The First Day(s) - Part 1

January 29.  6:30am.  The alarm clock rings and I turn it off.  The first warning bell has sounded.  I reset the alarm for 7am.  Just a few minutes longer. 

            

7am.  The alarm clock rings again.  Time to get up.  No excuses.  It's your first day.  First impressions are everything.  I put on black dress pants, shirt, and a new tie I bought in Iqaluit.  The black tie is dotted with small colourful inukshuks.  For breakfast, I finish the snacks I bought the night before.  It is still dark outside. 

            

I pack my knapsack with what I need the most.  Since I'm quite far from the school, it would be too laborious to carry everything in one trip.  I would have to transfer all my resources to the school in multiple trips.  At 7:50, I'm wearing my large Canada Goose parka, snow pants, and new winter boots.  After locking up my housing unit, I start walking towards Inuujaq School carrying a knapsack on my shoulders and my laptop briefcase in my right hand.  The added weight of my outerwear, knapsack, and briefcase forces me to walk slowly.  I'm glad I left a lot earlier.  I calculate that I will arrive at 8:15, fifteen minutes early.  It pays to be early. 

            

The darkness fools me into thinking that I've woken up too early.  I periodically check my watch to reassure myself that it is indeed morning and not the dead of night.  There is even a moment when I doubt my watch.  In the distance I see the outline of King George V Mountain and to the right, the airport landing lights.  Sewage and water trucks are driving around, removing sewage and delivering water to selected houses.  Unlike Iqaluit and cities down south, there is no central sewer & water systems.  Up ahead at a four-way intersection a small white Arctic hare runs across the snow covered road.  Perhaps a sign of good things to come?     

            

I arrive at the school and am greeted by Jill.  Since I'm not sure where my classroom is, she lets me store my belongings in hers.  While touring the building, she explains that the school is divided into four sections: pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school.  Students begin arriving at 8:30 and the breakfast program starts several minutes later.  The school is built on a sloped hill with classrooms, offices, storage rooms, workshops, and the gym spread across two floors.  Jill introduces me to the Inuit & non-Inuit teachers that we see in the hallway.  As we head back the way we came, more and more students are coming in.  Their faces, full of curiosity, are looking at me. 

            

I enter the main office as Jill heads back to her class.  I introduce myself to the secretary and several student support assistants.  The principal, A. Salam, is there to greet me.  He explains that today will be my orientation; I will have the entire day to plan and to get my affairs in order.  He leads me to my classroom through the throng of Inuit students.  Several elementary and middle school students decide to act on their curiosity.  Their questions & comments come flooding out. 

            

"Good morning!"

            

"Who are you?"

            

"You the new teacher?"

            

"What's your name?"

            

"Nice tie!"

            

"How old are you?"

            

I get waves.  I get handshakes.  I get smiling faces.  I do my best to receive them all while trying to keep up with Salam.  Am I teacher or a politician on the campaign trail?  Teachers come to my rescue before I am swallowed up.  They hustle their students away, just in time for morning announcements.  Salam and I arrive at the English/Social Studies classroom in the school's high school section.  The room itself is big with plenty of space and a large window with a great view of the bay.  Five students and a teacher are there.  Sean, a middle school teacher, has been looking after the class since early January.  The original teacher, Patricia, is taking time off to complete her master's degree in education. 

            

Morning announcements begin with the playing of "O Canada", followed by a prayer in Inuktitut.  Announcements come next, read in Inuktitut and English.  When morning announcements are completed, class instruction begins at 9am.  After introducing me to the students, Salam let's me speak to Sean about the students in my classes and the resources I  will have at my disposal.  While Sean fills me in, the students talk to each other in Inuktitut.  With his explanations finished I let him continue teaching the students and I head back to Jill's class to retrieve my belongings.  

            

Before the end of first period, I head back to Salam's office to receive my welcome package and to ask him any questions.  There are four periods in a day, separated by morning recess, lunch, and afternoon recess.  Recess is for ten minutes while lunch is for an hour.  School finishes at 3:35pm but extra-curricular activities can continue to 7pm on some days.  The school bell is not automated but manually operated.  In Arctic Bay, the winter semester begins in January and finishes in early June.  At the moment, I only have two classes but a third will be added later.

            

After morning recess, I am allowed to go to Housing and sign the rental agreement papers.  It is no longer dark outside but not sunny.  I am told by the Housing staff that the sun will not fully rise above the mountain tops until February 6th.  We drive to my unit so that they can inspect it to make sure everything is in working order.  Everything looks a-okay.  I grab some of my binders and books before they drive me back to the school, thus saving me a trip.        

            

At lunch time, the school 'shuts down' and students and most teachers go home to eat.  Those teachers who stay behind eat in the staff room.  As a form of welcome, Jill and her mother, also a teacher, provided me with a lunch to carry me through the afternoon.  I thank them for their hospitality and happily eat the meal while speaking to the other teachers.  

            

I am formally introduced to the high school body after lunch in the science room.  The students are there to watch the documentary People of a Feather so Salam decided that that was the best time to let everyone know that the new teacher has arrived.  I am surprised that no one draws attention to my formal clothing.    

            

I spend the rest of the afternoon planning and setting up the classroom the way I want.  When the final bell rings, I feel confident that I am ready to begin tomorrow.

            

Later that night, I buy more snacks from the Co-op to keep me going for the next day.  My two food boxes and the rest of my stuff have yet to arrive.  Unlike the previous night, I now have Arctic Bay residents introducing themselves and welcoming me to the community.  I return their greetings and explain who I am and how long I am planning to stay.  Walking back home under a dark winter night, I get the feeling that I will like this community.

To be continued . . .