Hello there! A fellow teacher at Gower West encouraged me to start a blog for my year in Alaska and that is what I am going to do. In four weeks I will be on a small plane heading to Kipnuk for my first teaching job. I will be the only 1st Grade Teacher at Chief Paul Memorial School. Some may have some questions, so here is a post for all the answers:
Why are you going to Alaska to teach?
Alaska has always been a state I have wanted to visit. I have heard how beautiful and unique it is and what better time than now. I am a recent college graduate and am young and love to travel.
How did you find this job?
Knox College provides each student with an account called Handshake. Handshake is pretty neat in that it is customized towards your major, minor and interests and jobs are posted through the app.
I first found an informational session back in October of 2020 about teaching with the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD). I attended it and thought it would be a great experience to teach up there.
Then in January, I found a job posting through Handshake for LKSD. I decided to apply because I wanted to keep my options open.
Where will you be staying?
Chief Paul Memorial School offers teacher housing. The housing is about a 15 second walk from the school. It has two bedrooms, a full kitchen, a full bathroom, and a laundry room.
What types of transportation are in Kipnuk?
There are no cars in Kipnuk. There are three different transportation options: ATV, Snowmobile, or dog sled.
How will you be getting food?
I will be getting all of my dry food (chips, peanut butter, pasta, oatmeal, soup, etc) from Amazon. In terms of fresh food I will be getting that from Bethel, Alaska. I go to Bethel (about 45 minutes from Kipnuk) every month for New Teacher Training. Bethel is a bigger town, which has a big grocery store. The first thing I ordered when I accepted the job was a cooler for my food.
Will you be coaching at Chief Paul Memorial School?
Yes! I asked Principal Lightfoot if they have soccer at Chief Paul. She said we do not, but you could start it. I informed her I would love to start soccer here. Principal Lightfoot had me come up with a list of equipment and she already ordered it. I am looking forward to starting a soccer program!
How long will you be staying in Alaska for?
I signed a one year contract. I am going to see how I like it at Chief Paul and go from there. I may stay here longer if I love the school. Or I may try to teach somewhere else in Alaska after one year. Or I may come back home to Illinois after a year. Nothing is set. I’m going to take it one day at a time!
My plan is to post a blog every two weeks. Please follow my teacher account on Instagram for more updates throughout the school year: ms_coseglia
So happy for you Katy! It will be such fun to follow you on this journey. Good luck! Love you 😘