That's It Folks

Well, as you can probably tell, Emily and I are no longer in White Mountain. We survived being chaperones but did come home Saturday night exhausted. We had a great time in White Mountain, it is the nicest rural Alaskan community that I have visited. People greeted you with a smile and a "welcome to White Mountain" rather than guarded stares. Being invited to dinners made the visit all the more special, musk ox meatloaf, caribou chili, and Eskimo ice cream, wonderful. The students were quiet at first as was to be expected, but quickly warmed up to us. I felt that I had begun to know the students, even after only a week. That would never happen in a school of a 1000. I also enjoyed seeing community members at the school everyday. At every lunch there was a table of elders who would eat with the students. That kind of community interaction is important for any school, but especially one in rural AK. I had wanted to teach in rural Alaska before this and it didn't change, in fact it made me remember why I like smaller schools. Thanks UAF and White Mountain for the opportunity to visit!