Dear Being Energy Community:
My name is Beth Hartley and I am currently an Alaska Statewide Mentor, a position funded by the State of Alaska and run by the University of Alaska to support beginning teachers that have moved to teach in rural Alaska.
The vision of the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project (ASMP) is that every student in Alaska has the benefit of a great teacher. The mission is to give new teachers the support they need to succeed. Not only are these young adults new to teaching, they are new to village culture and the unusual exigencies of living in rural Alaska, often partly off the grid (inclusive of “honey buckets” i.e., indoor, rustic, non-flush toilets).
The resiliency the teachers demonstrate as they rise to the, often, unexpected demands of teaching in the bush is truly inspiring, even as I help wipe away tears, shoulder burdens that can’t be shared otherwise, and still praise and push their practice on behalf of the village students that depend on them for academic success.
I have lived 25 years in Alaska – an adventure from the start! I came up as a Bilingual/ESL (English as a second language) specialist and trainer serving villages around the state then settled into the larger community of Anchorage to serve as a bilingual/ESL teacher and specialist, and finally to “retire” to take this new position with the State.
Aside from my primary work, I love to work as a Special Olympics Alpine Ski Coach, and as a driver for the Horse Drawn Carriage Company; both great ways to stay active in the blustery winter months. James, my partner, and I love to travel the world and experience new places, people and cultures in our “free” time. World travels – along with moving to Alaska – have been dreams manifested.
Which brings me to the practice of Being Energy and the legacy that engendered it. As I have reflected and dreamed in our Path with Heart classes, I have come to realize that my work as a mentor is serving as a recapitulation of my career; that I have accessed intent and intent has accessed me to move me in this direction, cleaning up my path and dusting my link with intent along the way to make me most suitable for service to this unique constellation of students and teachers. Participating in the various classes provided by Being Energy has also provided a network of friends and resources all over the world – one of the best gifts a “warrior traveler adventurer” could ask for!
