It's the end of the long Thanksgiving weekend, and this year I certainly have a lot for which to be thankful.
First, I am thankful to have a job. At this time last year, I had pretty much already had my fill of subbing, and had come to the realization that I would do anything to avoid another year of being an on-call teacher. Well, wish granted. Here I am in the Alaskan bush, being a real teacher, getting some serious experience in a challenging and unique environment, and putting my college degree to good use (not to mention growing my bank account...ahhh, the joys of steady employment!).
I am thankful for my parents. Mom and Dad, you taught me the value of hard work, and for that I am eternally grateful. You enabled me to become self-sufficent by giving me the gift of a college education. You supported me in my decision to come to Alaska, both emotionally and financially, and you continue to support me with your love and encouragement. A mere 'thank you' cannot begin to express my gratitude!
I am thankful for my family and friends near and far who have made my day with a call, a card, a care package. Knowing that I have your support, even from a distance, means so much. I am thankful for my new friends here in Stebbins, too! It's always a bonus when you actually like the people you work with, and I am blessed to work with some of the coolest people I know :)
I am thankful for Skype. Being able to see and hear my family is a miracle of modern technology, and it has helped keep my homesickness at bay.
I am thankful to have Roman here with me. His prescence forces me to be less self-involved, and though he is very capable of getting on my nerves, he makes me laugh every day. And when I have days where all I can do is laugh just to keep from crying, that's when I am most grateful for the unconditional love of my silly poodle boy.
Finally, I am thankful for my students. Of course, without them, I wouldn't have a job, but it goes beyond that. Each and every one of them, even the ones that drive me berserk (especially those ones), are teaching me to be a better teacher. Every day I ask myself, "What went well? What could I have done better?" and I answer those questions based on how my students responded to my teaching that day. Some days the answers come easily. Other days, not so much. Some days, I get so caught up in MY teaching practice and MY lesson plans and MY expectations, that I forget that it's not about ME, it's about my kids. They are a constant reminder of why I am doing what I'm doing. Kids keep it real, that's for sure. And I'm thankful for that.
XOXOjane
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Traveling in the Bush
Most people don't have a concept of what "travel" is like up here...I certainly didn't, not really, until I came here and lived it. Getting from point A to point B in the arctic is never what I would call "easy", but then again I really don't miss sitting in traffic jams!
Here in the village, there are several different modes of transportation. Walking is pretty much always an option, as everything is so close. You can walk from one end of the village to the other in 15 minutes or so. If you want to get where you're going a bit faster, or if you plan on going anywhere outside of the village proper (the dump, the beaches outside of town, hunting/berry picking on the tundra, or even to neighboring St. Michael) you can get there on a honda (that's the general term for 4-wheeler) or once the snow falls, on a snowmachine. Most village residents have one if not both of the aforementioned vehicles. Hondas are good because you can use them in the spring/summer and in the fall/winter when it snows, so many of the teachers have them. When the weather is nice, going somewhere on a honda is no more of a hassle than going somewhere in a car - - all you have to do is hop on and go. When the weather turns colder, however, a honda ride becomes more of an excursion. This time of year, when the snow is falling, the wind is blowing, and temperatures are in the single digits, getting on a honda or on a snowmachine to go anywhere requires the full-on "getup" - snow pants/and or bibs, winter coat(s), boots, scarf, hat, gloves...really, as many layers of those garments as you can pile on while still able to move your limbs. Then, you need goggles to keep your eyes functional, particularly if you are going a longer distance or if you are going faster than say 5 or 10 mph.
There are a few people in the village who have automobiles, and the school has a truck, but I could probably count the number of cars in the village on my fingers. Honda and snowmachine are definietly the vehicles of choice here on our island.
If you want to travel any further than St. Michael (that's as far as our road goes), you will need to go by air. Both Stebbins and St. Michael have airports, St. Michael's being the slightly larger of the two. When I first came to the island back in August, I flew in on a larger plane with the new teachers from both Stebbins and St. Michael, and we landed in St. Michael because their airport could accomodate the larger plane (I think it was about a 20 seater). The largest planes I have flown out of Stebbins in have been Cessna Caravans - about 10 seats (depending on the flight/the amount of people/the amount of cargo). The smallest planes I have flown into Stebbins on are the little 207s, which can seat five but it's a tight squeeze.
Before I came up here, the thought of flying everywhere seemed slightly crazy. But now that I'm here, it seems just so normal; almost as normal as just getting in a car or on a bus. Flying in bush planes, even the tiny ones, is surprisingly enjoyable, especially when compared to the big airports and commercial airliners I was used to previously. I actually feel LESS claustrophobic in the little bush planes than I do in a big jet. There are windows everywhere and you can usually see out the front window as well. I actually got to sit co-pilot once, which, on top of the added leg room, was also the ultimate window seat. Bush planes fly low enough that you can actually enjoy the scenery below, which is another bonus. And the scenery doesn't get much better than the view flying over Norton Sound!
"Airports" out here in the bush were also a surprise to me. There is no such thing as going through security, for one. No one blinks an eye when you have a knife in your carry-on, because no one bothers to snoop through your stuff in search of bombs. The attitude is pretty relaxed at all the bush airports I have visited. Here in Stebbins, no one is really even around the airport unless a plane shows up. Of course, the relaxed attitude also means that the time a plane is scheduled to take off or land and the time it ACTUALLY takes off or lands are often two entirely different things. Flight times are always give or take an hour or two. Needless to say, there's a lot of "hurry up and wait" that happens whenever it's time to travel anywhere.
Even flying in the bush requires a proper dress code. Especially in the winter, or whenever the temperature begins to drop. It's pretty much expected that you will get on the plane wearing full snow gear. Ostensibly, it's because the planes can get kind of cold once you get up in the air, but you could also get stranded on the runway somewhere for hours on end, or, worst case scenario, your plane could go down, leaving you stranded in the Alaskan tundra. Did I mention I keep a knife in my carry on? ;)
Basically, what I'm getting at here is that travel in the bush is like no other place I've ever been. Like I said, it's hard to imagine it unless you've lived it, but I hope I was able to give you at least a sneak peek. I do not miss my car. I do not miss my commute. I love living 50 feet from my place of employment. I love not having to buy gas and I love not having to scrape the snow and ice off of my windshield. I love not having to worry about maintenance or snow tires or anything else related to vehicle upkeep. When you've got nowhere to go, you don't need any help getting there!
XOXOjane
Here in the village, there are several different modes of transportation. Walking is pretty much always an option, as everything is so close. You can walk from one end of the village to the other in 15 minutes or so. If you want to get where you're going a bit faster, or if you plan on going anywhere outside of the village proper (the dump, the beaches outside of town, hunting/berry picking on the tundra, or even to neighboring St. Michael) you can get there on a honda (that's the general term for 4-wheeler) or once the snow falls, on a snowmachine. Most village residents have one if not both of the aforementioned vehicles. Hondas are good because you can use them in the spring/summer and in the fall/winter when it snows, so many of the teachers have them. When the weather is nice, going somewhere on a honda is no more of a hassle than going somewhere in a car - - all you have to do is hop on and go. When the weather turns colder, however, a honda ride becomes more of an excursion. This time of year, when the snow is falling, the wind is blowing, and temperatures are in the single digits, getting on a honda or on a snowmachine to go anywhere requires the full-on "getup" - snow pants/and or bibs, winter coat(s), boots, scarf, hat, gloves...really, as many layers of those garments as you can pile on while still able to move your limbs. Then, you need goggles to keep your eyes functional, particularly if you are going a longer distance or if you are going faster than say 5 or 10 mph.
There are a few people in the village who have automobiles, and the school has a truck, but I could probably count the number of cars in the village on my fingers. Honda and snowmachine are definietly the vehicles of choice here on our island.
If you want to travel any further than St. Michael (that's as far as our road goes), you will need to go by air. Both Stebbins and St. Michael have airports, St. Michael's being the slightly larger of the two. When I first came to the island back in August, I flew in on a larger plane with the new teachers from both Stebbins and St. Michael, and we landed in St. Michael because their airport could accomodate the larger plane (I think it was about a 20 seater). The largest planes I have flown out of Stebbins in have been Cessna Caravans - about 10 seats (depending on the flight/the amount of people/the amount of cargo). The smallest planes I have flown into Stebbins on are the little 207s, which can seat five but it's a tight squeeze.
A Cessna Caravan
A cute little 207
This is what you get to look at when you sit co-pilot.
Even flying in the bush requires a proper dress code. Especially in the winter, or whenever the temperature begins to drop. It's pretty much expected that you will get on the plane wearing full snow gear. Ostensibly, it's because the planes can get kind of cold once you get up in the air, but you could also get stranded on the runway somewhere for hours on end, or, worst case scenario, your plane could go down, leaving you stranded in the Alaskan tundra. Did I mention I keep a knife in my carry on? ;)
Basically, what I'm getting at here is that travel in the bush is like no other place I've ever been. Like I said, it's hard to imagine it unless you've lived it, but I hope I was able to give you at least a sneak peek. I do not miss my car. I do not miss my commute. I love living 50 feet from my place of employment. I love not having to buy gas and I love not having to scrape the snow and ice off of my windshield. I love not having to worry about maintenance or snow tires or anything else related to vehicle upkeep. When you've got nowhere to go, you don't need any help getting there!
XOXOjane
Friday, November 5, 2010
How is it already November??
The first week of November is in the books - I just can't believe we are this far in the year already! We have had snow on the ground for more than a week straight and temperatures have been consistently below freezing. Our daylight is rapidly shrinking, and after we fall back this weekend, the days are bound to be even darker.
This past week was kind of an odd one in the middle school because we had a large chunk of our kids gone to the Jr. High cheerleading and wrestling tournament in Unalakleet. It was a good and bad thing, really - - good in the sense that we (the three of us middle school teachers) had a significantly smaller group of kids to tend so we were able to team teach together out in the middle school portables. It was also good in that we had a huge chunk of time to work one-on-one with students and get a lot of work done. I think we had 12 levels passed in three days, which is huge! It was a bad situation only because there was a large chunk of students gone for school travel, so other students just decided to play hooky, apparently. We averaged about 20 kids a day this week, when usually the middle school has about 50.
I must say, it was pretty thrilling for me to sign off on my students' end of level exams in recommendation of moving them to the next level. We are currently in a big push to get all of our students up to their appropriate BSSD levels and on track to graduate on time, so the more levels our students pass, the closer we are to that goal. We have even extended our school day an extra half an hour in the afternoon strictly for that purpose. After our first week of that schedule, I'd say that so far it has been a success. Granted, we were down a significant number of students this week, but still. The work our students accomplished speaks for itself :)
There are two and a half more weeks to go until Thanksgiving break. It will be strange spending this Thanksgiving so far from my family, but as we only have Thanksgiving day and the Friday after off (plus the weekend, of course), that doesn't leave any room to travel. I guess Roman and I will be keeping a modest Thanksgiving together here on the tundra. Maybe we will roast a ptarmigan, or something festive of that nature!
All the best from your correspondent up here in the arctic --
XOXOjane
This past week was kind of an odd one in the middle school because we had a large chunk of our kids gone to the Jr. High cheerleading and wrestling tournament in Unalakleet. It was a good and bad thing, really - - good in the sense that we (the three of us middle school teachers) had a significantly smaller group of kids to tend so we were able to team teach together out in the middle school portables. It was also good in that we had a huge chunk of time to work one-on-one with students and get a lot of work done. I think we had 12 levels passed in three days, which is huge! It was a bad situation only because there was a large chunk of students gone for school travel, so other students just decided to play hooky, apparently. We averaged about 20 kids a day this week, when usually the middle school has about 50.
I must say, it was pretty thrilling for me to sign off on my students' end of level exams in recommendation of moving them to the next level. We are currently in a big push to get all of our students up to their appropriate BSSD levels and on track to graduate on time, so the more levels our students pass, the closer we are to that goal. We have even extended our school day an extra half an hour in the afternoon strictly for that purpose. After our first week of that schedule, I'd say that so far it has been a success. Granted, we were down a significant number of students this week, but still. The work our students accomplished speaks for itself :)
There are two and a half more weeks to go until Thanksgiving break. It will be strange spending this Thanksgiving so far from my family, but as we only have Thanksgiving day and the Friday after off (plus the weekend, of course), that doesn't leave any room to travel. I guess Roman and I will be keeping a modest Thanksgiving together here on the tundra. Maybe we will roast a ptarmigan, or something festive of that nature!
All the best from your correspondent up here in the arctic --
XOXOjane
Sunday, October 24, 2010
What a difference a week makes! Bring on Quarter 2!
Ok, I apologize for my super-emo blog from last week. It was not uplifting in the least, and even I am depressed when I re-read it. I will try to keep those types of "vent" blogs to a minimum, but come on, it's my first year teaching - - I feel like I should be cut a little slack!
So, a week later and a week wiser, I am ready for the second quarter of school to begin. Well, I am ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Do we teachers ever feel 100% prepared? All I can do is try!
We had a fun little quasi-vacation in Unalakleet for teacher in-service this past week. We flew in Monday, played a mean (if not victorious) game of volleyball in the all-district staff tourney, went to workshops all day Tuesday and Wednesday, and flew home Thursday afternoon. In between all of the work, we were able to snag some play time with friends from our own site and around the district.
Friday was a teacher workday back home in Stebbins, and I spent my day preparing myself physically and mentally for the new quarter. I rearranged my classroom which drastically improved the atmosphere and majorly boosted my morale, and I created new seating charts for my classes which helped me to visualize what my classes would look like and get me mentally prepared to greet my students for the new quarter. I finished the day with some mad collaboration time with my middle school compatriots, as we sketched out what our soon-to-be-instated after school intervention time would look like. All in all, a productive day at the end of a busy week.
Other highlights of my week included:
-My new handmade seal and beaver fur hat purchased in Unalakleet which has totally changed my life re: outdoor apparrel,
-A honda ride to neighboring St. Michael on Friday to test the integrity of said hat; it passed with flying colors. Rarely when outdoors have my ears been so not cold. Miraculous.
-Bonding time with my fellow Stebbins staffmates in Unalakleet = priceless.
-Way too much good food, including: homemade cinnamon rolls (Ben), lemon cake (me) and German Apple Cake (Kaisa).
-A refreshed and motivated attitude re: the second quarter of school. I am feeling much more comfortable with my job and teaching practice, even just a week removed from my minor breakdown at the end of the first quarter. Bring it on!
So, a week later and a week wiser, I am ready for the second quarter of school to begin. Well, I am ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Do we teachers ever feel 100% prepared? All I can do is try!
We had a fun little quasi-vacation in Unalakleet for teacher in-service this past week. We flew in Monday, played a mean (if not victorious) game of volleyball in the all-district staff tourney, went to workshops all day Tuesday and Wednesday, and flew home Thursday afternoon. In between all of the work, we were able to snag some play time with friends from our own site and around the district.
Friday was a teacher workday back home in Stebbins, and I spent my day preparing myself physically and mentally for the new quarter. I rearranged my classroom which drastically improved the atmosphere and majorly boosted my morale, and I created new seating charts for my classes which helped me to visualize what my classes would look like and get me mentally prepared to greet my students for the new quarter. I finished the day with some mad collaboration time with my middle school compatriots, as we sketched out what our soon-to-be-instated after school intervention time would look like. All in all, a productive day at the end of a busy week.
Other highlights of my week included:
-My new handmade seal and beaver fur hat purchased in Unalakleet which has totally changed my life re: outdoor apparrel,
-A honda ride to neighboring St. Michael on Friday to test the integrity of said hat; it passed with flying colors. Rarely when outdoors have my ears been so not cold. Miraculous.
-Bonding time with my fellow Stebbins staffmates in Unalakleet = priceless.
-Way too much good food, including: homemade cinnamon rolls (Ben), lemon cake (me) and German Apple Cake (Kaisa).
-A refreshed and motivated attitude re: the second quarter of school. I am feeling much more comfortable with my job and teaching practice, even just a week removed from my minor breakdown at the end of the first quarter. Bring it on!
Modeling my fabulous new hat
Side view. No seals or beavers were harmed in the making of this hat.
....JUST KIDDING
Furniture re-arranging SKILLZ. I got 'em from my MAMA!
Facing the back of the classroom
Roman has become the king of the awkward sleeping position...on this couch, in particular. So funny.
Well, there you have it people...Life in Alaska goes on. I just finished getting my plans for the week wrapped up, and all I have left are copies to be made in the morning. Thank you, as always, for reading!
XOXOjane
Sunday, October 17, 2010
One Quarter Down, Three To Go...
Is it possible that I actually am done with the first quarter of my first year as an official teacher? It sure doesn't feel like it...the stack of 'to be graded' and 'to be entered' student work I have been hauling around hither and yon in my teacher tote is a daily reminder that I do not, in fact, have it as 'together' as I would like. Let's just say, purchasing the complete series of Sex and the City on DVD was a good idea in theory, but it hasn't done much to bolster my work ethic. When I leave school with my bag-o-papers, with the best intentions of spending the evening grading like a fiend, all of that motivation disperses as soon as I hit my doorstep. At that point, all I want to do is put on my sweats and fluffy robe, brew a hot mug of Starbucks Via, and curl up with Carrie and the girls. This lifestyle choice is going to come back and bite me in the butt sooner rather than later, of this I am sure. My tendencies toward procrastination have only been magnified since graduating from college, it would seem. I work my tail off in my classroom every day, just trying to stay a step ahead of my students. There are days when I close the door behind them feeling like I am God's gift to the teaching profession, and there are other days when I feel like Roman the Poodle could have taught the lesson more effectively. Lately, it seems like the latter, more often than not. I am starting to get bogged down with all the minutiae like toggling and test scores and intervention plans and standards and proficient vs. not and on and on and on...and suddenly I am the one feeling less than proficient!
We have this upcoming week off of school for teacher in-service. We will travel to Unalakleet tomorrow and stay until Thursday, then we will return to Stebbins and work here on Friday. It will be nice to have a week to sort of 're-set' myself as best I can, though at this point not only do I have weeks of work to get caught up on, I have weeks yet to plan. So while this break that isn't really a break will be a not unwelcome respite from my darling chicklins, I am still stressed to the max and looking for any excuse to crawl back in bed with my chocolate and my coffee and my escapist television.
I apologize to those of you who came looking for adventure and excitement on this page and found this instead...but if I can't vent on my own blog, where can I? I still love my job, I just don't love the way I am doing it right now. This one's on me...I need to seriously kick myself in the butt, or hire someone else to kick me, instead of waiting to hit that inevitable procrastination wall like I always do, where I have the motivation but I don't have the time. Someone please save me from myself!
The sun is out again today but it is freezing cold and the wind is howling. It seems appropriately tundra-esque, all things considered. Love and stressed out, chocolate covered kisses from your girl here in Alaska (and big, hairy, poodle smooches from Ro) - -
XOXOjane
We have this upcoming week off of school for teacher in-service. We will travel to Unalakleet tomorrow and stay until Thursday, then we will return to Stebbins and work here on Friday. It will be nice to have a week to sort of 're-set' myself as best I can, though at this point not only do I have weeks of work to get caught up on, I have weeks yet to plan. So while this break that isn't really a break will be a not unwelcome respite from my darling chicklins, I am still stressed to the max and looking for any excuse to crawl back in bed with my chocolate and my coffee and my escapist television.
I apologize to those of you who came looking for adventure and excitement on this page and found this instead...but if I can't vent on my own blog, where can I? I still love my job, I just don't love the way I am doing it right now. This one's on me...I need to seriously kick myself in the butt, or hire someone else to kick me, instead of waiting to hit that inevitable procrastination wall like I always do, where I have the motivation but I don't have the time. Someone please save me from myself!
The sun is out again today but it is freezing cold and the wind is howling. It seems appropriately tundra-esque, all things considered. Love and stressed out, chocolate covered kisses from your girl here in Alaska (and big, hairy, poodle smooches from Ro) - -
XOXOjane
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Update Time!
Hello loyal followers, I am pleased to bring you yet another thrilling installment containing the very latest updates from my amazing Alaskan life! It is October, and already the first quarter of school is coming to an end. I can't believe how fast this year is going! Some days I feel like I have accomplished very little in the past two months, and other days I am just amazed by how much my life has changed in so short a time. Teaching is going well for the most part. I am still working on finding my groove in the classroom and in my teaching practice, but each day brings more confidence and that much more experience. There have definitely been days where I wonder if I am really doing OK or if I am just doing a really good job of faking it, but on those days I know I can turn to my wonderful support net of friends and co-workers who are more than happy to prop me back up.
The weather has definitely turned in the past few weeks. It actually snowed a bit a few weeks ago, and temperatures are consistently in the 30s. The sky is blue, though, and the sun is still shining most days, though our daylight is shrinking rapidly. I am trying to enjoy it while it lasts - stocking up in preparation for the long winter, I guess.
Roman is enjoying his new life in Alaska, though I know he misses his poodle family. He has made lots of new human friends, and is a favorite of the staff and the students. To say that he is the most popular poodle in Stebbins is in no way an exaggeration! He enjoys his newfound celebrity and all the attention it brings :)
Volleyball season started for me two weeks ago, though it barely seems like it, as my team has shown up only sporadically. It frustrates me because I take volleyball perhaps a bit too seriously, but still - coaching is such a nice stress release, it would be a welcome addition to my day. We still have time to get it together before competition begins, so I hope my kids decide to make the commitment to come to practice every day. If not...well, Lord knows I have plenty of other things to keep me busy!
Overall, life is good. Stebbins and bush life in general seem to be agreeing with me, which is a pleasant surprise. It's nice to feel like I know where I am going with my life - this is something I can see myself doing for a few years at least. I am finally somewhat able to answer one of the most frequently asked questions I get about teaching up here: "How long are you going to be there?"At this point, another year (or more?) seems more than doable...provided I do, in fact, make it through the winter ;)
XOXOjane
The weather has definitely turned in the past few weeks. It actually snowed a bit a few weeks ago, and temperatures are consistently in the 30s. The sky is blue, though, and the sun is still shining most days, though our daylight is shrinking rapidly. I am trying to enjoy it while it lasts - stocking up in preparation for the long winter, I guess.
Roman is enjoying his new life in Alaska, though I know he misses his poodle family. He has made lots of new human friends, and is a favorite of the staff and the students. To say that he is the most popular poodle in Stebbins is in no way an exaggeration! He enjoys his newfound celebrity and all the attention it brings :)
Volleyball season started for me two weeks ago, though it barely seems like it, as my team has shown up only sporadically. It frustrates me because I take volleyball perhaps a bit too seriously, but still - coaching is such a nice stress release, it would be a welcome addition to my day. We still have time to get it together before competition begins, so I hope my kids decide to make the commitment to come to practice every day. If not...well, Lord knows I have plenty of other things to keep me busy!
Overall, life is good. Stebbins and bush life in general seem to be agreeing with me, which is a pleasant surprise. It's nice to feel like I know where I am going with my life - this is something I can see myself doing for a few years at least. I am finally somewhat able to answer one of the most frequently asked questions I get about teaching up here: "How long are you going to be there?"At this point, another year (or more?) seems more than doable...provided I do, in fact, make it through the winter ;)
XOXOjane
Thursday, September 9, 2010
My Favorite Village-isms
I have been an official teacher for just shy of three weeks now. I can't believe how the time has sprinted by! I turned 25 on Monday surrounded by a very kind and supportive group of new friends, Roman arrived yesterday, and so far I am keeping my head above water in the classroom. This is by far the most challenging work I have ever done, but conversely, it is also the most rewarding. My students have already become very dear to me (even the ones that drive me up the wall daily), and I can see how teaching out here in the bush can be so addicting.
Anyone who really knows me, knows I am a nut about language - namely, the usage and implementation of the English language. Therefore, I have been like a kid in a candy shop these past few weeks, listening to my kids speak and picking out some of the local colloquialisms that are part of their dialect and vernacular. The English language is so endlessly fascinating because it is spoken so many places, and in so many different ways. A few of the teachers here are from the Midwest, and I love listening to them talk, too. Even though I have been firmly told that "Midwesterners DON'T have an accent"...I beg to differ :)
Here are some of the words & phrases I hear in my classroom every day:
- "Stink". This refers to anything that is stinky. 'Stink shoes' is something I've heard more than once, and it is a very popular adjective in my students' writing.
- "I jokes" is what the kids say in the place of 'just kidding'. I hear "I jokes" most often when I call a child out on their behavior, because they think I will let them off the hook if they act like they didn't mean it (note: they almost always mean it, and I almost never let them off the hook).
- "How come?" is an automatic response whenever I make a decree or lay down the law. Example:
Student: "Can I sharpen my pencil?"
Ms. Demme: "No."
Student: "How come?"
Ms. Demme: "Unless the wood is scraping the paper, you don't need to sharpen your pencil. Sit down."
- "Of course" is another one of my favorites. The kids say this to me and to the other kids whenever they are trying to point out that something is obvious. The way they say it is so deadpan, it just kills me.
- "Be mischief" basically means running amok and causing mayhem. As far as I can tell, "be mischief" can run the gamut from innocent fun to getting in serious trouble.
- "Play out" is the general term the kids use for playing outside with friends. Playing out often leads to being mischief, so the two kind of go hand-in-hand. In the writing my students did about life in Stebbins and in their letters to me about themselves, 'play out' and 'be mischief' were often right next to one another on their lists of leisure pursuits.
- "Got gum?" or "You got gum?" - this is a question I hear far too often during the school day, especially since there is no gum allowed in school! My favorite is when kids actually direct this question at me. I give them my best withering look and shake my head, yet it seems like I still get asked pretty regularly.
Those are all the main ones I can think of right now, though I'm certain there are more that I am missing. Each day with my students is an adventure and each day we get to know one another that much better. They are still testing my limits which is to be expected....I am the new kid on the block in the middle school, and of the three of us middle school teachers, I am the lone female (which may or may not be working to my advantage...). Regardless, I am determined to earn their respect, and I can't do that by being, as one student suggested, "less strict, more fun." Right now strict is a good thing as far as I'm concerned, and we will be having plenty of "fun" as soon as they show me a bit more accountability as students. It's all good, though - - I love what I'm doing and I am going to continue to give 100% every day, regardless! They are middle schoolers, after all...school is pretty low on their list of priorities. I remember middle school ALL too well...'school' and 'learning' were two totally different concepts :)
"I never!" (See above).
Anyone who really knows me, knows I am a nut about language - namely, the usage and implementation of the English language. Therefore, I have been like a kid in a candy shop these past few weeks, listening to my kids speak and picking out some of the local colloquialisms that are part of their dialect and vernacular. The English language is so endlessly fascinating because it is spoken so many places, and in so many different ways. A few of the teachers here are from the Midwest, and I love listening to them talk, too. Even though I have been firmly told that "Midwesterners DON'T have an accent"...I beg to differ :)
Here are some of the words & phrases I hear in my classroom every day:
- "Stink". This refers to anything that is stinky. 'Stink shoes' is something I've heard more than once, and it is a very popular adjective in my students' writing.
- "I jokes" is what the kids say in the place of 'just kidding'. I hear "I jokes" most often when I call a child out on their behavior, because they think I will let them off the hook if they act like they didn't mean it (note: they almost always mean it, and I almost never let them off the hook).
- "How come?" is an automatic response whenever I make a decree or lay down the law. Example:
Student: "Can I sharpen my pencil?"
Ms. Demme: "No."
Student: "How come?"
Ms. Demme: "Unless the wood is scraping the paper, you don't need to sharpen your pencil. Sit down."
- "Of course" is another one of my favorites. The kids say this to me and to the other kids whenever they are trying to point out that something is obvious. The way they say it is so deadpan, it just kills me.
- "Be mischief" basically means running amok and causing mayhem. As far as I can tell, "be mischief" can run the gamut from innocent fun to getting in serious trouble.
- "Play out" is the general term the kids use for playing outside with friends. Playing out often leads to being mischief, so the two kind of go hand-in-hand. In the writing my students did about life in Stebbins and in their letters to me about themselves, 'play out' and 'be mischief' were often right next to one another on their lists of leisure pursuits.
- "Got gum?" or "You got gum?" - this is a question I hear far too often during the school day, especially since there is no gum allowed in school! My favorite is when kids actually direct this question at me. I give them my best withering look and shake my head, yet it seems like I still get asked pretty regularly.
Those are all the main ones I can think of right now, though I'm certain there are more that I am missing. Each day with my students is an adventure and each day we get to know one another that much better. They are still testing my limits which is to be expected....I am the new kid on the block in the middle school, and of the three of us middle school teachers, I am the lone female (which may or may not be working to my advantage...). Regardless, I am determined to earn their respect, and I can't do that by being, as one student suggested, "less strict, more fun." Right now strict is a good thing as far as I'm concerned, and we will be having plenty of "fun" as soon as they show me a bit more accountability as students. It's all good, though - - I love what I'm doing and I am going to continue to give 100% every day, regardless! They are middle schoolers, after all...school is pretty low on their list of priorities. I remember middle school ALL too well...'school' and 'learning' were two totally different concepts :)
That's all I have for now! Till next time....
EDIT: Here are some more village-isms, for your enjoyment.
"Not even!" is how you respond if someone is accusing you of something you didn't do. Except my students use it even when it was something they did do, and they are trying to throw me off. Not even.
"I never!" (See above).
"Try come" is a general summons. Sort of like "come here".
"You dumb kid" is an insult of the highest order (kind of). Often paired with 'not even' or 'of course', as in, "Of course, you dumb kid!"
"Holy cow" is still in its heyday up here as an exclamatory statement.
"This kind" is a stand-in for doo-dad or thingy. Example: "He stole my this kind!"
"Really" often begins an exclamatory sentence. Example: when the kids first met Roman, all I heard was "Really big!" "Really soft!" etc. Another favorite phrase is "Really cheap!" which is said in protest to anything thought to be lame or unfair.
Also, the speech patterns I hear sometimes tend towards the Yoda-esque, which is difficult to listen to with a straight face because it is so hilariously endearing. Example: "Really cheap you are!"
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way making fun of the way my students speak. I want to make it clear that I am simply fascinated by their speech patterns/colloquialisms/vernacular strictly from the standpoint of someone who is a lifelong learner of the English language. This is in no way a critique of village language/culture - it is simply a collection of observations I find interesting and which others might find interesting as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)