Revival in the Classroom

I just got a SMART Board!! I'm so excited I just got a smart board in my class and can not wait to use it. I have a couple of ideas of what I'd really like to use it for but I'm curious to see how it helps my students in their learning.

When it was first tested yesterday, three of my students were in the classroom and they have never seen me so excited before- I think that it surprised them to the point where one them said, "Are you really happy???!!!! Ms. Phillips is so happy!!"
Of course I was doing an Irish gig at this point, but who cares- this will change how things are done! 

Where's my snowboard?

B- to the L- to the I-...

zzard.

And just like the zz's you see in the word blizzard, well...unfortunately I didn't catch any last night. We have had comfortable weather lately, so I was another shock to my system when the winds picked up and the weather dropped in the negatives again. I am happy though to report a late start today with the possibility of no school.

Three teachers are in Napaskiak waiting for the weather to clear to come back..that ain't happening soon. And two more in Bethel.

If 12- 5 = no school-I am actually down with that. One more day to recuperate from this cold is a good thing. No, make that a GREAT thing!

Happy Birthday to my sister!

Hope this is a special day for you Jackie!

I could really use the help...

of these silent warriors. If only they would come to life when needed to bring structure  when there is chaos. If only my students would put this much creativity into their writing pieces;)

It was a good weekend...

to do absolutely nothing...and for me it was a 3 day weekend. I took off most of Friday as I was trying my best to hang in there for as long as I could before having to call it quits. This chest cold has me down for the count. And it normally bothers me quite a bit to be sick on the weekend b/c that is when  I am able to get things done, but considering the weather conditions, well- it just forced me to stay put on the couch and rest. I don't think I have ever downed so many oranges and cough syrup as I did yesterday.

But today (Sunday) I felt like I was able to get up and get a few things done in the classroom, as it is only a THREE DAY WEEK! Spring break is coming my way. Now only if I could get some sunny weather so that there will be no issues with the planes getting in.

As Amy and I headed out this morning, I was so surprised as t how much snow actually fell on the ground. I t was blowing around so much last night, I was surprised some of it actually landed and stayed put.

8:30 this morning.

Notice Amy is dressed for the walk.

And I am not- too lazy to put anything but tennis shoes on. 

Lighter Later

6:30 pm and the Sun is just starting to go down. I see this as a good thing simply b/c I was actually struggling quite a bit just with how much energy I had in the evenings the last two months. When school got out and Amy and I were finally able to head home for the day, I felt like I was unable to get much done b/c my mind and body were both in sleepy mode  b/c it was so dark outside.

 The more kids I see outside jumping off the old building roofs and into piles of snow, the more energy I find I have to do the dishes, grade papers, etc. Can't wait to see what it feels like to have it be bright again at 10 pm in a short while- how much will I accomplish then?

So what's on my plate right now? Well, I noticed that more of my students are out b/c of a new strain that has entered our little community. Thankfully it is not strep, but just another kind of chest cold. I find it really hard to protect myself from getting sick here,  as I fell asleep at 7:45 last night and slept for ten hours. No matter what I use- white tea, anti-bac gel, liquids, liquids, liquids, fresh fruits & veggies, it doesn't help b/c I am a teacher and I have found that I cannot help but sit with a lot of different students for different reasons. I am constantly being coughed on and there is nothing that I can do about it for now. I find that my need to help outweighs my need for distance. But I know that I have a ton of great teas coming my way and that should help ease this chest cold:)

On a brighter note, I have only one more week until I wake up within a ten mile radius of a Starbucks-WAHOO!! and to tide me over, Rachel- our Spec-Ed teacher graciously brought me back from her training in Anchorage some tea from Starbucks! It was another great pick me up this morning. And as I sit here typing away on my computer, drinking this tea, I glance over my computer and see 15 of my students quietly take another math test, and it is quiet. I honestly feel like I can imagine myself sitting in a cafe far, far away drinking a cup of tea, looking out and watching people walk on by it is so quiet right now. And since I know that it will only last about 15 minutes ( students here have a short attention span)  I am soaking it up. I also am using the typing as a background noise to block out the noise of the other students in the other classrooms that are wreaking havoc b/c they don't want to be here.

This time is also being used to contemplate whether or not I want to go another round out here this upcoming school year. There are a lot of great perks to working for this School District, one being the pay and the insurance. I also have to respect the fact that this year has so far caused me to stretch in ways that I have never had to before. BUT- I really struggle with the fact that my students do their best work first thing in the morning, but that is only a good thing if my students show up. There is no consequence if they don't show up. There really is just no consequence for any wrong-doing out here.
I don't mind challenges, but I do mind no avenues of relief....and that is a serious issue out here. So- I am still on the fence as to what I should do-it's kind of like the picture above- I am still in the dark, but it seems to be lightening up a little  each day as we get closer to the month of March.

Happy surprises!

I appreciate the goodies that came my way yesterday. It was a trying day where this wonderful surprise made my evening an enjoyable one!

Why walk when you can slide?

The kids are out and about looking for things to do outside and this time we saw first graders looking for an alternative way of getting from point A to point B. The only reason why this was entertaining was b/c A: they kept sliding off into the snow, and B: they tried to bring their sleds up with them.
Yes....this is our evening entertainment sometimes.

Yes! Please!

I have always been a fan of the bracelets that are made by some of the ladies out here in the village. They are colorful and permanent--kind of like a tattoo. These two were sewn by a staff member here at the  school- and sewn on so that they won't come off until they break off. A good reminder of many sorts actually:)

COUNTDOWN TO RONDY 2012

Amy and I are making a trip to Anchorage for a much needed break in about 10 days.


January and February both have been eye openers in that I have been able to keep my sanity amidst some rather "different" happenings. My students are keeping me on my toes in that they need watchful eyes every moment of the day. It's unfortunate, but chewing has made it's way back into the classroom and b/c they "respect" the fact that I don't want spitting on the floor, they have gone back to spitting in the trash cans. It's not pretty. Well, that's not pretty and neither is the fact that most are choosing to not accept responsibility or consequences for their actions, snide comments are constantly being made in their native tongue that keep interrupting the instructional parts of the day, and just the tweenage attitude in general...fun times, right? 
Finding out what's behind some of their actions is a challenge. Sometimes I am able to get them to talk out what they are feeling, but most of the time it just results in either an absolute shut down or more anger.
Outside of the classroom, well, I see that the kids are out enjoying the warmer weather more and more. They are outside climbing and visiting other homes...all good things are they have been kept inside most of the winter.

 SO- that being said- YES for March!!!! Rondy here we come! Juneau here I come and Bethel here we come. It's going to be a month of me and the State of Alaska. I am looking forward to hanging out with familiar faces outside of the village once again- w/ some amazing downtime.
Rondy is first on the list as Spring Break is fast approaching-and I can't wait to catch as much of it on film as I can. I am hoping to see the Outhouse Races, the Running of the Reindeer, and hopefully some fireworks!

After that is Juneau. A friend from another village is joining me on this quick for my birthday- so looking forward to seeing the  Mendenhall Glacier.

Following that little trip, a few of the first year teachers will fly into Bethel for Cama'i. Cama'i is big. It's  a three day native dance festival that is held in Bethel every year. I am looking forward to this as it will be a great way to experience the Yup'ik culture.

April- possibly another quick trip to Anchorage- gotta use those great deals that Alaska Air keeps sending us.

May- wrap up the school year and off to South Africa! This is going to be quite the experience as I am going to cover a little more of Africa and see friends that I haven't seen in four years. I am hopeful that with all of these trips in the mix, I can keep my eyes on the prize and still work hard to stay in the moment here in the village, as hard as it is sometimes. Who knows what next year will bring, right? So it is my hope that I use my time in the classroom to finish strong, and these upcoming trips to see more of what this state has to offer!

Northern Lights???

I was so excited to get a call that the Northern lights were over Atmau...umm...not the case, but it was fun to go out in search of them. This is in my mind, light pollution...but it was pretty all the same. 

V-Day becomes D-Day

Looking forward to a little time at the end of the day to just hang with my students!

IT was all good until the very last five minutes when either the sugar took over and some lost control, or it was just a mix of the wrong people in the wrong area at the wrong time...but another fight broke out. It is disappointing to see how students will react instead of listening to reason these days. One step forward, two steps back. BUT- I still got a kick out of the Valentines that were brought to me throughout the day...

To: Ms Fips
To: Miss. Philp
To: Miss Filup

It made my day-thnx  Aunt J!

All in all- it taught me to remember that there will always be ups and downs, and to look for the silver lining each day!

Victory

Yesterday there was a moment where I felt like there wasn't a need to count the hours down til 3:45 p.m.

It was nice to sit back and watch my students do their work after teaching- all 13 of them. Sadly, a funeral has kept a couple of them home and I haven't seen them in awhile.

But the victory wasn't that they worked and stayed on task for the most part, it was watching my most challenging student respond in a positive way that made me want to jump for joy!

Objective: Clean up the room after completing an assignment.
Concern: Mess in an area that the challenging student  made by accident, but chose to walk away from and ignore- which I did the same.
What I saw: Another student go to clean it up, followed by him walking quickly over, stooping to the ground, and saying, "This is my fault, I will clean it up."

And he did. Now that is not to say that the war has been won, but a battle surely has been. I stand amazed at how the little things make a day feel a thousand times better.

Valentine's Day Post to follow.

Going for that windblown look...

and experience!

It's getting a little warmer, and a little more interesting...

AS you can see above, there is a change in the temperature. Getting up in the morning is always fun..... but the cherry on top? Trying to make my way down the staircase of doom. Snow melts during the day, then ices up at night, and with a slight breeze in the morning, well....we just have to be extra careful not to fall flat on our faces as we go down this staircase. There is nothing I can do but lock one foot against the wall, and hope for the best as I open the door in the a.m., cause if there is wind- it always catches the door and swings it open with me attached. My biggest fear is being dragged off the top portion. And it has happened. I have now learned to let Amy be the test dummy, as I am not going off the deep end first thing in the morning.

But on a brighter note, it's getting lighter earlier. This shot was taken at 9:40. And the best part is... it was warm enough for me to just wear my light jacket.

To my Dad on His Special Day!

Happy Happy Birthday!

Sunday Football

Sunday was a breathtaking day.

Both Amy and myself woke up to help a fellow teacher serve breakfast to another basketball team that came to play against our team over the weekend, which unfortunately meant that they were here during some nasty weather. And that meant that they had an extra night stay with us. It was our hope that the weather would act nice and let them fly home, which it did.

And before the big game I was able to walk around and soak in the sunshine, do some laundry, some reading and some chillin'. And then onto the big game...this being my first time in a couple of years to watch it in the States!

We headed over to another teacher's home, ate a lot of amazing food that was so kindly prepared by others, and sat down to watch the game, the funny commercials, and sadly some "we live in Alaska now" commercials- not to happy when those came on.

Alaska Commercials:( but on a big screen tv.

Amazing Key Lime Pie Dip!

Hostess for the day-Jacquie.

Light Snow Blowing...with a chance of water.

I woke up last night to the ground shaking, the wind howling and no water.
 It was quite the storm.
But I love what comes after a storm...fresh  powder on the ground. It doesn't make a hard crunching sound when I step on it, nor look like the paths to the school have been pulverized.
 After waking up this morning and  heading to the school to serve breakfast to a basketball team that is visiting from Napaskiak, I am just about ready to head home to read a book, watch a movie, and watch the snow blow right on by.

iheart wannabe photographers.

The twins.

Crazy & Crazier.

I came into Amy's room looking to be entertained. And this class always come through. Every time.

Today's birthday boy became the photographer. "Stop moving everyone!!!! You are blurry." I tried to tell him that people can move, the camera can't.

Unfortunately chaos ensued and you can see little ones coming apart.

And we took a break from the photo shoot.

And Amy wanted them out. So we finished the photo shoot and sent them home.