Teaching in Alaska?

This is the time of year when teachers jump from job to job.  I always meet people who say to me, "I've always wanted to come to Alaska.  Could I get a job?"

Alaska is open for business.  But be forewarned.  There is NO easy job in education.  If you are considering coming to Alaska to teach in a village, you'll either love it or leave it.  Here's my advice to you.
*  Consider your motives.  If you want to immerse yourself in another culture, this is the place.  If you want to save, research, convert, or judge....maybe not. If you are coming for the money, that alone will not make up for the difficult job you will do.
*  Do your research.  Alaska is huge with varied geography and climates and Native people and occupations.  Do you want ocean or tundra, rain or ice, Tlingit or Yup'ik, loggers or whalers?  Check out the EED website to see what you would need to be certified.
*  Can you teach more than one subject?  In villages, you might be needed to coach or teach a job out of your area of expertise.  It would require that you work on getting highly qualified, thanks to the federal regulators who have never seen, much less taught in, one teacher schools.
*  Plan ahead.  You'll need to ship all your stuff by mail, including food.  On your way through Fairbanks or Anchorage, you can shop and have it sent out freight or mail.
*  Simplify.  In villages, most people don't have lots of material goods.  Just bring the things you need for your soul- music, hobbies, spices, journal, etc.

There are lots of benefits, including a chance to get out into an Arctic climate, Northern Lights, Native cultural and subsistence activities, working with kids who need good teachers, good salaries and maybe housing provided, meeting interesting and active coworkers, and friendly people.

If you still want to come, check out:  http://alaskateacher.org/.  Watch for job fairs near you.  Most HR Depts come to job fairs with contracts in hand, especially for special education teachers and other hard to find experts.