Brevig Class photo in Alaska
Student teaching in Alaska
You may have noticed a new guy on the second floor. He is the young guy with a man bun and rope sandals. Mr. Kralovetz, or “Mr. K”, is student teacher for Mrs. Cowing. He is from Augustana College and is finishing up his student teaching experience. He is in English 10 with Mr. Van Leeuwe and Transition Skills for the juniors and seniors. He started the school year student teaching in Brevig Mission, Alaska which is a village of 400 people.
I asked Mr. K about the village he taught and he shared a little bit about his life there. He said the village is surrounded by tundra and there are not any trees around. The diet there is very different from what it is here. The people there survive on hunting and fishing. Planes come in a few times a day with mail and packages but it’s expensive for objects to get sent in, therefore it is very difficult for the village people to get supplies and groceries. For example, Mr. K explained that a package of Oreos was $9. He told me he had eskimo ice cream made out of white fish, seal oil, sugar, and berries. Mr. K said the most difficult part about being in Alaska was getting used to the culture and the different time periods. He said that the sun would not rise until about noon and would set around 4 o’clock p.m. It is harder for people not used to being in the time period change to stay awake and be active. Mr. K explained that in the village everyone would entertain themselves by going to the gym and playing basketball.
He explained some of the differences between New Ulm and Alaska and one of these differences is that in Alaska, there is only one truck in the village, otherwise they usually use ATVs and snowmobiles for transportation around the village. The school however does use a plane to transport sports teams to other villages for sports events. Another thing is in New Ulm you are able to go to the store and get supplies. However, in Alaska you have to go out in the wild and get your food and supplies yourself. He also explained that he was allowed to live in the school in a storage closet so that he could have free housing. After he gets done teaching in New Ulm in January, Mr. K plans on going back to Alaska to finish out the school year.