Being in Alaska is a grand adventure... almost too grand of an adventure not to share it with a companion. I CHOSE to adopt a puppy and not just because he was found shivering outside on a cold, windy day. Although, that part certainly had a lot to do with it. But, in my defense I did take about a week to think about it. 

Anyways, Spout is a tiny, white haired dog of unknown breed. I will be sure once I show a picture to my sister... years of looking at that dog book and she should know.. no pressure. 

Here is a list of the good, the bad and the ugly as I continue to live and teach out here in bush Alaska: 

1.) It's getting darker and colder.. but walking to school at sun rise is pretty unbelievable.

2.) Whatever I write on my lesson plans at the beginning of the week is not what is on my plans at the end of the week. Post it notes are my best friend. So is being slightly dysfunctional at times. 

3.)I AM in the middle of nowhere. And when I forget, I just look out my window.

4.) I teach okay lessons. I teach lessons where I sit down afterwards and wonder if anything actually went right. It's a challenge to figure out how to engage the kids and get the content across... but when I do manage I feel like I am walking on water. 

5.) Kids have a pretty unique view of the world and I love when they include me in their curiosity. One of my boys who has trouble sitting still and has a tendency to blunt out found a caterpillar on the playground. We spent the rest of recess caring for and wondering about the caterpillar. I then followed up by reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar inside. I think that events such as this partially explain the messed up schedule and my overall dysfunction but oh well. 

6.) Theirs lots of mud out here. It's pretty fantastic. 

7.) Being in the middle of no where, at least their is lots of mud!

Walking to school:

Pure cuteness, yea?!

Teaching can be so unpredictable. I thought I knew how to be flexible  but being in the classroom brings a whole new meaning to that word. At this point, I think I am learning more from them then they are from me. During morning routine, the students are expected to find their name tag, answer the question of the day and then take a seat and pull out their writer's notebook. Last Thursday, the prompt I had written on the board was, "If you were in the middle of the ocean and your boat started to sink, what would you do?' The students took this in so many directions! One child wrote, " I would never get on the boat. I would stay at the cabin with my mommy, daddy and assorted cousins." Another said, 'I would patch it up and then go up river fishing.' The range of answers caught me by surprise and we ended up missing calendar time so everyone had a chance to share. This being said, the amount of times I have had to stop a math lesson so they could get their wiggles has been high so being flexible can also seem counter productive at times... 

Here is a video riding down the beach... 

Mountains on the left, opposite the beach. Not quite your Jersey Shore!