. :) We also stopped by the post office to check for mail. After an incredible first day, it was like Christmas came early when I got a box in the mail! I don't think I've ever been so excited about mail in my life.

A care package from home! 

I was also lucky enough to get the coffee pot I ordered from Amazon in the mail the next day!

My first week of being a REAL teacher was filled with some bumps in the road.  I was at the school until nearly 10pm every night just trying to get the next day planned.  We are still waiting on more textbooks so that I have enough to give to all of my Pre-Algebra students.  Technology never seems to work when you really need to rely on it! :) 

But I feel like keeping a positive attitude about all the little things that may not go your way shows the kids that you're ready for anything! It gives you an opportunity to show students the real person that you are, and if you're lucky enough they may return the favor.  My focus in the classroom this week was not getting the content hammered out, but showing students that I am here to help them reach their goals, that I want to see them succeed, and that I am not going to let a little malfunction or disturbance stop me from wanting the best for them.

This week has been one of the most incredible, exhilarating and eye-opening weeks of my life and I feel so lucky to be in this place with these people!

So, to keep this as brief as possible, and to keep you wanting more :) , I'm going to sign off for tonight.  

P.S. This quote, I believe, embodies my feelings about where I am and what I am doing and maybe helps you to have a little faith about your life paths as well.