Back to School: Teaching in Alaska

It's that time of the year again.  The time where pencils are sharpened endlessly, bulletin boards are made (and re-made), names are learned (and forgotten), new shoes become scuffed, and I begin the process of teaching another wonderful group of pre-k students!

This year I was lucky to be offered the opportunity to move to the elementary school near my house, which turned my commute into downright amazing.  I was also introduced to my new co-teacher (each pre-k classroom in our district has two Lead Teachers) and we hit it off immediately.  I couldn't be more excited about the new school year in Juneau! There are a lot of unique things about teaching in Alaska that I am still getting used to seeing/doing.  Just check out my alphabet….

Not an "A is for Apple" in sight. Apples (I was informed) are actually taught in terms of food and not in terms of a Fall-type item…because most of my students have never seen an apple tree!  Much of my classroom is labeled in the traditional Tlingit language as well.  Elders from the tribe will be in and out of the classroom all year to ensure that we are carrying on their cultural heritage in an appropriate way.  This is one of my favorite aspects of teaching in a classroom funded through the native tribes, so much heritage!

My room is coming together slowly…but surely! I have the rest of the week to get it finalized.  Check it out so far!

I hope to update again at the end of the week to show the before and after of the classroom layout.  I love decorating so I am sure it will just keep getting more colorful!

Questions:
Any suggestions for room layout? 
Do you like the back-to-school time of the year? Why or why not? 
What are some of your favorite children's crafts?