Ilisagvik College: A Place to Learn

As well as getting settled in the middle school here, we are also getting settled into the college. Ilisagvik College is a very interesting place filled with very interesting people. The students have been very welcoming and often ask if we want to spend time with them. Especially to play basketball (and if you know any us you know that this would NOT go well for us) but we have been spending time in the commons with them, just hanging out and playing with the Kinect. We have the same driver everyday driving us from the college to school and back. And he always has some great new music for us to listen to (usually reggae)! We also got to hear about the Ms. Top of the World Competition that one of the students is competing in later this summer and the outer-fur parka she is making! She has never sown before but is creating some beautiful patterns for her parka of different types of fur.

Hanging out at the college has also left us a lot of time spending with our "dorm mom" Ruth. She is very funny and always picking on us and the other students. She likes to keep our dorm nice and warm (like 80 degrees warm), so all of the moisture leaves the building. She has also been very good about introducing us to some of the more cultural things here in Barrow. She gave us some whale tonight, and as she handed it to us said "Just keep chewing it. It gets better as you chew it." It's a pretty unique taste, fishy and chewy. She also is working with the students here as they sew their garments they will wear for graduation in a few weeks. She said once this is done she will teach us how to sew some headbands made of seal skin. We get to cut up fabric tomorrow!

All in all, the story is the very similar to the one when student teaching at home. We're living with college kids who are on a different schedule than us (we can't stay up so late!) and have to try and balance lesson planning, hanging out with our friends at the college, working out, and sleeping. It will get more difficult as we gain responsibility in our classrooms, but this is the life of a student teacher.

We're going to try and see the Northern Lights tonight too. Hopefully we will have pictures tomorrow!