In Juneau, the liquid sunshine reminded me of the times I spent there in 1991, getting my elementary certification. I ferried a 17 foot travel travel over there and lived in a camper park from January until May while I completed my coursework and "student teaching". Even after teaching for 8 years, UAS (University of Alaska Southeast) required that I spend some supervised time in the classroom. Besides, Karen had asthma and missed a lot of school and could use the help.
Erin went with me because she couldn't stay behind and wanted to come and second grader Ben stayed behind with Dad to keep him company. Paul ran the toy store in my absence. It was really difficult to leave my guys behind, but it really paid off many years later in giving me broader insight and more career choices. They've almost forgiven me. Ben came to see me several times while I was there and I went home once.
I couldn't really afford to pay tuition and not earn anything, so I worked at REACH as a job coach. The clients there had intellectual challenges and did office work in a sheltered, supportive setting. It was really sparse and I despised the lack of stimulation. As another adult, I would never have stayed in such a sterile environment for more than a few months, given a choice. I brought G (visually impaired) a set of Christmas lights that he could activate for visual stimulation. I brought R some beads to work on when there was no work. I took S shopping with me. Still, there needed to be some systemic change and oversight. Very sad.
Erin and I subsisted on "girl food". We ate mainly croissants, yogurt, applesauce and cheese, foreshadowing her current vegetarian lifestyle. When she had friends over, I put on my raincoat and went out for a walk. It was during this short time that I made my curtains with a hot glue gun. Erin learned about public transit and took the bus all over town. One day, she and her friends left school early (otherwise known as skipping) and stopped off at my car to drop off her books so they didn't cramp her mobility. Little did she know that I had to run an errand and discovered them about noon. All in all, it was a bittersweet time- I missed Ben and Paul, but Erin found a smart, fun group of friends the year before her exchange. It also helped me realize that I didn't need to wait around Haines to get a teaching job, but needed to be proactive.
Anyway, to get back to Juneau, I had breakfast at Donna's and boarded the Wings of Alaska plane for Hoonah. The flight took about 20 minutes and was breathtakingly beautiful.
Erin went with me because she couldn't stay behind and wanted to come and second grader Ben stayed behind with Dad to keep him company. Paul ran the toy store in my absence. It was really difficult to leave my guys behind, but it really paid off many years later in giving me broader insight and more career choices. They've almost forgiven me. Ben came to see me several times while I was there and I went home once.
I couldn't really afford to pay tuition and not earn anything, so I worked at REACH as a job coach. The clients there had intellectual challenges and did office work in a sheltered, supportive setting. It was really sparse and I despised the lack of stimulation. As another adult, I would never have stayed in such a sterile environment for more than a few months, given a choice. I brought G (visually impaired) a set of Christmas lights that he could activate for visual stimulation. I brought R some beads to work on when there was no work. I took S shopping with me. Still, there needed to be some systemic change and oversight. Very sad.
Erin and I subsisted on "girl food". We ate mainly croissants, yogurt, applesauce and cheese, foreshadowing her current vegetarian lifestyle. When she had friends over, I put on my raincoat and went out for a walk. It was during this short time that I made my curtains with a hot glue gun. Erin learned about public transit and took the bus all over town. One day, she and her friends left school early (otherwise known as skipping) and stopped off at my car to drop off her books so they didn't cramp her mobility. Little did she know that I had to run an errand and discovered them about noon. All in all, it was a bittersweet time- I missed Ben and Paul, but Erin found a smart, fun group of friends the year before her exchange. It also helped me realize that I didn't need to wait around Haines to get a teaching job, but needed to be proactive.
Anyway, to get back to Juneau, I had breakfast at Donna's and boarded the Wings of Alaska plane for Hoonah. The flight took about 20 minutes and was breathtakingly beautiful.
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