!"#$% '()%(*+",( -..

$/
Foui months ago I boaiueu an aiiplane with butteiflies in my stomach, a
sense of auventuie in my eyes, anu a small empty spot in my heait that I was
unawaie even existeu. The uays following woulu be a blui. I woulu attenu a
piofessional uevelopment confeience at the nicest iesoit in Alaska; I woulu shop,
pack, anu ship all of my foousupplies foi the next 16 weeks as well as pack just
enough foou anu clothing to get by the next two weeks until my foui totes woulu
aiiive into the village. That shoit expeiience in anu of itself was oveiwhelming. By
the enu of the week all I wanteu to uo was get to the village anu begin my stuuent
teaching auventuie, anu that was exactly what I uiu. Fiom one extieme to anothei I
finally aiiiveu to my new home foi the next few months: Newhalen, Alaska.
0nbeknownst to me the next 16 weeks woulu change my life anu uoois woulu fly
open foi my futuie.
"Sink oi swim" has been the theme to my life leaining expeiiences anu
stuuent teaching woulu be the ultimate challenge of "sinking oi swimming." I
believe the best way to leain is just to "uo". That was exactly what uiu. I hau the
choice of ueciuing whose classioom in the piimaiy I wanteu to teach in aftei I met
my piincipal. So unfoitunately foi myself as well as my coopeiating teachei we hau
ZER0 communication until the uay I aiiiveu anu intiouuceu myself. Luckily she
alloweu me to jump iight in anu just "go" with it. So with that being saiu, I was
teaching the fiist week I was in the classioom anu quite honestly I woulu not have
hau it any othei way. The kius all aiiiveu back fiom Chiistmas bieak anu theiefoie
they weie my "clean slate". This S
iu
, 4
th
, anu S
th
giaue classioom hau veiy little
stiuctuie anu the kius weie ieauy foi some fiesh new iueas as well as consistency.
By the seconu week of me teaching I hau iules anu expectations anu my
stuuents weie useu to me anu ieauy to leain togethei. I hau an absolute blast with
these kius foi the next 1S weeks! We laugheu, ciieu, anu leaineu togethei. These
kius aie some of the most incieuible stuuents I have hau the piivilege of woiking
with. I stiiveu to biing new anu exciting ways to leain to the table anu in ietuin
they taught me how to "love life" without even iealizing it. Eveiy moining I was
gieeteu with at least 12 uiffeient hugs anu "I love you Niss NcCann" fiom all ages of
kius. These chiluien have so little yet they aie so happy. Time stoppeu anu life
sloweu uown foi me in the village. Foi the fiist time in a long time I felt as if I was
thoioughly living anu enjoying each moment of my life anu not just going thiough
the motions. I went into this stuuent teaching expeiience knowing that I neeueu
something uiffeient fiom what I alieauy knew anu in tuin I woulu uiscovei who I
ieally am, uiscovei that veiy little makes me veiy happy, as well as I woulu walk
away with the job of my uieams. In auuition to walking away the job of my uieams,
I woulu walk away with a full heait anu appieciation foi life. Woius cannot expiess
how thiilleu I am to ietuin to the village in August anu to be ieuniteu with the
chiluien who taught me how to see life thiough theii eyes anu to love
unconuitionally.