Back for Year Three, 2010-2011

Yes We're Back

Here is a student walking and texting out my classroom window moving toward the wooden deck, where we used to play basketball, when it still had a goal. I think during the short time we have been here the weather has been in the 50's night and day. It has been cloudy. I think I saw the sun on two days in two weeks. Not good for teachers trying not to miss their loved ones who had to be left behind.
Sharkie came with us again. He seemed at home from the second we got here, or just glad to get out of his carrying case. Here is the new road going to the airport. It had been washed away in places and they raised it so maybe it won't happen again. I am fairly sure it is not an Obama resurfacing! There was no sign.
Susan went with Sharkie and I to the airport to see the new road. She looks good in red, doesn't she?
I painted my classroom last year while waiting for my flight out for the summer. It is the only colored room in the school. The whole school made AYP this year. There are 11 little village schools in the district and four of us made AYP. Emmonak is the second largest school, so we had to have a lot of students increase their scores. Susan teaches middle school math and they made it for the second year in a row. I taught writing and my students made an increase of 270 percent over last year, way above AYP, which is a 10% increase. Reading in the middle school, which I taught the first year, did not make AYP. I guess because of that they have me doing both Reading and Writing this year. Susan and I teach only 6th and 7th grades this year, unlike the last two years when we taught 6th, 7th, and 8th. That cuts our student load down by 1/3, which is a good deal for the students. We already know all of our students which means we both could hit the ground running. My students seem calmed down from last year and more responsive to my questions. In case you don't already know, teachers love to have questions answered, right or wrong.

This was 11:00 at night. It has been rainy and cloudy all summer. The vegetation is lush and tall. The trees along the board walk have gone from bushes to trees. There isn't too much light at 8:00 in the morning.