May 14, 2022--nearing the end of the Northern Adventure

 Hello everyone

As the title suggests, the northern adventure is drawing to a close.  And, what a year it has been!!  Unlike anything I have experienced.  First, the covid, and then the actual teaching experience.  Living in a small, isolated community was just fine!!  I liked that part.   My lovely 2 bedroom townhouse has served me well inspite of a few hiccups like not heat, no water--but fixable.  The teaching has been an eye opener--no course can prepare you for the day to day!!  What I have learned from the teaching is that nothing can start until a loving and meaningful connection is made with each individual.  And I mean, everyone that you connect with.  As someone said in my past, a teacher is someone who is not a friend or buddy, but a kind and just parent.  This connection takes a long, long time and this year, it wasn't until about the middle of April that I could see the results of connection building.  A little later in the year, but at least, it happened.

All told, we have had 50 odd days with direct student contact.  Subtract, blizzard days, no water no sewage days, illness, death and plain not wanting to attend school, then you have a lot less.

So much for the "curriculum"!!   What materials were provided were pretty thin, and their relevancy  to the level of learning was somewhat of a mismatch.  I developed and delivered individual programs to each of the 13 kids.  A lot of work, but the results have exceeded my expectations.

A colleague of mine said, "lower your expectations, and then cut that expectation in half.  Kids will not be able to put 2 words together in a sentence by the end of the year!"  That was my challenge!  I am proud to say that every child can not only print, make sentences, they can read!  So all in all, inspite of everything, they have succeeded!!

A little boy who now speaks, and comes to school regularly.

A little guy who comes to school everyday now.  His first time in school ever.  He is special needs.  As you can see, he is working independently, and is very happy.

We have some wonderful young people working in the school.  This lady is on the Canadian Women's Volley ball team.  She is in the school to promote volleyball.  In her free time, she helps out. What a valuable resource this is!!

These are examples of what the children can do.  Imagine what we could have done if we had a whole school year!!

These children love learning!  Their favorite free time activity is reading!!!  At the beginning, it was lego!!

We had a wonderful day "on the land".  It was an excursion planned by the Director of the School.  His job is to look after the Inuit staff, and the buildings including our homes.  He reminds me so much of Bill Evin who was a very loved and respected educator in Nelson.

Out on the frozen lake, fishing.

Homemade fishing lines.

This was one of many fish caught that day.

This is Aleck.  He is sharing dried Arctic Char that he caught a few months ago.  It was better then Indian Candy!!

A picture of being on the ice.  Ice is about 5 feet thick.  It is now beginning to melt.  The day we went was the beginning of the spring thaw.

Alec and his grandson did a little goose hunting.

This 8 year old girl shot these birds for dinner. She is an expert with the 22.

Yes, I can see why the fishing is so popular.  You just sit and jig the line.  NO luck, however.

This child was laying on a Caribou hide, lookin through the hole for any fish.

Wooden sled hooked up to the school ski doo.  Not a cheap sport.  The ski doo is about $25,000.

Loading up for the day-food, medical stuff, and rescue equipment.

Digging the snow away, to cut through the ice.

The fishing hole

Gas driven auger to cut the hole.