Alaska@Work:
Pamela Cushman
Community Education Department Director, Kawerak Inc., Nome
Alaska Adult Education grantee
June 12, 2021
Years a teacher: Five
Number of students you teach: 140 per year on average
Describe your occupation:
Nome Regional Adult Eduction Program is under Kawerak's Community Education Department. Our program works with Adult Education students in the Bering Strait Region. We are a rural fly-in region, meaning we don't have a road system that connects us to any of Alaska's big cities. Our region is about 74% Alaska Native. I was an Adult Education Instructor/Program Specialist for four years prior to becoming Director of Community Education Department in August 2019. Prior to moving to Nome, I was a High School Social Studies teacher in rural Nevada.
As an AE instructor, I work with students on literacy skills and content knowledge in Math, Science and Social Studies, as well as Work Readiness skills. No matter what the content area, students need to have strong reading skills. Our program works closely with our students to increase their vocabulary, fluency and reading comprehension skills. Prior to Covid-19, we relied heavily on the U.S. Postal Service, staff travel, student travel, cellular text, faxing and the telephone to stay in touch with our students. For rural community students to receive face-to-face services, staff would fly out to our communities or students would fly into Nome.
How has the pandemic affected your teaching?
"The pandemic has been a technology accelerator for our program! This last year we have been working diligently to find funding to gift our students laptops, connect them to the internet, and pay for their internet as long as they are actively working towards educational gains. For students who have the technology, instructors can Zoom with them for tutoring. They can take the Test of Adult Basic Education online and take the official GED Test online! Our program has been able to purchase online distance learning programs to help students make educational gains and help staff track students learning. Some of these programs are cellular phone friendly, which has been a huge asset for our program!"
What has been the toughest and best parts about the pandemic?
"The toughest part of the pandemic was not being able to help students face-to-face and the loss of skills or the lack of progression of skills for students. When the schools shut down and our rural communities were closed for travel except for medical emergencies, many of our students had parental and extended family responsibilities that trumped their educational growth. The best part about the pandemic is getting our students connected to the world of online distance learning!"
What kind of advice would you give other teachers?
"Have patience and be flexible you are the guide that help students on their educational journey. To all students: Don't ever give up on your dreams! Life happens, just keep putting one foot in front of the other moving forward toward your goals!"
What do you love most about teaching?
"What I love most about teaching is helping students reach their goals. Knowing that our program has helped and is helping students reach their educational goals, gives me great professional and personal satisfaction. Every goal achieved opens up more opportunities for a full and satisfying life, which includes employment with family sustaining wages!"
Inspirational quote:
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination." Tommy Lasorda
Alaska Adult Education provides grant funds to agencies like Kawerak Inc. for services to adult learners to prepare them for employment, vocational training, or postsecondary education. For more information, visit jobs.alaska.gov/aae .
