Goodbye 8th Graders :(

Well, today was a very fun and sad day for us teachers at the middle school. This morning we helped the 8th graders practice for the promotion ceremony from 9-12:30, and after we cleaned and helped organize flowers, etc. for the actual ceremony. I signed us ladies up to help with hair and makeup for any girls that needed an extra hand, so we were back at the middle school at 5:45 pm with beauty supplies. We did some hair curling, styling and makeup :) All the students looked very clean and grown up, it was a rare sight to see! During the ceremony the students were able to pass out roses to people in the crowd who helped them get to where they are now. We all received a few roses, it was very flattering to know that we had an impact on these kids... After the 2 hour ceremony we helped put away gowns and set up the stage for the dance- I was a DJ! It was fun to chaperone a dance for students we all knew:) I had a very good time. I saw Rachel and Alyssa out there jumping around for almost the entire night- nice moves ladies :) I was able to use them as examples for how slow dances should work (spacing, etc) and they were great sports about it! The dance ended at 11:00pm and it feels like 3 in the afternoon. The sun is still out and everyone is very much awake- strange.. Tomorrow we do not have to be at school until 9am so we can sleep in- which is nice. Alyssa will still be at the middle school teaching her 6th grade class and Rachel and myself will be at the elementary, and high school hopefully (watching classes). This was our last night with the 8th graders- they have no more school. I don't think it has hit me that I will not be seeing all their faces at school tomorrow.. I miss them already...

The boys were able to go dog sledding tonight and they were already asleep when I got home, so I will let them tell you about that tomorrow. For each of our last blog posts (and this is mine) we have been asked to define what it means to be well educated. I personally believe that some of the most valuable education is taught outside the classroom. So here I go..

After my experience in Barrow, Alaska I want to approach this question from a different angle. Rather then attempting to define what it means to be well-educated, should we instead be asking about the purposes of education? A majority could state that the priority should be intellectual development. However, I believe that the main focus of education should be to produce competent, caring, loving, and lovable people. This leads to my next question, "how do we know if education has been successful?" This question can not be truly answered until we have asked what education is suppose to be successful at. I see many students at Hopson Middle School who, in my opinion, are competent, caring, loving and lovable people. Does this mean they are well educated students?

So do we evaluate people or their education? I have learned that, in Barrow, it can be easy to hire someone to teach based on their education. However, if they have a great resume does it mean they will be a good teacher here? I don't believe so. Yes they could be, but I feel the judgement lies more on the person than their education in this situation. So does the phrase well-educated refer to a quality of the schooling you received, or to something about you? Does it denote what you were taught, or what you learned (and remember)? If the term applies to what you now know and can do, you could be poorly educated despite having received a top-notch education. However, if the term refers to the quality of your schooling, then we’d have to conclude that a lot of “well-educated” people sat through lessons that barely registered. All these questions further support that I am still discovering (and learning) what it truly means to be well educated, and frequently find myself asking more questions...

Each school has assessments that tests standards of excellence (evidence, relevance, point of view, etc.). To offer the best answer to the original question would be that to meet this criteria, in my opinion, is as good a way as any to show that one is well-educated. It’s not only the ability to raise and answer questions that matters, but the motivation to do so. For that matter, any set of intellectual objectives, any description of what it means to think deeply and critically, should be accompanied by a reference to one’s interest or intrinsic motivation to do such thinking. I agree with John Dewey that the goal of education is more education. To be well-educated, in my opinion, is to have the desire as well as the means to make sure that learning never ends.

Now my brain is fried and I must sleep.. :) I hope this made some sense to you all.

Much love,

Molly

Leavitt Crew Strikes First

Finally, Barrow has successfully struck a bowhead whale. The Leavitt Crew, as they are called, was the first to help provide for the Barrow community this Spring whaling season. It is a really interesting thing to see how fast news travels. Last week, Justin and I were asking how we would be able to find out if a whale was struck and an elder replied saying, "The only way you wouldn't hear about a whale, is if you were living under a rock." That shows how close the community is and how any news, good or bad, can travel so quickly. I am not certain on the procedure from this point on, but I do know that there is a festival for the first whale struck every season, and I can assume it will be in the days to come. Justin and I were even lucky enough to see a handful of sleds carrying whale meat from the ocean to a house today after school. Quite the experience for a drive home from the school.

Justin and I are gearing up for the staff versus students dodgeball tournament this Friday. This is like a dream come true for us! How many chances does a teacher get to pay back all those kids who wouldn't listen or quiet down, by throwing foam balls at them?! We are more than excited to showcase our skills and represent teachers and Minnesota to the fullest. We are already talking strategies before we go to bed to ensure a victory. Otherwise, we are both wrapping up our teaching duties and just enjoying our time here the last week. It is going to be really sad to leave this school and the children. They welcomed us so graciously, and with the blink of an eye we will be gone. I hope they realize the impact they had on us and our future endeavors, but of course we hope there was some reciprocity and we gave them something they can take with themselves. They may not always remember what we taught them, but they will always remember how we made them feel.

We hope everybody's week goes well. Go Twins.

Best,

Travis

One Week.

Today we enjoyed our last Sunday brunch at Ilisagvik, because by next Sunday, we'll be home! Tony had decided earlier to join us, but to our surprise Vanni and Steve also joined us. Steve had e-mailed all of our school district e-mail accounts, but it being the weekend, we had failed to check them. Things worked out in the end and we all enjoyed our meals. Steve and Vanni inquired about our past week, as they had been in Anchorage for a conference all last week. We told them that we have yet to make contact with Geoff Carroll (my spelling may be off) to go dog sledding, which we hope to do before we leave next Saturday. We filled them in on the latest whaling news and a death, possibly two, that happened while they were away. We all finished eating, and without Eric or Shoe here to lead us in a "The Price is Right" picture guessing contest, we returned to our rooms to work on projects and lesson plans.

I spent the remainder of my afternoon putting grades into the online Gradebook and figuring out how to make God's Eyes, as my 6th graders are going to be making them tomorrow and Tuesday. A few of the college staff continue to roam in the halls, but other than that, the college is pretty quiet. We were hoping that the Alaska/Mexico Exchange program would bring some new faces to Ilisagvik, but summer camps don't begin until May 30. And now with all the quiet, yet still with the sunlight, I am going to attempt to go to bed. Night!

Alyssa

High School Graduation and Joe's Museum

Today began with a lovely late morning and sleeping in, and then a rather interesting evening. On our way to the Barrow High School Graduation, our driver Lilo thought it would be funny to flip the van into neutral and pretend the van had broken down on the barren road between the college and the Browerville side of Barrow. We have a good relationship with Lilo (a professional rugby player from Togo) and everyone had a good laugh when we realized that he was just playing around with us.

The graduation ceremony was nice, and in many respects similar to those back home. One difference is that they show a slideshow including baby pictures, favorite quotes and senior pictures of all of the students. They also have a “rose ceremony” where students bring roses to family, friends and teachers they want to recognize—a 20 minute break in the program. Graduates in return get leis of flowers, money and candy to wear around their necks. The whole event began and ended with a drumming and singing performance from the Barrow Dancers—a local native Inupiat group as graduates walked through the baleen arches.

We also had the experience of visiting “Joe’s Museum.” For those of you who have never been to Joe’s Museum, it’s really a must-see in Barrow…as long as you don’t go alone. Joe Schultz is the son of Fran, who is the famous woman engineer, Johnny Carson guest, and owner of Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant—the Northern most Mexican restaurant in the world. Joe is really unique…the kind who may be a shoe-in for playing the lead role in the next serial killer movie. After his shift at Pepe’s, he led us (13 or so total) across the street and up his rickety back staircase to his Museum/house. We were warned to stay back while he put his “dog” (half pit bull, half wolf) away so it didn’t kill us. Apparently, the current record of peoples’ run-ins with his dog has been 2-0, the dog. We waited till he said it was put away since we weren’t ready to find out. He has converted his small living room, kitchen and other room into a giant collection of dead animals, artifacts, native artwork, and pictures. It contains mounts of a polar bear, black bear, brown bear, billy goat, lynx, moose, wolf, deer, caribou rear-end, and at least 40 weasels. He proceeded to tell us some interesting stories about his life: water-carrying, near-death experiences, fights with the authorities, and upcoming tooth/jaw surgeries so by the time we heard the dog…named “My dog”… pawing at the closed bedroom door, we were ready to bolt out of there. Overall, it was an interesting experience that really leaves you wondering whether the guy is playing with a full deck, what was behind the closed doors, and if all the museum-goers have been able to escape at the end of the tour.

One week left!

--Rachel

to simply just listen..

TGIF (thank goodness I'M female) is what I tell the students :) Today we (middle school) helped students clean out their lockers and practiced for 8th grade promotion. This was the first run through for the promotion ceremony and lets just say its a good thing they still have a few more days to practice :) Many students had not seen the lines they will be reading until today and no one had any idea where to walk and stand. So they practiced many times (I think I have the ceremony songs memorized) and acted like it was the worst form of torture in the world :) Needless to say the decorations and organization is a BIG deal and I am starting to see the prep work that goes into these types of ceremonies.

Students were dismissed to go home after lunch today but many students hung out at school until 2:30 (to take the bus home) and many were still there when we left at 3:30. They don't wan't to leave some days.. Its a sweet (and sad) thing to see. On a positive note, it was great to spend time with the students outside of the classroom. I played cards games (they LOVED spoons) and taught them some card tricks I have learned back home- I had a very fun time to say the least.

I truly feel appreciated here. Though students can be very rude and disrespectful at times I also feel welcomed and can see the HUGE impact I have on these kids- I am sure the other student teachers would agree. These kids are very honest with you- they will tell you about their lives outside of school if you simply just listen. This is something that is becoming very difficult for me. Now that I have gotten to know these students (some pretty well) I hear more about their home loves. Being here for such a short time makes me more aware that I am another instability in their already unstable lives.... Hearing some of their stories makes it difficult for me to separate my emotions from my teaching. I find myself thinking "wow.. and I am suppose to teach you language arts today." This leads me into wondering things like "how late I will accept late work?" Yes I know you have things going on but there comes a point when things MUST be complete (or incomplete) and move on. It is my job to prepare these kids for the next grade the best to my ability and I struggle to decide how firm I am going to be with these types of issues and hope to learn from experience in my future years of teaching. This is a trial and error thing in my book and I am realizing that there are no easy solutions..

Yikes.. so thats my intense 'big question' of the week and now we are gathering in the main room for movie time (still bright as day at 11:15pm). Hope all is well back in the homeland!

much love,

Molly

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