Signed and Mail

I signed and mailed my contract today. It is now en route to the district office in Unalakleet. I will be coming back to Shishmaref next year!

I'm taking it year by year. At this point, I feel like I still have a lot to discover and I enjoy my job and the people around me. So, I am coming back. Plus, it cost me a small fortune to move here, so another year makes it more worth it.

Maybe next year will be 2 of 2, 2 of 10, or maybe even more. Only time will tell.

My future

This morning, I was called into Steve's office. He is the principal. This isn't an often occasion, so I didn't know what was going on.

Turns out, I have been offered a contract to teach here in Shishmaref next year. I had to sign that I had received it.

I was surprised - I thought teachers who were not tenured didn't get contracts until March or so. 

I have a month to sign it and mail it to the district office in Unalakleet. I guess that is why I was thinking March - I don't have to decide until then.

I haven't signed it yet, but I am planning on it! I figure it wouldn't hurt anything to wait a week or so, right? I decided awhile ago that I was planning on coming back next year, but now that I have the contract in my hand, I don't want to be too hasty.

So, that is the news for the day, I guess.

File Folder Games

In in college, during Senior Block, all Early Childhood Education majors take a class for  each of the different content areas that we will be teaching. In the math class, we made math file folder games. We had to make five, and they had to be of one common theme. We could theme them like I did, farm, or other people did something like multiplication. They are really low cost, and an easy resource for any grade in elementary school.

However, they take forever. First you have to find the images you want to use. Then copy those images. Color them. Cut them. Glue the pieces onto the file folder. Laminate the folder and playing pieces. Then cut out the pieces - again.  In college, I had my Delta Zeta sisters to sit in the suite with me and color and cut turkeys, pigs, and corn with me.

I found some pre-made file folder games online that were already colored. So, one less step. But the cutting is still tedious. I have enlisted help from the junior high cheerleaders. Play Lady Gaga on my iPod and I can get them to help me with just about anything. I am sure that I could get my class and the kindergarten class to help also, but my OCD doesn't allow them to cut my file folder games. I am all about them cutting all kinds of projects, but not these.

So, I love these girls.

 

The group - enthused, of course. They all have a brother or sister either in my class now, or that will be next year - except for Lori. She is the 2nd youngest in her family, and Dara is in 4th grade. Mamie has a sister in my class now, and a brother that will be in my class next year. Nellie's brother is in my class now. Tammy and Jecca each have a little brother who will be in my class next year. So, I reminded them all that they are doing this not only for me, but for the tiny ones of their families. Lori is cool enough to still help, even though she has no tiny ones left in her family.

 

Tammy Jean with a snowflake.

 

Mamie with a bumblebee.

Lori with a bumblebee.

 

Jessica (aka Jecca) with some letters.

 

Nellie cutting some letters.

 

One of the finished products. This is called "Achy-Breaky Hearts". See how they are broken in the middle? The kiddos have to match the color AND the break pattern. Those white dots are velcro. The matching pieces are in a pocket in the back.

Notice the band-aid on my finger? File Folder Game battle wound. I am so used to using preschool scissors, that when I get an adult pair in my hands, things get a little out of control. 

So, this is how I spent my Saturday night. The life of a teacher, right?

Native Art

Everyone in the community knows when payday is. The last working day of the month. So our January paycheck came on Friday (42 days since we last got paid - the last working day of December was the 18th).

Since everyone knows when we get paid, they know when they have the greatest chance of selling their artwork. It's a pretty good system for them actually.

They usually can make a sale with me. Here are the three things that I purchased on Friday.

This is a key chain with a sealskin and beaded butterfly. Made by Elsie Weyanna.

This is an Eskimo drummer. The man is sitting "criss cross applesauce" with the drum in one hand and his stick in the other. They drum from the bottom. This was made by Johnny Mimic Pootoogooluk. It is made with ivory and baleen.

 

The drummer from another angle.

 

This is a hunter in a kayak. It was made by Thomas Eningowuk. It is made with ivory, baleen, and bone. And I guess there is string on there too, attached to his spear.

 

The hunter from another angle.

 

The hunter again.

Now the picture aspect of my blog is up and running again, I will try and upload more photos of the art that I buy. I've gotten some pretty neat stuff!