Storytown and Everyday Mathematics

I am so relieved I attended the inservice for StoryTown. Districtwide we will be using these two books for reading/writing and math. I do not believe our instructors in the university internship program are aware of the curriculum requirements of the districts. We are to use StoryTown for 90 minutes each day. Each lesson plan included spans one week's worth of various assignments. I have been in class with students this week and have seen this at work. So far I love the "robust vocabulary" My mentor teacher has very effective methods to make sure the kids remember these words.

I greatly enjoy being in the classroom!

Wow I am starting my internship year

The countdown has begun! I am presently sitting in an inservice at Gladys Jung Elementary. It is my third day and there is so much new technological usage that my mind is blown away with excitement! Smart boards, notebooks, ichat.... whew! I am so excited for this year! I still do not have my own apartment or house but I am enjoying my time in my parents home. I was so psyched about starting I arrived at 7:30 AM only to find that the kids start school at 8:30. There are 400+ teachers in the inservice and from what I have seen they are so awesome! There is a lot of things I am unfamiliar with but I will dive into them with great gusto!

SMILING!

Unofficial Daycare nights and weekends

I am beginning to learn to tune out noise while doing my homework. We have kids around most of the time but lately I feel like there is a sign I cannot see that reads "Unofficial Daycare Center" on my door. Its usually my grandkids and once in a while my nephews. This can get tough when it comes time to finish assignments. Sometimes I think everyone else just don't care so much that they just "forget" I have classes that require a lot of reading and writing. Either that or its just more important for them to play ball, watch others play ball or go play bingo. I don't mind because they do ask before they go - its just that sometimes I feel that my studies are not considered important enough to give me time to do them in peace and quiet. I usually get them done once the kids are all asleep or before my son wakes up in the morning.

Anna "Arnallguuk" Evan ?? -3/1/2011

In my lifetime I have only met a few elders who really treated me like one of their own. Anna Evan was one of those elders. Once I had children she would teasingly ask me to give them to her. She loved children. Being shy she never went to community gatherings, preferring to stay home but somehow she knew everyone and always asked about others, once kids were born she knew them by their namesakes. When she knew a lot of people were here from out of town she would let her family cook for them. This blog cannot give justice to the struggles she endured. She lost her husband, some of her children, grandchildren and was left to care for the kids even as she endured sickness. She is survived by her sister Natalia Alexie, brother Nick Asetekluk, children Joe Klukluk, Matrona Evan, Virginia Evan, Nastasia Kameroff, many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Respected elder Craftswoman leaves our community

Natalia Changsak, sister-in-law to my grandmother Marie, passed away in Anchorage, Alaska after a long suffering illness. Best known to all for her crafts making and teaching of those crafts. The body arrived this evening. I am grateful for all she has taught me. I have great memories of her and the other elders gathering each week to do crafts - anything from fur sewing, knitting, crocheting... those were great times.

Introducing my second grandchild Aaliyah Molly Stephanoff

My eldest daughter delivered a healthy baby girl on December 26, 2010. 8 lbs, 10 ounces, 21 inches long. Charitina and her hubby Theodore Pete are so proud of her, as am I. Nicholas and Jordan have been full of questions and requests to hold the cutie. Amazing how time flies - I can still remember the days just before and during Charitina's birth and here she is holding her own baby girl.

A moment of reflection...

I have not posted a blog in a long time...too busy and no internet at home for the longest time. During this time so much has happened ... stressful, sad, happy and many variations and combinations of each. The last time I posted my grandpa Peter "Papasneak" passed away on April 5th, 2010. On October 23, 2010 our "Big Ap'a" Alexander Isaac joined him and our family. It was sad to lose him but at the same time we were happy that he got to join his wife and all the other departed loved ones. We were blessed to have our grandfathers for as long as we did, and our gram for that matter.

Village news? The eels came and my brothers had a blast. I have not cooked eels since the last time my Ap'a asked me to cook for him.

Family news? My eldest daughter is due in December and my second born is due in May. My son and granddaughter are in their terrible twos - don't know who coined the second year of life terrible twos but that seems to be right on target with my son's behavior around the house. he is a cutie and his personality cracks us up a lot of the time but man can he make a mess!! Curious George ten times over!!!! all innocently done too!

School news? I had to postpone my internship year and may have to move in order for it to get done.... long long long sad story... I have enough saddness for this entry. Suffice it to say I am stalling out big time. I have even begun to think "what if I am not meant to be a teacher?" now THAT would be sad. Especially when I think of all the time I neglected my family and Ap'a because of homework. Made me cry and got me depressed for a while there when I couldn't do the internship here at Russian Mission. Gosh - here I go again... I will try to blog again when the waterworks calm down.