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[EACH PARAGRAPH IS FROM A DIFFERENT STUDENT]
Many teachers leave Nunapitchuk after one or two years because they don't like the way we live (our culture) or our environment. It may also be the way the students treat the new teachers. People from other villages always say that Nunapitchuk people are the kindest people they have met. I think that some people are kind, but some people who are not originally from Nunapitchuk can be mean and rude. I like teachers that are kind, fun, like to try new things, are not boring, and who do not do the same thing every day.
My advice to new teachers is when you meet a villager and they reach their hand out to greet you then you should take off your glove. We always take off our glove to show respect. Many teachers leave Nunapitchuk because they cannot adapt to our environment. Most people in Nunapitchuk are kind and shy. The best things about Nunapitchuk are going hunting and the quiet nights. I do not like principals that say that people that drop out of school cannot come to the school activities. Every family in Nunapitchuk travels by boat in the summer and snow machine in the winter.
If you want to be a teacher in Nunapitchuk then you should have a good personality so that all the students will get along with you. Some students cannot get along with new teachers. Some students are dumb and do not know anything, but it is your job to make them know something and get them educated.
There are no roads, but we have plenty of boardwalks. The village is small and there are no trees. The tundra is swampy and flat. Some people still use honey buckets. Kids will use their own language, but they know English too. You should not think that the students are dumb! There is no place for students or adults to hangout. Everybody in the village knows everyone else. Almost everyone is related. We have a general store and two smaller private stores. Prices of everything are expensive. Part of the village is across the river. The people are really nice. You need a boat. Most students grew up speaking Yup'ik and English is a second language. There are not many jobs. People gossip and there are a lot of rumors. The houses are small. Alcohol is not allowed. You should not be too quiet or loud and do a lot of hands-on activities. Be friendly and be firm. We have a clinic. No hospital and no gangs.
Some things to expect: The land is flat with no trees, the village is small with a population of about 500, there are no roads, the houses are small, the small stores are closed on Sundays, there are boardwalks, there are very few jobs, there are lots of kids playing all the time. If you want to be a teacher in Nunapitchuk then you must be tough to handle the students during your first year. The best thing about Nunapitchuk is that it is safe and the worst thing is that there is no hospital. We do not have veterinarians either and you should expect to travel in a small plane. Every household has at least one snow machine and there are no bars or clubs.
Teachers leave here because they probably do not like it here or because the students are disrespectful. I think teachers should make classes fun and not just doing work all the time. Just do something different every day. I like teachers who make you laugh and teachers who make classes fun. The best thing about Nunapitchuk is that it is quiet and you could go hunting where ever you want. The worst thing about Nunapitchuk is that this place is a really small place. I love school because there are activities like basketball. The worst thing about school is bad teachers. I don't like bad teachers because they make us work too hard in school stuff. And I don't like teachers who think they are big in what they do. The people in Nunapitchuk are mostly shy and quiet, but they get better once they get to know you.
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