I’ve Rediscovered My Why as an Educator & A Visitor’s Perspective

This edition will feature a special guest writer that will share her perspective along side my own.

This week has been full of ups and downs. There are so many troubled students that have anger issues, anxiety issues, family issues, health issues and numerous other problems. It’s baffling at times that such a high percentage of students at a small school like this have so many issues.

The large majority of students are still quiet and reserved and I still struggle to hear them when they’re giving me their name. Everyday at breakfast and lunch I sit at a small desk with my MacBook and a scanner and scan in the kids as they get their food. This time gives me a chance to slowly learn names and put them with faces. We still play twenty questions about my life. Today was a discussion on where I got married and about my wedding ring.

Today I got called everything name in the book by a student that might weigh 80 pounds if he were soaking wet. He proceeded to tell me how he was gonna knock me out and several other colorful things that was supposed to make me run for my life. Some how nothing much happened. I probably showed more calm and restraint than I would have when I was younger. I just told him his two choices were to come down stairs with me or knock me out. I really didn’t care which he chose but that if he chose to knock me out he better get it done because once he hit me the rules protecting him we’re off the table and I was fully authorized to defend myself at that point. I wished him luck and told him to get to swinging or stepping. Maybe I should’ve handled it differently, I don’t know but he tried the same thing with the principal a few days ago. We’ve been told that he’s a bully and tries to get his bluff in on everyone. He’s in a bind because both of us are vets and do not tolerate bullies.

Other students have anxiety attacks in class or at lunch. I’ve had them in my office sobbing uncontrollably. I just offer my support and tell them if they feel one coming on come to me and I’ll get them somewhere safe and private and get whoever they need for support. Those kids have been truly appreciative and I think will use that the next time they feel an episode starting.

These are some of the reasons I feel like I’ve found my why again. My why is how do I help kids at an individual level. Being in a district office there is so much distance between there and the individual student level that I missed it. I was sitting there at lunch interacting with those kids and just enjoyed it so much that I realized that I was where I wanted to be.

On top of all the fun and excitement for today we have a Covid outbreak that includes fifty percent of the staff to include the principal. So I’m wearing multiple hats. Janitor, sub, lunch room helper to name a few. This morning I was walking room to room counting every student to make sure we had enough to not cancel school for the day. Hopefully by the middle of next week all of our staff will be back and we will have fewer issues with problematic students.

Now for a very special guest writer. My wife has decided that she would rather leave the warm summer days of Mississippi behind and come to Alaska to see me. She claims she missed me. For those of you who know me you know that can’t be the case. The next few paragraphs will be hers.

I decided to go to #Alaska to visit my husband. I just needed to lay my eyes on him to make sure he was doing okay.  I was also very curious to see the things he had been telling me before the cold weather arrives.

After flying from Memphis to Minneapolis to Anchorage and to Bethel, I was feeling exhausted yet excited. It wasn’t going to be long until I could see Jeff again. My understanding was it would be travel by boat on a river.  In my mind’s eye, I ,of course, pictured the familiar. What I saw was not familiar.   Instead of the type of boats you see at Bay Springs, there sat a 18 foot v hull with a stick steer outboard motor. It was purely for function, not beauty. But it didn’t have any puddles of water in it so I was elated. Jeff and I had to sit back in the floor so that the pilot could see over us. We began our journey up river.

When I left Mississippi it was 94 degrees. I was wearing a pair of jeans, a t shirt, and a pair of blowfish sneakers. I was now in 52 degree weather with a wind chill of 47 in an open boat moving pretty fast. I brought a jacket and a fleece blanket. Jeff brought me a beanie and gloves.  Thank you, Jeff! I soon discovered that I did not bring enough! This boat ride took about 35 minutes and after the first 15 I felt the bite of cold and misty rain. Jeff told me we had arrived and the boat slowed. I looked for a dock but didn’t see one. We soon pulled onto the river bank where I saw a well used grass path. Jeff informed me that we were very close to the house. My hands, feet and face were really glad of it.

We walked along a dirt road and I studied my surroundings. The homes are once painted bright colored wooden structures. Honestly they look very unstable at first sight. But then you think about the weather that they endure, and you know they are very sturdy! Just not pretty or fancy. Everything here is about function. It has to be. The clothes, homes, vehicles, boats, storage sheds.  It makes me realize our vanity about these belongings in our lives that we waste time, money and energy on.

The main mode of transportation are 4 wheelers for this time of year. You will meet some smiling faces on one vehicle. Usually about 6 faces and a driver. 😳They do not worry over which side of the road as much as dodging potholes. There are serious potholes here. The soil is black sandy soil that holes out easily. Riverbank erosion is a serious issue here. They could definitely use some of our clay soil if it were possible to share.

Yesterday we were invited to ride a boat up the river. It was beautiful weather so we took advantage of the invitation by a teacher who has lived here 15 years. We saw small trees, a hill, and wild duck families. A few homes dotted the banks that look more like hunting cabins. We met a lot of other boats with fishermen in them. No signs of moose were observed. It began to sprinkle and we turned around to head back. We don’t have to worry about beating the sun going down for sure since It doesn’t set until 11

ish PM.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for installment 2 tomorrow.