One Week Down

The first couple of days with students in attendance were unlike any I’ve experienced in education. The sound of the school is different. The problems were similar but still different. The usual car rider line or student parking situation was very different. Discipline problems when there were any were subdued. The principal and I agree it just has, for lack of a better term, a weird feel to it.

The sounds of a school in session are usually consistent from school to school. Students talking in the hallways between classes, breakfast conversations in the cafeteria, lunchtime murmurs and the dull roar of break or recess. The sounds are at the least similar. Not so here. The students are so quiet sometimes I can’t tell they’re in the building. However, there are rare occasions when the sounds of running feet on the stairs will break the quiet. The mood is subdued throughout the school. Students whisper their questions so low I have to strain to hear and must ask more than once for them to repeat what they’re saying. They’re curious and do ask questions. Where am I from? Am I married? How old am I? Do I have children? Those are the most common. Then the question that surprised me the most… Will you be here Monday? I was asked that several times. Apparently, it’s not uncommon for administrators to just leave. No warning. Just say, “I’m not doing this.” Gone like smoke on a breeze. The kids expect it. And to be honest I think some teachers that have been here a long time do too.

The car rider lines that we see in the schools in Mississippi are epic. Grandma shows up 2 hours early to be first in line in order to avoid a fifteen minute wait. The line stretches out of the parking lot. And if you get stuck in one it’s an eternity to get through it. Here, not so much. Most students walk to school. Many of the small ones are dropped by four wheeler. Bikes are ridden and parked outside. A few older students drive four wheelers and park them in front. The smallest number arrive by trucks. I only remember seeing three all day Friday during drop off. Students start arriving at 8am. Of course drop off time is 8:15 but school people know parents will take advantage of a little extra time if they can get it. High school aged students generally show up just in time to make it to class. Some things are the same despite cultural differences. At pick up time there were fewer trucks. Most kids walked home or stayed outside the school to play on the playground equipment. Some went home and despite it being 55 degrees, went swimming in a pond. I was surprised when I saw them but I guess when you grow up here you’re used to the temperatures.

Student discipline issues have been few but there have been some. The number one issue is about caps and hoods. It’s not for the reasons you would expect. Many of the these children have experienced abuse and trauma early in their lives. The hood or cap is their way of hiding and feeling safe. When you ask them to take it off they are very respectful but you’ll get a firm no. After talking and a trip to the office it doesn’t change their feelings. Today I found a solution. I was talking to a girl about her hood issue. I was going to give her some time to adjust to me and talk to her about other things while I looked for something in my office. I opened a cabinet and saw boxes of masks. It hit me. I asked her if she wore a mask instead of her hood would she feel safe and she immediately said yes. I grabbed a box and offered her a mask. She took it, put it on, took off her hood and went back to class. I’m thankful for the training Alaska requires that deals with abused children. There are signs here that jump out at you like I’ve never seen. The kids are so different than any I’ve been around in the past.

We made our first home visit today. It was to a home of a student who had threatened the principal over the cap issue. He was also disruptive in class and showed that there are discipline issues even here. We took a local lady that works at the school to help us find the house. When we arrived the house looked like a disaster outside. A cross between a junkyard and dump. We were led into the house without pausing at the door. What I saw inside was shocking. There was garbage everywhere. Old food left out, clothes that hadn’t been washed and left laying everywhere. There were three rooms from what I could tell. A back bedroom, a bathroom and a combination kitchen living room. The living room area had a big bed and a small bed. There were four people sharing the big bed. The floor looked like it hadn’t been swept since the house was built. At least 10 people lived there. The grandmother was very nice and apologetic and explained the situation with the student. She is trying to raise him in place of the parents who aren’t in the picture. This is the case with many kids here. The level of poverty here is mind boggling. The principal cut his finger on the chair where he was sitting. He showed it to me when we got back to school. I offered to save his life by amputating it before a major infection set in. He cleaned it and used enough rubbing alcohol on it that he may yet live. If I never do another home visit I would be ok with that. It’s sad to witness that and then think about the kids we see and know that to them it’s a normal part of life. It makes me even more thankful for the blessings I’ve had in my life.

With all of that said, overall the first week was productive. There are so many positives to be found to off set the negatives. I look forward to learning more about our students and hopefully helping those I can.