First Snow…and other stories of fall

By Sara Stephan,
Gradaute Student

Yeah that’s right. It’s October and it’s SNOWING!

I called home yesterday and my friend complained that the weather was 90 degrees. I told her it was 38 degrees and we were expecting snow. She laughed and said, “No, seriously, what’s it like there?” All I could say was “SERIOUSLY.”

Coming from Kentucky this weather really is a culture shock, but one that I welcome with open arms. I’m ready for nice snow and not wet yucky snow that just makes it look gross outside.

It’s really nice to wake up to my front porch being covered in snow, but my teeth aren’t chattering. By noon all of the snow will be gone. Tomorrow it will be back. Soon enough we will have a big dump and things will be ridiculous. I hope that doesn’t happen for a while. Since I’m not from cold weather, I have worn a fleece jacket and my Chaco sandals for the last 6 years. Somehow I don’t think that’ll cut it here. I just ordered my puffy coat and mukluk boots to keep me warm this winter. The snow must wait for the mail to come through.

Last week I did my first week of teaching. The first half of the week I was by myself and the second half I team taught with my friend Aliesje. It was great and really exciting to be back in the world of teaching. I may have a year of teaching under my belt, but this is a totally different style of teaching. I feel as if I’m back in as a student teacher, starting all over. It’s quite powerful.

I’m reading the book “Winter” by Rick Bass for a class and he put it quite well when he said, “It can be so wonderful, finding out you were wrong, that you are ignorant, that you know nothing, not squat. You get to start over. It’s like snow falling the first time each year. It doesn’t make any sound, but it’s the strongest force you know of. Trees will crack and pop and split open later in the winter. Things opening up, learning. Learning the way it really is.” AHHH That quote is so powerful to me and makes me not fear teaching. It makes me excited to learn just as much as my students.

This week I will be in charge of programs, which means I set up Exploration Stations for the students to work on during the morning and at night. I also facilitate the evening programs such as Elk Bugling and a night hike. I’m nervous, but I know this will be one more thing I will learn and grow from. Always a little scary, but I’m always open to growing as well.