Hanna Family: Week to Remember

This week started with a great hike! Last Sunday a lot of the teachers decided because it was a great day and we needed to get out of the house and school we were going to get out of the house and take a walk to the top of the mountain here. Two of the local girls were going to lead us up to the top and we were excited to go. We got all packed with snacks and our warm gear and our "rubbers" or "ditch boots" and headed out. Because of the fear of bears we took a couple of guns with us. When we first got ready to leave we were told that it would take about 3 hours round trip. We started out across the tundra and that three hours became a lot longer. For someone who isn't in that great of shape the tundra was kicking my booty. For those of you who haven't walked across the tundra it is a giant sponge. When you walk your foot sinks and you have to lift it really high to get the next step, as some put it..walking on tundra is like walking on a giant stair stepper. The really cool thing about getting that free work out was that we got to see the berries that are all over the tundra and pick a few. I saw blackberries, blueberries, and cranberries some of them more ripe than others but still good. After we made it to the road from the tundra we walked up a little more and I got to try and hunt down a few birds thinking that the boys I teach would respect me a little more if I got one. Alas I did not get one but it was still fun to be able to shoot a gun again. We didn't make it quite to the top but hopefully another time when the weather is good we will be trying again. We got back to our houses and got ready for a nice potluck with all of the teachers. That seems to be a weekend tradition going on here but the good thing is we (Molly and I) didn't do the hosting this time. I don't think I would have had the energy to do that. Molly and I went to bed that night sufficiently fed and tired!

Monday was spent cleaning the classroom and getting ready for the upcoming week.

Tuesday went well with the kids actually listening and doing what they were asked. We actually had fun in the class!

Wednesday started the week downhill. That morning I found out that my aide was not going to be coming in because of family issues that were going on. I know that other teachers can handle 28 kids with no aide in their classroom but they have never taught in Bush, Alaska. Well that morning my kids decided they were done listening for the week and our case of the Mondays last week became our case of the Wednesdays this week. By lunch I was trying to figure out how not to cry in front of the kids and make it to the end of school. Needless to say we did a lot of center time and really small groups the second half of the day. I did end up sending one of my kids home. It really makes me sad to send my kids home.

Thursday started off better than Wednesday. After taking time to regroup I was ready to start the new day with more love for these kids and a determination to show them that love. The morning was crazy!! The kids did not want to listen but instead wanted to play leap frog from one table to another and scare the kids that wanted to listen. I had the sub aide take the kids who were listening to the gym to get them out of the classroom and tried to reign in my wild horses but they just didn't want to listen. I finally got them to come and get in line for lunch and headed off to lunch and took a much needed cool down time for teacher. I am proud to say that through all of this I still have not yelled at the kids! Well when the class got back from lunch they were more wound up than before. As soon as we got back from lunch they started running. I had two kids running around in the halls. Molly had her class out in the hall practicing walking so I sent the rest of my class with her as I went to track down my runners. As I was searching one dad came to help get his kid back into the classroom. The had both ended up outside and it was raining so when they got back into the class they were soaked. Well one of the students after calling their mom decided that they didn't want to go home and started hitting me. I got ahold of her and was walking her to the office and as I was doing this she got hold of my hand and decided that she wanted to take out her frustration on my hand. I now have some really nice scratches and a bruise or two on my right hand. Well as I was out getting these kids taken care some of my other kids decided that they wanted to play leap frog from one table to another again. Molly still had my kids along with her kids and both of our aides in my classroom and the kids would still not listen. Molly called into the office to get some back up because the kids had started throwing chairs around and ripping up things. My aide at this time had taken out her Holy Water and was trying to sprinkle my kids with it and was saying things to try and get the evil spirits away from the kids. This still not working we had to get more adults into the class to try and get control. In the end I think we had 8 adults with two of us holding kids in an appropriate mannor so they didn't hurt others or themselves. I ended up having to send 5 kids home that day. It made me sad but it was what had to happen. This day they also just happened to be doing the final inspection of the school and a lot of people from the district were at our school walking around. There was a gentleman that was a member of the church with them and I was able to get a blessing from him. It was so amazing to feel that love of my Savior through that blessing. He does know that I am here and my struggles and is helping me through them.

Friday started off with one of the native workers showing me his Holy Water saying that he was ready for my class that day. You know you have had a bad day the day before when people are showing you their Holy Water and telling you that they are ready. The morning started much like Wednesday. The kids didn't want to listen much be they were still listening for the most part. Of course we talked about making good choices and that some not so good choices were made the day before. Talking about it seemed to help a little. The kids were separated into two groups for math, one group went to gym and the other stayed with me to work on math. Well when the other group left for gym two of my kids turned into "monsters" or so they said and started growling at me and stomping around the classroom. To get them to stop I went up to them and gave them a big hug and told them that hugs get rid of monsters and turn them into listening fairies. This seemed to help for a little and we actually got our math lesson done for the day. Well after lunch always seems to go downhill. We started into our center time after lunch and one kid decided they didn't want to do centers and started throwing things across the room. Well realizing that this could hurt others I tried to get them out of the room and started toward the principals office. The kid decided to run and ran upstairs. Just as I was heading upstairs to get them the counselor was heading that way too. So he headed up the stairs and I headed down the hall to head them off. We finally got them cornered and back on our way to the principals office to get them calmed down and to call their parents. I was holding their arms so they couldn't hit me and instead of hitting me the child bit me instead. Of course not wanting the kid to know it hurt I just let them get bored of it. If you show weakness they keep doing it right? I finally get the little angel to the office and in our detention room to wait for their parent to come and get them. Of course this all happens as we have about 200 kids coming to our school for a district cross country meet along with student council elections coming up next week and the deadline for them to turn in stuff to run is this day. We also had a dance that night and Molly and I were in charge of the store for the night. So we were there until midnight. Being on your feet from 7 to midnight really makes you tired. As I was getting ready for bed I realized that I could not find my engagement ring. After a long day I really just felt like breaking down but I quietly said a prayer asking for help finding it and felt peace and went to bed knowing that it would all be ok.

After going to bed at midnight the night before Molly and I were back up at school the next day bright and early to start the cross country meet. Well it had been nice up until this day. Saturday we had freezing rain that lasted the whole meet. During the meet we all had to be outside watching the runners and cheering them on, I am just glad that I had my boots and a really good rain jacket. They were the best investments that I ever made. We got the whole meet over with and all of the kids out of the school at 6 that night and of course I was here until then. On top of all of this I found out that my grandpa was in the hospital with an infection in his elbow. I finally got home that night at 6 and found that my grandpa was ok.