Military

Alaska Transition to Teaching (AKT2) is recruiting prior-service or active duty personnel who will be leaving military service in the near future to join the ranks of Alaskan teachers. AKT2 is designed so that accepted applicants will have a shortened pre-service training, which allows them to stay in the workforce during most of the training and then begin teaching and earning a full teacher salary with benefits by the end of the summer.

Many individuals with prior military experience often attended or taught training schools throughout their military careers. Important components of service members' education and careers include concepts such as management by objective, crisis management, and Mission Execution Exercise. Learning about teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking, respect for diversity, and technology application are integral to military training exercises. These activities develop a sense of confidence, respect, and purpose for individual soldiers to work as a team. Practical applications of mathematics, science, and geography learned during military training may be successfully incorporated as a teacher to facilitate learning for middle school and high school students.

As a veteran, you will be able to share many of your experiences with students to enhance their learning. Now that you have served your country, AKT2 is an opportunity to affect change closer to home. Working in one of the many rural partner districts that AKT2 supports provides an amazing experience without leaving the United States. Teaching fulfills the desire to help others, while earning annual promotions and gaining the respect of the community.

Some of the partner districts have active place-based curricula that inspire teachers to use the local environment to support Alaska state standards, such as math or science. These projects may include snaring beaver to learn about basic biological principles or building a fish rack to apply geometric knowledge learned in the classroom. Oftentimes, incorporating local traditions leads to the teacher facilitating cultural activities during class. Inviting elders into your classroom can make the learning process more valid for many students, increasing the potential for student understanding.