I am certain I’m not the first person who has surmised that the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is a metaphor for life.  It is a long journey-even much longer than it appears-and one that requires almost obsessive discipline, focus, and perseverance.  It teaches the participants things about themselves they may never have known if they had never started that journey.  What happens when they are lost or stranded?  How will they react in life and death situations?  How will they react when confronted with the choice of stopping to help another competitor at an almost certain cost to their own aspirations?  How can they foresee the daily-and decidedly unglamorous-tasks associated with keeping, training, and providing for a kennel full of dogs, day after day, morning after cold morning?  And finally, after meeting all of the challenges and logistical nightmares involved in bringing a team to Anchorage for the race, how does one face the heartbreak of not finishing, of losing a dog, or of finishing far below the expectations of friends, family, sponsors, and-most importantly-oneself?   How does a musher measure success when failure is, for most, what seems to be the order of the day?  Why would anybody do this voluntarily?

Three years ago, when I started my journey to be Teacher on the Trail, I could not foresee the trials, the work, the uncertainty, and the heartbreak.  I wanted to quit more than once. After my first attempt-I was chosen as a finalist, but not the 2008 Teacher on the Trail-I was ready to call it quits.  But my “team”-friends, colleagues, family, and even members of the Iditarod Education Committee-challenged me to keep going. With no guarantee of success, I had to take a deep breath and consider if this was the right decision for me, and was it the right decision for this great group of folks that made up that team.

But with their support, I decided to give it a go, not knowing at the time how vital this team would become in my life.  I put together that second application packet-notebooks full of essays, lesson plans, biographic information, etc-sharpened my computer skills, and waited for the word.

And so I was selected as the 2009 Teacher on the Trail in April; I coasted along on smooth trail until September of  ‘08.  Then the worst weather conditions blew in-I was diagnosed with cancer.  What was I to do?  It didn’t seem possible that I would be able to fulfill my duties as Teacher on the Trail.  I decided to resign.  My husband Bob said, “No, you need to follow through with this.”  I called my principal Claudia Sherry to say I wouldn’t be going to Alaska, and she said, “Yes, you are.”  Diane Johnson, head of the Iditarod Education Committee, said, “No, you may not resign.”  She assured me it was my position, and they would work with me, come what may.  My doctors said, “Well, maybe, but it will be close.”

And close it was.  After months of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, I was cleared to go on Friday, February 20^th, five days before I flew out to Anchorage.  Two weeks before my red and white blood cell counts were much too low to even consider the journey, but there it was.  I had made it!  But it would not have been possible without the wonderful support and encouragement I had from my doctors, my family, my good friends, my colleagues at Carolina Day School, my church, and all of the dozens and dozens of teachers, mushers, and administrators associated with the Iditarod.  This was my team, and they pulled me through.

I am teaching at CDS once again; I walk regularly, and I’ve even run a little.  I get fatigued easily, and I am still experiencing some swelling and discomfort.  But I am alive, and I have never been more thankful.  I have discovered much about myself; I am humbled by the outpouring of hope, faith, and love from literally hundreds and hundreds of people.  Now I have to pass it on.  I want to be a part of other teams, for those whose sleds have taken an unexpected turn, or whose team is worn out.  I want to be light and warmth for those who find themselves stranded out there on the dark and cold trail.  I hope to cheer them across the finish line, just as others have cheered for me.  Life is teamwork.  That’s what I learned from the Iditarod, and that’s what I hope to pass on.

Watch the slide show!

After a month of travel and excitement, I am now home in North Carolina, safe and sound.  But I couldn’t leave Alaska without one final adventure.

I was scheduled to fly to Anchorage late Sunday night from Nome after the Wells Fargo Awards Banquet.  Due to the large number of folks who needed to be transported to the airport to make that flight, my driver needed to drop me off and then go back for a second load.  I walked into one door of the terminal just as Jeff King walked through the other.  We looked at each other and quickly assessed the situation.   If we hurried, we might be able make the flight that was just boarding.  Of course, the clerk recognized Jeff immediately and granted his request to make the flight.  Though I was an unknown, they graciously accommodated me as well.  Unfortunately, I had checked my bags earlier in the day for the later flight, so they were not going with me.  But I took the chance, hoping that eventually I would be able to claim my bags.

It turned out to be a serendipitous meeting, because that was the last flight to make it out of Nome that night and for the next two days.  While we were in the air Sunday night, Mt. Redoubt erupted, sending an ash cloud nine miles into the sky.  The flight I had originally been scheduled to take was forced to turn around to avoid the ash cloud.  The volcano erupted five more times in the next 24 hours, but the prevailing winds were blowing north/northwest; most of the ash blew away from Anchorage and into the interior of Alaska.  My bags were eventually sent to Fairbanks and then forwarded on to Asheville.

I was happy and relieved to make it to Anchorage Sunday night so I could make my flight to Charlotte on Tuesday.  But that early flight also gave me a special gift – the opportunity to chat with Jeff King for the two-hour flight from Nome to Anchorage!

March 23, 2009

The Wells Fargo Awards Banquet was held last night at the Nome Recreation Center.  Hundreds of race fans packed the arena for this event that recognized the achievements of the teams that finished Iditarod XXXVII.  The following is the list of special awards that were presented.

PenAir Spirit of Alaska Award – Aaron Burmeister received a $500 credit for travel or freight and a beautiful framed mask depicting the spirit of the “team,” for being the first musher into McGrath.

GCI Dorothy G Page Halfway Award – For being the first musher to arrive in Iditarod, Lance Mackey received $2,500 in gold nuggets and a beautiful trophy.

Millennium Hotel Anchorage First to the Yukon Award - Lance Mackey received a nine-course meal for being the first team to Anvik.  Tonight Mackey received an additional $3,500 in one dollar bills as the “after dinner mint” for his efforts.

Rookie of the Year – Chad Lindner was the first rookie to pass under the burled arch in Nome.  He received $1,500 and a trophy for his efforts.

Nome Kennel Club Fastest Time Safety to Nome – Ramey Smyth completed the trek from Safety to Nome in 2 hours and 27 minutes, receiving $500 for his efforts.

Horizon Lines Most Improved Musher Award – The most improved award was given to Dallas Seavey for going from 41^st place in 2007 to sixth in 2009.

Fred Meyer Sportsmanship Award – This award includes $1,000 in Fred Meyer Gift Cards and was awarded to Aaron Burmeister for helping a musher find his team.

Chevron Most Inspirational Musher Award – Trent Herbst received this award for the work he has done in the classroom teaching his fourth grade students all about “The Last Great Race on Earth.” The honor included a trophy and $1,000 worth of Chevron gas.

Golden Stethoscope Award – This award was given to Dr. Denny Albert, the veterinarian deemed most helpful on the trail by the Iditarod Official Finishers Club.

Golden Clipboard Award – Nikolai was given this award for being the checkpoint along the Iditarod Trail that most exemplifies community teamwork.

Alaska Airlines Leonard Seppala Humanitarian Award – Lance Mackey received a trophy and two round trip tickets to anywhere on the Alaska Airlines system.  This award is given to a team in the top 20 who has best demonstrated outstanding dog care as voted by a team of veterinarians.

City of Nome Lolly Medley Golden Harness Award – This award honors an outstanding lead dog, chosen by the mushers. This year’s recipient was Kuling a 9-year-old member of Jessie Royer’s team.  Kuling has completed seven Iditarods and led this year’s team to an 8th place finish.  She has been Jessie’s lead dog for all seven of her Iditarods.

Northern Air Cargo Herbie Nayokpuk Memorial Award – Sonny Lindner received a free freight allotment on Northern Air Cargo, $1,049 cash, and a trophy.

Wells Fargo Red Lantern Award – Timothy Hunt was the final of the 52 official finishers to cross under the burled arch in Nome.  He completed the 1,049 miles in 15 days, 14 hours, 6 minutes, and 22 seconds.

Saturday, March 21st

Today was Meet the Mushers at Iditarod Headquarters in the Nome Mini Convention Center.  Hundreds of people, young and old, were there to meet and greet, and get the autographs of the mushers who finished Iditarod XXXVII.  The top three finishers, Lance Mackey, Sebastian Schnuelle, and John Baker literally took the stage to chat with fans that came by their tables.  The rest of the finishers sat behind three long rows of tables on the floor of the center, armed with their Sharpies.  Folks had such a wide variety of items to be autographed.  They brought posters, race guides, trading cards, scraps of paper, maps, calendars, t-shirts, hats, coats, bib numbers, bandanas, and newspapers to be signed.  It was a grand three-hour event.

Enjoy the slide show!

Nome is a city of 3500 people and at this time of year the population seems to double with Iditarod fans.  The town comes to life for the Iditarod with a wide assortment of activities.  First and foremost among them is the celebrating that goes on at the finish line of the Last Great Race.  At all hours of the day and night, the fire siren sounds to announce that another winning musher is about to cross under the burled arch.  Folks rush to Front Street to cheer, take photographs, and listen to the live interviews of each one.  At that moment, each tired but elated musher embraces the motto of this community, “There’s no place like Nome!”

The lists of events that occur during race week are posted all over town.  Each day there are a great variety of cultural, local history, and culinary opportunities.  There are also numerous documentary movies, a host of presentations, and contests.  Today I had the opportunity to hear about how the first Iditarod was put together on the Nome end of the race.  Howard Farley was a good friend of Joe Redington and told his audience at the Nome Museum all about the early days of the race. He was fascinating.  Later I went to the library for a casual and intimate conversation with Martin Buser.  Martin was very reflective and honest about his performance. He was disappointed in his 18^th place finish, but knew that he ran the race that was right for his dogs.  He is so passionate about the Iditarod; the race that he says is the “ultimate equal opportunity sport for young and old, men and women.”  I couldn’t agree more.

I also made my way to the Native Alaskan Art Fair.  It is held in one of the many churches in town.  There were fine carvings of ivory, whalebone, and walrus, and mittens and hats made of a great variety of furs.  I enjoyed chatting with the artists and hearing their stories of how they learned their craft.  Many had learned their trade from parents and grandparents.  One artist was actually wearing 52-year-old mukluks made and previously worn by her grandmother.  That is stitching that has withstood the test of time!

At any time of the day or night anyone can drop in to Iditarod Headquarters located at the Mini Convention Center.  Many mushers gather there to chat, check email and keep up on the race.  It’s just down Front Street, a block from the burled arch.  Tomorrow from 2 to 5 p.m. is when all the mushers will gather for autographs.  I’ll be there for sure!

I flew into Nome today right after Lance Mackey made it to the finish line.  I could see from the air that the crowd had gathered around the burled arch.  I wasn’t too disappointed that I didn’t get to see him win the race.  After all, I did have dinner with him the night before in White Mountain, and I did make it to his post finish interview.  While Lance was talking about his dogs and giving them full credit for the win, tears came to his eyes and his wife, Tonya, handed him a tissue.

Watching Lance, then Sebastian and John Baker come to the finish line of The Last Great Race made it clear to me that none of these men had made it to the finish line alone.  Of course there were their dogs, the super athletes of the Iditarod, but there were others present at the end of the race that you could tell were also an important piece of these winning teams. Family and friends.  They were there to greet, hug, and congratulate these men on completing something extraordinary.  These folks were there to bask in the glory of the moment, but you could also tell that they had been a part of the journey that had led to the start of the 2009 race for each of these me n.

Here are three photographs of fathers and sons, two from this race and one from 2007. That was the year that began Mackey’s reign as Three Time Iditarod Champion.  Dick Mackey, the 1978 Iditarod champion, was there to see his son at the start of that race wearing the same number he had won in victory, bib #13.  This year Sebastian’s dad came all the way from Germany to see his son’s second place success today.  And John Baker, a native Alaskan, had his son and daughter embracing him after his third place finish.  Our families support and encourage us through our successes and our trials.

Congratulations Lance, Sebastian, and John!  This was one of the toughest Iditarods in quite a while.

Lance Mackey.  He is amazing.  This evening he breezed along the Fish River into the checkpoint at White Mountain, hours ahead of the competition.  After checking in, Lance moved routinely, methodically, through a long to-do-list.  First, he put down straw; sometimes he even dumped the straw right on top of the dogs for more warmth.  He pulled off their booties, opened three bottles of Heet, lit a fire, and began boiling water for the dog’s food.  While the water was heating, Lance pulled jackets out of the sled, straightened each one and put them in a pile.  After putting the jackets on the dogs, the water was heated; the frozen meat added to the water.  Lance put kibble (dry dog food) in each bowl and poured the hot meaty broth over it, serving the dogs in the same order every time.  Once they had eaten, he massaged the paws of some of the dogs and then they were set for their eight-hour rest.

Lance managed to take care of his dogs in the midst of chaos.  There were hundreds of people standing around.  The media was filming and taking still shots and interviewing him while he was working.  The vets are also caught in this jumble of people, checking each dog and making notes in Lance’s Vet Book.  Lance and his dogs seem to take all of this attention in stride.  Neither are distracted enough to interfere with what they are suppose to be doing.  The dogs ate their dinner and curled up and went to sleep.  Lance took care of them, never losing his concentration while answering non-stop questions.

While Lance was working, his mom surprised him by coming to the checkpoint.  She gave him a huge hug.  Lance said to his mom, “Aren’t these dogs superstars?”  Her response, “You are a Superstar!”

The “Superstar” may receive the big prize tomorrow under the burled arch in Nome, for the third time.

Unalakleet is like nothing you have ever seen before.  It is on the coast of the Norton Sound entering the Bering Sea.  As far as you can see in any direction it is icy and white.  Last night the wind chill made the temperature feel like it was 50 degrees below zero!  It is definitely the coldest place I’ve been on the trail.  The snowdrifts are 7 to 10 feet high in town and it has made it a little difficult for me to keep my bearings.  After being in the Athabascan villages of Nikolai, McGrath, and Grayling, Unalakleet feels like a big city.   It is the largest checkpoint on the trail with cars and trucks and snow machines moving the 600 inhabitants around town.  The native people here are Inupiat (Eskimo).

The school in Unlakleet is very involved with the race.  Once the mushers arrive, the student broadcast team from the Bering Strait School District (BSSD) goes full speed ahead with interviews, filming, and editing.  Their products are aired on a program moderated by Chick Beckley that is broadcast to schools in Alaska and the lower 48.  I was invited to participate in the live broadcast this morning.  It was such a thrill to be in Unalakleet and chat and answer questions from students in Minnesota and Florida.  The other amazing piece is that I knew the teachers in those schools!  Sheryl Cater teaches in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  We spent time together just last week at the 2009 Iditarod Teacher’s Conference in Anchorage, and at the restart of this year’s race in Willow.  Bonnie (a teacher from Merrit Island, Florida) and I both met at the 2006 Iditarod Summer Conference.  She has the quilt the teachers made in 2006 on display in her classroom.  This is truly instructional technology that empowers teachers and students.  This BSSD project is an outstanding example of how Iditarod brings learning to life for students around the world.  Their web site is: http://mushing.bssd.org.  For photos and video go to: http://mushingmedia.bssd.org.

Wow!  It is all happening at the school!  The David Louis Memorial School is where all the mushers in Grayling stayed last night.  After caring for their dogs they came into the school to prepare their own food.  Then the race chatter began.

“Where is Lance?”

“How long did it take him to get to Eagle River from Grayling?”

“How long did it take Hugh?”

“Has Sebastian taken his eight hour?”

“How many dogs does he have?”

“Which of the other mushers have made it to Eagle River?”

“How long did it take them?”

“What’s the weather forecast?”

“Is there more wind upriver?”

“How long have the front teams been resting?”

And on the questions went with each new arriving musher.  You could see each one weighing the information and working out what they should do next.  How long should they rest?  When should they hit the trail?  What a treat it was to be a part of their camaraderie and conversation, to glimpse into their world.

At the time they were so thankful to be able to come into the school, out of the wind.  But not for long.  They didn’t enter this race to escape the elements.  In fact, fundamentally, they entered it to test themselves against those very elements.  It’s the whole point-in a weird way, they are truly in their element only when they walk out of the school, step back on their sleds, and bark, “Hike!”

Speaking of being in one’s element, I am spending a lot of time in schools while I am in Alaska, both on the trail and off.  As an educator, it is both instructive and fascinating to see how others deal with the challenges all educators face in one way or another: space, weather, technology, curriculum development, discipline, etc, etc.  Character development is one of those challenges, and one of the reasons the Iditarod has always had a strong pull on me-it exemplifies so much of the character that we are trying to instill in our students and children.  So, while visiting in the Athabascan communities of Nikolai, McGrath, and Grayling, I have thrilled to see this list posted in each of the schools.  It is entitled, “Athabascan Values.”   Compare this list of good character traits to the character education program you use in your school.

Athabascan Values

Self Sufficiency

Hard Work

Care and provision for family

Family Relations

Unity

Humor

Honesty

Fairness

Love for Children

Sharing

Caring

Village Cooperation

Responsibility to Village

Respect for Elders and others

Respect for knowledge

Wisdom from life experiences

Respect for the Land

Respect for Nature

Practice of Traditions

Spirituality

The sharing and caring by teachers for their communities and for these Iditarod mushers has been truly remarkable.  School is a vital part of these communities well after 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Watch the slide show presentation!

Watch the slide show presentation!

Saturday, March 14

2 degrees, clear skies

Sunrise on the Yukon.  It is a beautiful clear morning in Grayling, and we can see how the teams are spreading out.  The first team in last night was Jeff King, followed by Sebastian Schnuelle, Aaron Burmeister, and Lance Mackey.  The first three stayed, and Lance breezed through this checkpoint.

When I got up this morning I could just begin to see the pinks, purples, and yellow of the rising sun.  It was breathtaking!  I ran out to snap some shots of the new day and find out who had come in while I was sleeping.  I felt so fortunate to see several ladies of the race.  Aliy Zirkle was preparing to leave, Jesse Royer was snacking her dogs, and within the hour I watched Dee Dee Jonrowe pull into the checkpoint.  What a thrill!

At the front of this race there appears to be no weak teams.  The top 15 or so teams are all strong and capable.  The dogs of these teams are highly energized and eating well.  Even at this point in the race, the first team into Grayling may not be the first team into Nome.  There are still far too many challenges to predict a winner yet.  This race is very interesting.

Once again, just like in Nikolai, this village is making the mushers feel very welcome.  Grayling has opened the school for mushers to get water, to shower, and spend the night.  The children are so excited about the race.  They were running, leading the way into the school to show the mushers where to get water.  The teachers at David-Louis Memorial School guided mushers to the classrooms where they had provided extra mats for them to sleep on.  They even had a sign on the door, “Shh, Musher’s Sleeping!” In fact, Jeff King and Hans Gatt slept a few hours in the classroom beside the one I slept in last night.  It is important for the mushers to catch naps when they can.

The mushers appreciate Grayling for its fine hospitality; it is also a good place to escape the flow of cold air on the river.  Many have taken the opportunity to give their teams the mandatory 8-hour break (required somewhere along the Yukon).  Others will rest at least 6 hours here because the next push is a tough 60 miles on the Yukon River to Eagle Island.  Resting on the river is a poor place to rest because there are no wind breaks.

I believe I’ll take a rest too, a rest from writing.  I’m going to see what’s happening at the checkpoint.

Where ever I go, so goes the snow.  That’s the way it seems since I’ve been on the Iditarod Trail.  It was snowing in McGrath, so I was there an extra day.  I finally made it to Nikolai and when it was time to go, it snowed.  So, as of this posting on Thursday evening, I’m still in Nikolai.  I have to practice a little patience, knowing that eventually I will catch up with the race.

I did get to see the top three mushers go through McGrath and today I saw the last three out of Nikolai.  So, Rob Loveman may have been the last musher out of Nikolai, but he was not the last visitor to leave.  The snow kept the dropped dogs and nine of us associated with the race from flying out today.  We were a bit disappointed, but that’s the way it goes on the trail.  You’ve got to make the best of every situation.

So, how did I spend my afternoon?  I spent some quality time with the folks who live in Nikolai.  I had a great time talking to Nick Dennis, an 81-year-old elder of the village.  He told me of the early days of the Iditarod, how he used to break trail, and how the race has improved over the years.  He also told me how much has changed in Nikolai since he was a boy.  Nick learned the customs of his people, the Athebascans, that have been passed down from generation to generation.  The making of snowshoes, boats, and sleds is a dying art.  Over Nick’s lifetime he has made at least 50 sets of snowshoes and the very first set he made is on display in the school.  For many years he taught these fine traditions to the students in his shop class at Top of the Kuskokwim School.  Click the pictures below to see a larger view of Nick and his snowshoes, and to see where I’ve been sleeping while in Nikolai.

P.S.  If those snowshoes are missing from school tomorrow…I’ve borrowed them to make my way down the trail!

Watch the slide show presentation!

Tonight I’m in Nikolai, an Athebascan village of 70 on the Kuskokwim River.  The checkpoint is just off the river.  Mushers can hike up the hill to eat, take a shower, and sleep at the school.  The entire school gets ready for the Iditarod.  Under the direction of the school’s two teachers, principal and teacher, Denis Gardella and his wife, Joyce, students cook, serve, and clean up.  It’s a super busy three or four days, but lots of fun.  The boys in the kitchen prepared moose soup for dinner tonight – soup and cornbread for $10.

The Top of Kuskokwim School has 15 children, pre-kindergarten through 12.  The elementary students go to school 8:30 to 1:30 and the secondary students, 10:30 to 4:45.  These dedicated teachers normally put in long days and even longer days during the Iditarod.  Denis and Joyce roll out the red carpet for mushers and all the guests that come to Nikolai.

If it seems like I’m going in the wrong direction on the trail, you’re right.  Nikolai is the checkpoint before McGrath, not after.  I’ve found out first hand that you go where the weather allows you to fly and where there is room for you at a checkpoint.  On Tuesday, visibility was too poor for anyone to fly.  Today, Wednesday, it was clear to fly, but there was room for me at Nikolai and not at Takotna.  So, here I am!  Just like the mushers, I have to be flexible and change my plans according to the current situation.

It all turned out for the best.  I got to see Jen Seavey come off the river and chat with Trent Herbst, whom I rode with as an Iditarider at the Ceremonial Start.  Trent was taking advantage of the hot water provided by the warm and friendly people of Nikolai and bedding down his dogs for a few hours.  I plan to be in Takotna tomorrow, but I’ll just have to wait and see if that works out.

Enjoy the slide show!

The volunteer aspect of the Iditarod is huge.  People come from all over the world to volunteer for a staggering variety of jobs: veterinarians, pilots, trail guards, dog handlers, media, communications, logistics, cooks, security-the list goes on and on.  It is estimated that each year there are 1,800 to 2,000 volunteers that literally make The Last Great Race happen.  The race just couldn’t be held without those who give their time and talents, with many coming year after year.

And these are no mean talents they bring, either.  As the list above suggests, many of these people make a living doing these very jobs; however, there is no way the race would survive if all of them required payment.  They do it from their hearts, for the satisfaction of seeing something done well, and for the obvious thrill it provides to be a part of the Iditarod community.  And they are as happy, helpful, and capable a group as you could hope to find anywhere.

Is the trail marked, or do mushers and dogs find their own way?  The Iditarod Trail Breakers are some of the most hard-core snowmobilers in the world.  They make a “highway” over 1,000 miles long across Alaska.  This year 15,000 pieces of surveyor stakes with orange paint and reflective tape are used to mark the trail.  Additional ribbons and tripod markers are used in places like the Alaska Mountain Range and the Bering Sea.  The rules require that mushers must stay on the marked race trail.  That is sometimes easier said than done.

Even though the Iditarod Trail Breakers also work to keep the trails broken open and packed down, they can’t be everywhere at once.  Storms, wind, and drifts can fill in the trail and make it slow going for the teams.  Often mushers have to rely on the sled marks made by the teams ahead of them to stay on the trail.  Or they must trust completely in their dogs knowing the way when they can’t see the trail.

I had the opportunity to meet the six Iditarod Trail Breakers in McGrath.  The Trail Boss is Chuck Melon and his tough crew of five are J.R. Melon, Jesse Ripley, Daniel Ashcraft, Dustin Ashcraft, and Andrew Runkel.  They started breaking trail two days early due to the snowy weather conditions.  Their goal is to stay at least 24-hours ahead of the mushers at the front of the pack.  They headed out this morning to tackle the most difficult section of trail, Iditarod to Shaktoolik.  The race wouldn’t be the same without the hard work of the Trail Breakers.  Thanks, guys!

Enjoy the slide show!

Hike!  Today was the big day!  Sixty-eight teams parked their dog trucks around Willow Lake waiting their turn to go to the starting line.  Each musher hooked 16 dogs to the gang line, ready to take his or her team down the trail to Nome.

It was a picture perfect day, clear skies, no wind, and the temperature hit a high of 27 degrees.  It was very comfortable for spectators, but a little on the warm side for the canine athletes.  The warmth of the day did not diminish the dog’s excitement to get on the trail.  As soon as the dogs were harnessed and had their booties on they began to jump and sing for the fun to come.   These dogs love to run and pull.

Thousands of fans lined the fenced starting shoot to watch the race.  Official race time was two p.m., with teams leaving in two-minute intervals.  Each team was individually introduced with the last ten seconds counted aloud – 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1- Go!

Will 2009 be a “three-peat” for Fairbanks’ Lance Mackey as he goes for his third straight victory?  Is this the year for Jeff King or Martin Buser to match Rick Swenson’s record of five Iditarod wins?  Or will this be the magic year for one of the ladies in the race, Dee Dee Jonrowe or Aliy Zirkle?  Of course, you can’t rule out Sebastian Schnuelle and Hugh Neff’s recent first and second place finish in the Yukon Quest.  And then there’s Cim Smyth, who was the 37th musher to select his bib number at the banquet, and he pulled number 37 out of the hat for the 37th Iditarod.  Wow!  The competition is really deep this year.

The race is just beginning!  Come along as I follow the 2009 teams down the Iditarod trail.

Enjoy this slide show!

Last night Anchorage readied itself for the IDITAROD!  Banners were hung from 4^th Avenue and trucks hauled in more snow to make sure the trail had a base of 12 inches for the Ceremonial Start.  Race officials estimate that 10,000 spectators lined the streets cheering for the sixty-seven mushers and their Iditariders.

The Ceremonial Start has the feel of a festival; a celebration of The Last Great Race on Earth.  Today mushers were happy to mix with the fans, pose for photographs, and give autographs.  Tomorrow will be a different story.  The competition begins at the restart in Willow and mushers will be in race mode.  But today, at the Ceremonial Start, it’s all about having fun.  Mushers only harness 12 dogs to travel the eleven-mile course that goes from Anchorage, through Campbell Creek Recreation Area, ending at Campbell airstrip.  The pace is “casual” because the musher has a passenger in the basket of the sled-an Iditarider.

As the 2009 Target^TM Teacher on the Trail I had the privilege of being an Iditarider.  My terrific sponsor Target^TM chose (and paid) for Trent Herbst to be my musher.  Trent is from Ketchum, Idaho and has a mighty passion for sled dogs and the Iditarod.  He uses the Iditarod theme throughout his curriculum as a fourth grade teacher, and he trains and runs the puppy team of Ed and Tasha Stielstra’s Nature’s Kennel.  This teacher/musher blends these two pieces of his life in remarkable ways.  Trent had his students design and build his sled as part of his curriculum.  Students researched sleds, built models to scale, and calculated the dimensions to make Trent’s sled.  And they built it out of broken hockey sticks!  My ride was nothing short of thrilling-Trent even let me ride the last mile standing on the runner!-and I am so inspired by Trent’s creativity in the classroom.  Thank you, Trent and Target^TM!

Enjoy the slide show!

Thursday was a busy day for the 67 mushers participating in Iditarod XXXVII.  They spent the morning at the Mushers Meeting receiving information on race procedures and trail conditions.  Reports confirm that there is a lot more snow in the interior of Alaska than in recent years.  Just last night some areas received as much as two and a half feet of new snow.  Snow machine drivers are working long hours to have the trail prepared by race time.  And this year, when it is time for the Last Great Race, fans can have a front row seat of the race via the internet because every musher will be carrying a GPS tracking device.

On Thursday evening mushers attended the Wells Fargo Mushers Drawing Banquet held in the new Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in downtown Anchorage.  The festivities began with entertainment by “Hobo” Jim, followed by the invocation given by Native Alaskan musher Mike Owens.  Dinner was served, introductions of special guests and principal partners made, and mushers signed what I am sure felt like a million autographs.  Then it was time for the big event: the drawing of bib numbers.  Mushers came on stage, one at a time, and pulled a number out of a hat to find out their starting position.  Every musher has a preferred start time.  Some want to leave later in the day because they like to run their dogs in the evening when the temperature is cooler.  Others want to quickly establish their run-rest schedule.  Some mushers want to leave at the end of the pack; some prefer the middle, while others hope for their “lucky” number.  This is a competitive group of mushers with 25 of last year’s top 30 returning from the 2008 race.  Each and every one of them has a race plan and it is effected by the number they draw for the start.  You can find the musher you or your class is following at http://www.iditarod.com/race/musherlisting.html.

Enjoy the slide show!  (It takes a few minutes to load.   Show will advance automatically.)

One of my favorite events of the winter educator’s conference is the field trip to Jon and Jona Van Zyle’s. They have that gift of hospitality that makes you feel like you are right at home.

When conference participants first arrive, Jona takes them to the dog yard where she has 16 beautiful and obedient Siberian huskies.  Everyone loves on the dogs and poses with them for photographs.  When we have had our fill of doggy time, we head inside to their beautiful home and studio.  Jon is an artist and illustrator and has been creating the Iditarod poster since 1978.  Folks browse through the prints and the books Jon has illustrated, making careful selections.  There is much rich conversation about the early days of mushing and the Iditarod while sampling the fine assortment of finger foods set out for us.  Jona shares her great knowledge of the sport acquired during her tenure as museum coordinator of the Leonard Seppalla exhibit in Ohio.  We all come away enriched and thankful for this special time with very special people.

The 2009 Junior Iditarod began this morning in a virtual winter wonderland.  The 21 participants left in two-minute intervals with the snow falling in big fluffy flakes, creating a kind of musher snow globe.  The fast trails of last night were made a bit slower by the new fallen snow; in fact, the snow was falling so heavily that the Iditarod Air Force could not fly the volunteers and race officials out to the checkpoint.  That meant, Target^TM Teacher on the Trail Cathy couldn’t fly out either.  So, what were we to do?!  The problem solving answer: snow machines (snow mobiles for those in the lower 48…).  So this year, this southern Teacher on the Trail went to the Yentna checkpoint via snow machine!  Not only did I get to ride on a snow machine for the very first time in my life, but I also drove the machine for 40 minutes on the Yentna River.  It was so exciting!  The trip was absolutely beautiful and so much fun.  For the second time this week we had a clear view of Denali.

Do you know this famous author?

That’s right!  Robert Blake, author of the books Akiak and Togo, was at the Yentna checkpoint.  Mr. Blake lives in Nashville, Tennessee but was visiting this remote roadhouse on the Yentna River drawing and doing research for his next book.  I can’t tell you what the book is about because the author tells me it is going to be a “surprise.”  We will all have to wait knowing that it will be a must read for our classrooms!

As the junior mushers arrived at Yentna each one signed off on their time with the race official, had their sled checked by the race marshal for their required gear, and were guided to a resting spot.  Each musher received six bottles of heet, straw for their dogs, and a bottle of juice.  By 11 p.m. all the mushers were in and the race officials went inside the station for a warm and delicious meal.

Dan and Jean Gabryszak own and operate the roadhouse year round.  In the winter there are lots of snow machines that come off the river for gas and refreshment and in the summer it’s a fisherman’s paradise.  This evening Dan entertained us by singing and playing guitar while Jean dished out mounds of food.  Soon we were all full, warm, and ready for bed.  Everyone had to be up early as the first musher was scheduled to depart shortly before 6 a.m.

We were fortunate that the weather wasn’t too cold.  Highs had been in the mid-20’s and the low was -10 with little to no wind; in the morning the mushers and dogs woke up to clear blue skies.  And the trip to the finish line would be faster than getting to the halfway point at Yentna.  When the last musher headed for Willow that morning, some of the officials headed back on their snow machines and the rest of us flew back in a bush plane.  The trip by plane only took about 15 minutes compared to the 2-hour snow machine ride.  It was wonderful to see from the air where we had traveled the day before-on lakes and rivers, and through the woods.  We made it back in plenty of time to see the finish.  Stay tuned for race results!

The start date of Iditarod XXXVII is quickly approaching. Race organizers are attending to the last minute details of the Last Great Race.  The food bags have been sorted and distributed along the trail.  Mushers have their dogs in the “taper” phase of training.  Just like human distance runners they prepare for racing by putting in lots of mileage early in the season and then when it gets close to race time they significantly decrease mileage, saving energy for the big race.

The same is true of us in the Iditarod Education Department.  The Target^TM 2010 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail finalists are preparing for their 10-day, 24/7 interviews in Anchorage.  Diane Johnson, Iditarod Education Director, is putting the final touches on the Winter Conference with all of its fine speakers and fun field trips.  I have had a wonderfully busy time visiting schools in the Wasilla area, where I have been sharing Iditarod songs and stories with the children.

And now it is time for me to put on my real winter gear and cover my first race.  I have the distinct honor of covering the Junior Iditarod.  The Junior is a 150-mile race for mushers 14 to 17.  The trail stretches over the first 85 miles of the main Iditarod Trail to Yentna Station, where competitors are required to take a 10-hour layover, before returning home the next day.  The race is designed to teach young mushers how to travel long distances with their dog teams-a stepping-stone to the real Iditarod.  Follow these young mushers with me right here as we see how this year’s race unfolds.  Start time is 10 a.m., Saturday, February 28.

I couldn’t have had a more perfect flight to Alaska.  The sky was bright blue all day, and l had the nicest people sitting next to me on both legs of my flight.  And, I SAW DENALI!  For the first time in five visits to Alaska, Mt. McKinley was not hiding behind the clouds.  She was beautiful.

During the long flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage, I had plenty of time to chat with the fellow sitting next to me.  I think it is so interesting that, if you talk long enough to a complete stranger, you will eventually make a connection.  As our conversation unfolded I found out that Duane Hanson, my fellow traveler, is the pastor of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wasilla.  That was our first connection-I was headed for Wasilla.  Duane had wonderful stories of his early years as a pastor on the Seward Penninsula of Alaska in Shishmaref and Nome.  In Nome he lived next door to legend musher Herbie Nayopuk and would run his second team of dogs.  There’s the second connection-dog sledding.  At the end of the flight Duane invited me to attend the soup and sandwich dinner and Ash Wednesday service at his church.  I said I would like that and and I meant it.

As we were getting off the plane, I connected with my friend Terrie Hanke, the 2006 Teacher on the Trail.  I introduced her to Duane and told her about the invitation.  We started to walk away when Terrie said, “Wait a minute, I know this guy.”  We returned to Duane and indeed they did know each other.  Duane and Terrie had golfed on the same course in Dallas, Wisconsin and Terrie had actually given Duane’s wife golf lessons.  There it is!-the third connection.  It is a small world.

Terrie and I both attended the dinner and service; the dinner and fellowship were terrific.  So now I’m looking forward to more connections as I begin the Alaska piece of my Target^TM Teacher on the Trail journey.  I am reminded that it is not only wonderful to have others along with you on your journeys, but to see who will cross your path, and how they will contribute to your life and you to theirs.   It is, I believe, part of why we are called to do these sorts of things.

My bags are packed and I only have a few little odds and ends to take care of.  Last night I sewed my patch on the Teacher on the Trail sleeping bag.  Every teacher who has been selected for this position has a patch on the bag; along with mine, there are now a total of eleven.  The bag started its journey in Indiana (1999), then on to South Dakota (2000), Colorado (2001) to Missouri (2002), and then Oregon (2003).  The next year bag was in Minnesota (2004), then on to Massachusetts (2005), Wisconsin (2006), Florida (2007), Arizona (2008), and now to me in North Carolina (2009).  This sleeping bag has really moved around these United States! 

Here are two sleeping bag activities for your students.  1) Use the Internet and find out how many men and women have been Teacher on the Trail.  2) Using a map of the continental United States, color the states blue that have had a male TOTT.  Color the states pink who had a female TOTT.  3) Number the eleven states showing the sleeping bags journey, i.e. (1) Indiana.  4) Draw lines from the first state to the second, etc., until all eleven states have been connected.

Now the TOTT sleeping bag has been to these eleven states but its real duty is out on the Iditarod Trail during the Last Great Race on Earth. Wherever the teacher goes, so goes the sleeping bag.  At each checkpoint on the trail the teacher pulls it out of his/her duffel and looks for a place to sleep.  I’ll post pictures of the 2009 journey of the sleeping bag out on the trail.  I hope we find warm and cozy places to sleep!

Valentine’s Day may be over but the sentiments of that special day of love still linger in the air.  Here are two bits of advice to warm the heart I found written on chocolate wrappers: “Do all things with love” and “Love cures people, both the ones who give and the ones who receive.”  Now these sayings may be a little sappy, but parents and teachers everywhere desire that their children be loving, kind, and responsible.  As teachers and parents, we hope and pray that our children make good choices, know the difference between right and wrong, and show others they care.  Children constantly hear from authority figures that they are in charge of their behavior and all of the decisions they make.  But how do we as parents and teachers purposely instruct our children in these matters?  I like to refer to this instruction as “matters of the heart.”

There are loads of complicated programs developed to train children in areas of character or “matters of the heart,” and I am sure many are effective.  But I have found real-life examples from the Iditarod to be particularly effective.  My school’s “Buddy System” uses the Iditarod to build relationships between students; it teaches them, in an interactive format, what it means to be compassionate and responsible.  It is a simple system that profoundly encourages appropriate behavior, and it works!

Each fourth grader (big buddy) is paired with a pre-kindergarten child (little buddy).  The pair will remain buddies for the next five years (after which the little buddies become big buddies with little buddies of their own!)  On their first meeting in August the fourth graders give their buddies stuffed husky dogs.  Together they name the dogs, decide their gender, and make collars with dog tags for them.  The buddies have their photograph taken with their dog and the dog’s birth certificate, with all of its vital statistics, is attached to the back.  Each of the buddies receives a copy to take home.  Through this initial interaction deep bonds are already forming.

However, prior to the buddies’ first meeting, the pre-kindergarten teachers (dressed up as “Canine Fairies”) deliver the stuffed 7″ huskies to the fourth graders.  The Fairies impress upon them the responsibility that comes with being a role model to younger children and what that behavior looks like.  We even ask them, “Are you ready to take on this responsibility?”  Of course their response is a resounding, “Yes!”  The fourth graders are so excited to be at long last big buddies after years of being the little buddy!  The Fairies then give the dogs to the students to take care of for the weekend.  When they return to school the next Monday, we have the fist buddy meeting with subsequent meetings scheduled every month for the rest of the school year.

On their second meeting in September the buddies paint doghouses for the puppies.  In October the buddies meet for such activities as a special pizza picnic prior to attending a school assembly to meet Hugh Neff, the 2004 Rookie of the Year, and his lead dog, Marcellus.  The Iditarod is the perfect theme to build positive relationships.  And then in March when the real Iditarod is going on we have our own Iditarod adventure.  The fourth graders are the huskies and the pre-kindergarten children are the mushers.  They race across Alaska, from Willow to Nome, on plastic sleds over the damp grass. 

Last year we had our school Iditarod covered by our local television station and newspaper.  They recorded the fun, the laughter, the sledding, the hard work, the dogs singing for their supper, and the eating of dog bone cookies prepared by the pre-kindergarten children.  Best of all, the fourth graders were recorded by the media answering the question, “What does it take to be a big buddy?”  The responses touched the hearts of teachers and parents alike when they responded, “I have to be responsible for my buddy.”  “I have to make sure he is safe.”  “I have to set a good example.”   These were not empty words.  The responsibility the fourth graders take for their buddies was evident in their behavior.  They were making good choices based upon the needs of their buddies; moreover, these responses come from the heart.  It is in matters of the heart that we see these young ones begin to realize their place in our community.  To be responsible is to give back.

The relationship mushers have with their teams in the real Iditarod gives children a picture of how to be responsible.  There are always wonderful examples for students to watch on Iditarod Insider.  For example, find out how Paul Gebhart made responsible choices based on the needs of his dogs in last year’s race.  You will find this listed under March 12 Paul Gebhart finishes 8^th. 

At the end of the Carolina Day School Iditarod the pre-k mushers treat their fourth grade huskies to some homemade dog bone cookies.  The dough is easy to work with and the cookies are very tasty!  The recipe for these great canine treats follows this message. 

This week in my pre-kindergarten class we are studying the letter “V.”  Obviously we would study “V” the week of Valentine’s Day, the week of giving and receiving love.  But I’ll save my love letter for my next post; what I want to talk about is the other exciting thing we study during “V” week-volcanoes!

Students of all ages love stories about volcanoes.  Volcanoes are so powerful, and unpredictable.  These natural wonders give teachers the perfect opportunity to study history and science.  For example, look at all of the history we learn from the city of Pompeii.  This amazing city was perfectly preserved under tons of ash from the volcanic blast of Mount Vesuvius.  The discovery of Pompeii gives us a picture of what life was like in that ancient city.  History literally unburied.  From this history we can ask students why the people of that city didn’t flee and save themselves.  This is where the science comes in.  The people of Pompeii had no warning. 

At this very moment in our history, scientists, seismic experts from the Alaska Volcano Observatory are monitoring one of the nation’s highest-threat volcanoes.  Mount Redoubt, located on the Kenai Peninsula, 106 miles southwest of Anchorage is being watched round-the-clock.  One of the latest activity reports a vapor plume rising above the volcano’s summit crater.  There are holes melting in the upper Drift glacier.  The melting glacier on the side of Mt. Redoubt means that heat from the magma is moving up to higher elevations.  Many folks have written in to ask, “Will Mount Redoubts activity have any effect on Iditarod XXXVII?”  At this point, we don’t know for sure, but probably not.   But unlike Pompeii, today scientists can give us fair warning of any potential eruptions.  The Alaska Volcano Observatory is a wonderful example of how science can help save lives and protect property.

Here is a little scientific history of Mount Redoubt’s last series of eruptions that took place in late 1989 through early 1990.  During that eruption, the second most costly in the history of the U.S., ash clouds disrupted national and international air traffic and mudflows threatened an oil storage facility near Cook Inlet.  But perhaps the scariest event occurred on December 15, 1989.  A Boeing 747 flying 150 miles northeast of Anchorage encountered an ash cloud and lost power in all four engines.  The plane, with 231 passengers on board, dropped more than 9,800 feet before the flight crew was able to restart the engines.  Thankfully they landed safely.

Currently the Mount Redoubt volcano alert is set at orange, the level just below actual eruption.  Just as in 1989, an eruption can interrupt or interfere with air traffic.  But the falling ash from an eruption presents the greatest danger to residents of Alaska, so they have been preparing themselves by purchasing protective goggles and facemasks.  And who knows-maybe we will see mushers wearing facemasks at the start of this Iditarod!

The Target corporation scores another “bullseye” as the sponsor of the Target® 2009 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail^TM program! On December 18 a huge box arrived at my home overflowing with beautiful red and white Target gear. It included apparel for my school presentations, warm outerwear, and the cutest little Bullseye dog riding in a Target shopping cart. My grandson Asher quickly laid claim to Bullseye and Jake once again allowed me to dress him in some Target finery.

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting the real Bullseye at the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod in Anchorage. (I wonder if he will be there this year?) Thank you, thank you Target for all of your help and support of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race!

In particular, I want to thank you for your support of my year as the Target Teacher on the Trail, and the “Don’tForget the Bag” program.

[singlepic id="534" w="320" h="240" mode="" float="" ]This summer when I was in Alaska I had the opportunity to visit a glacier. As my three friends and I approached this amazing wonder of nature all we could say is, “Wow.” Over and over again we kept repeating: “Wow.” We couldn’t seem to find any other word to express the thrill of being there and the awe of what we were seeing and touching. It was simply a “Wow” experience.

When I returned home to North Carolina, I was struck anew by the beauty of my own surroundings. Unfortunately, Western North Carolina is not as pristine and untouched by human excesses as the Alaskan wilderness. I felt a tug, a call to present a project to children at my school and around the world that would empower them to take steps in their young lives to take care of our planet. As educators, don’t we need to instill a respect for our physical world and its limited resources? After careful consideration, I came up with an environmental awareness project called “Don’t Forget the Bag.” It is a project that shows students they can make a difference and show compassion to their planet by just changing one behavior. The effects of that change can be felt locally and globally. The goal was to not only raise awareness, but to also begin a new habit. For one week, students and their families were asked to use cloth or reusable shopping bags and refrain from using the plastic bags that are provided at checkout counters in most stores.

At my school we kicked off “Don’t Forget the Bag” week with a fifteen minute PowerPoint presentation. The slides gave statistics and showed photographs of the harmful effects of plastic shopping bags on the environment. It was a wonderful eye opener for the students to see how plastic bags pollute our communities, our waterways, our forests, and, in particular, how they endanger wildlife that inhabit each of these places all over the world. To give students an idea of the magnitude of this problem they were asked to bring in all the plastic bags their families used in one week. The week prior to the presentation they were collected in a washing machine sized box in the entry hallway to the school. After the PowerPoint presentation, the curtains on stage were opened and you could hear the audible gasp as they looked upon the mountain of plastic bags gathered in one week. Students were told that we/they don’t have to wait for legislative action to make a difference: “Let’s try to make new habits starting next week by only using reusable bags.”

To conclude the presentation, faculty, staff, and students were presented with reusable fabric bags. Target®, my sponsor as the 2009 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, provided 800 bags for this project. Thank you Target® for investing in the environmental education of our children.

I have included the PowerPoint, the letter sent home to parents, and the lesson plan for the “Don’t Forget the Bag” week project. Please consider having your own program during your Iditarod studies.

I’ve had the opportunity this month to take a little trip down memory lane. Two years ago I attended the 2006 Iditarod Summer Conference for Educators in Wasilla, Alaska. During the conference Diane Johnson, the Iditarod Education Director, gave each conference participant a large, square, white handkerchief and asked us to design a square by the end of the week. The square was to reflect the week in some manner: character education, Alaska, the race, the dogs, the mushers, the conference, or the people attending the conference. At the end of the week our squares were to be given to the lovely Carol Helmke, a conference attendee, who volunteered to take all the squares and turn them into a quilt. Carol finished the project by the end of August 2006 and the quilt began its travels. The 2006 Quilt has been to Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Washington, and North Carolina. At each stop it has been displayed, photographed, and loved. Teachers have used the quilt as a teaching tool to inspire the writing of stories and poetry. Others have used the quilt as a spin off for discussions. Why did the artist/author say or write what they did? Is there a message in the square or in the quilt?

I gave my square to Carol in June of 2006. My square is designed like a license plate. There is a cartoon husky running through the mountains of Alaska. It states “Alaska,” “RUN4IT” and the funny thing is I’ve been doing just that for two years. Could this have been a foreshadowing of things to come? Who knows? Finally, two years later and as 2009 Teacher on the Trail, I have seen the completed quilt for the first time, and it is now being displayed in my school. The quilt has been on a remarkable journey, and so have I. I had no idea how that conference would impact my life and the adventure that would unfold. The quilt has brought back a flood of wonderful memories from that first visit to Alaska. It is a vehicle for teachers to inspire their students just as the Iditarod conferences inspire teachers. I have since used the quilt in directing my students to make individual quilts about Alaska and in working together to make a quilt about North Carolina.

This has given us the opportunity to compare the notable features of both states. It seems there is no end to the lessons learned and spawned by this quilt that began over two years ago in Wasilla, Alaska. It is further confirmation of the rich lessons and fresh ideas offered by the Iditarod educational initiative. (Lesson plans for the 12″ x 12″ Alaska quilt can be found here.)

Could there be a more exciting time to include Alaska and the Iditarod in your curriculum?  Many of you know that Alaska is preparing for its 50th anniversary as a state in 2009, but the big news of this Labor Day Weekend is the announcement that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is the Republican Party’s choice for vice president.  With that announcement all eyes turn to Alaska.  Everyone wants to know about this candidate who is the first GOP woman on a presidential ticket.  Where is she from?  What are her views?  What is her background?  Here are a few interesting bits of information about Sarah Palin for Iditarod followers. Before Palin was governor she was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, which is where Iditarod Headquarters is located.  In June of 2007 Governor Palin attended the festivities on Musher Sign Up Day at Iditarod Race Headquarters.  And the governor’s husband, Todd, loves to race through the snow, but not on a sled.  He prefers to ride a snow machine (or snow mobile for those of us who live in the lower 48).

Of course with thoughts turning to Alaska many of the political controversies of that state hit the airways.  As I listened to All Things Considered on my favorite National Public Radio station, the topic of global warming came up.  Margaret Williams, Alaska’s director of the World Wildlife Fund, shared her observations of how melting Arctic ice is currently affecting polar bears.  Later in the day questions arose about the pros and cons of drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).  ANWR consists of 19,049,236 acres in northeastern Alaska often referred to as the North Slope region.  The refuge supports a greater variety of plant and animal life than any other protected area in the Arctic Circle.  This controversy has been going on since the Carter administration.

As we all begin a new school year these political issues give us a marvelous opportunity to educate our students.  Without giving our own political views we can use these topics to educate young people on the importance of researching issues, weighing the pros and cons, and forming an educated position.  So with these issues in mind, I give to you three lessons on Alaskan animals.  I hope you can plug these lessons into your Iditarod studies this year and, as this Labor Day Weekend is the symbolic end of summer, let me wish you a happy and productive 2008-2009 school year!

It happened twice this weekend. The first time was on Saturday night when I went to see the movie Mamma Mia. I came out of the theater humming ABBA tunes with a smile on my face and a skip in my step. The second time it happened was on Sunday when I heard the National Anthem. Team USA’s men’s 4X100-meter freestyle relay was receiving gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics for their amazing victory during the swimming competition. I cried like a baby. In both instances music moved me in a profound way. We all have had this experience, but why does it happen?

Brain research tells us that physiological things happen to us when we listen to and make music. Music causes changes in EEG activity and pulse rate. We as educators can use this research in our teaching strategies because music engages multiple memory pathways and increases receptivity that is known to enhance and accelerate learning (Music with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen). Who wouldn’t want to use another mode of instruction to enhance and accelerate learning?! Using this information to incorporate singing and movement in our classrooms is easy, fun, and can happen outside of music class.

I was very fortunate to have the legacy of song writing passed down to me by my friend and mentor, Genevieve Fortuna. Years before the brain research studies were available to the general public she was writing songs as essential pieces of curriculum. She knew that music lifts our spirits and brings joy to our souls; she also knew it was a fun way to deliver information. I learned much from this wise woman, just like husky pups learn from the wise, more experienced sled dogs. Genevieve moved from the classroom several years ago and is currently in the business of parent education, but we continue her music legacy. Now no unit feels quite complete until we have at least one song to go with it!

The lessons I am posting today, August 12, all have accompanying songs. There is a geography song, an art song, an exercise/letter song, an information song, and a fun echo movement song; moreover, they all are about the Iditarod and Alaska. I have posted the words to each song and the tune to which it should be sung. We plan on making the audio recording of each song available to you very soon. I doubt these songs will make you cry like the National Anthem, but they are catchy tunes that really do get stuck in your head. Many parents have shared with me that they hear their children singing these songs around the house. That is strong testimony to the power of a simple song! So when they are available, download the tunes and put a little Iditarod music in your classroom to enhance and accelerate learning!

Every camp has its unique feature.  Most camps have games, stories, and crafts, and some even have singing.  Mush! Iditarod Quest! had all of the aforementioned activities, but what made this camp unique is its focus on character.  The children learned what it takes to be a good musher and therefore a good citizen.  To teach these good character traits I used the acronym RACE, because the Iditarod is The Last Great RACE on Earth.

Monday through Thursday of this one-week camp I focused on one of the character traits in the acronym RACE

• R – Respect and Responsibility
• A – Attitude
• C – Compassion
• E – Excellence

Each day, campers learned one story about a musher who exemplifies that trait.  That way, when I reviewed the traits already studied the children could look at the musher’s photograph and tell me his name and what he did that showed the exemplified trait.  For instance, the musher I used to exemplify respect and responsibility was Jeff King.  In the 2006 race Jeff’s team pulled away without him in the middle of the night.  Jeff did what anyone would do in that situation.  He ran after them screaming at the top of his lungs, but that’s not what turned them around.  Salem, Jeff’s lead dog, turned the team around and came back for him; they went on to not only finish but also win the race.  The children clearly understood how responsible Salem was from this story.  Jeff then showed respect for Salem at the start of the 2007 race, and I was fortunate enough to catch it on film.  Salem didn’t make the team that year, but Jeff gave him a ride to the starting line in the sled basket anyway.  That special bond between this man and his dog were evident to everyone.  My campers could look at this photograph and completely understand what respect and responsibility looks like.

The above lesson is an excellent example of the type of character education we can glean from the Iditarod.  And this type of teaching isn’t preachy or overly didactic; it makes the point by illustrating character in the lives of real people.  Simple storytelling is a powerful tool that cannot be exhausted.  The Iditarod provides endless stories of the lives of the mushers, their dogs, and the countless people who make it all happen.

To start the school year I am posting lessons on respect and responsibility and attitude.  Each of these character education tenets has a song that goes along with them and extended references so that each trait can be studied for an entire quarter of the school year.  I am also posting the craft idea that pulls all four traits together, a necklace with  beads that spell RACE, six round beads to represent the number of dogs needed to finish the Iditarod, and sixteen multicolored beads for the number of dogs pulling the sled at the start of the race.  Campers made the necklace on Friday and camp concluded with them singing the character education songs to their parents and then challenging them to Dog Bootie Relay!

With each passing day of the Iditarod Summer Camp, the attending teachers were building their knowledge base about the Iditarod and Alaska.  This conference was also affirming what these “campers” already knew:  the Iditarod is an amazing tool for capturing the interest of students and motivating them to learn.  These campers, all full-time teachers during the school year, use this theme to help enrich and define curriculum back home.

Thursday’s fieldtrips and Friday’s speakers continued to be enlightening and entertaining.  We spent Thursday morning at the The Alaska Native Heritage Center and the afternoon at the Joe Redington exhibit at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.  Friday we heard from a wide variety of dynamic presenters: Alaskan educator Shannon Keene, race volunteer Sonny Chambers, the K-9 Fairies, Arctic explorer and dog musher Pam Flowers, and Iditarod Chief Veterinarian Dr. Stuart Nelson, Jr.

Every day I would hear campers exclaim, “This has been my favorite day of camp!”  And that’s the way it was-every day was the best!  I’ve given you a fairly detailed account of the “official” camp itinerary and just how amazing it was for all the campers.  But there were other pieces of the camp experience that were very special too.  This group of campers came together because they share a common passion, a passion for teaching, and they have found that using the Iditarod as a theme of instruction works.  This common thread united this group in a very special way.  We swapped curriculum ideas, we shared stories, and we made memories together at camp and during after hours adventures.  There were trips to glaciers, plane rides to Mount McKinley, dining at the Wildflower Café in Talkeetna.  We hiked whenever possible to see wildflowers and amazing vistas wherever we looked.  There were also moose and dall sheep sightings-the list goes on and on.  I can safely say for all the campers that it was the trip of a lifetime.

But camp did not end on Friday.  There was the Volunteer Picnic and 2009 Iditarod Sign Up on Saturday, June 28!  It was great to see who was participating in “The Last Great Race on Earth” this year and then mingle a little afterward.  Altogether, I cannot imagine a more complete, exciting or beneficial trip.

Picture this:  A beautiful two-story log home surrounded by a bed and breakfast, a veterinary clinic, and spacious dog kennel, all nestled into a fairytale green forest with burbling streams below a deep, deep blue Alaskan sky.  And this gorgeous place really exists: the Dream a Dream Dog Farm is the home and work place of veteran Iditarod musher Vern Halter and his veterinarian wife, Susan Whiton. Moreover, this is the setting for the first three days of the 2008 Idita-Summer Camp for Teachers.

We did think we were dreaming when we woke each morning to the eerie sounds of howling dogs!  The  “campers” rushed to the dog yard for the first chore of the day.  We had the pleasure of taking Prop, Strut, Fuselage, and Ailerone for their morning walk.  It sounds like we were taking parts of an airplane out of the dog yard, but that’s not the case.  Each liter of pups in a mushing kennel is named by a common theme.  This liter was indeed named after airplane parts.  Their mother’s name is East-can you guess the theme of that liter?

During our three days at Dream a Dream we were spellbound by the life-changing stories of Teachers on the Trail, Terrie Hanke, Jane Blaile, and Diane Johnson.  Diane also shared information about new programs the Iditarod Education Department will be working on this coming year concerning rookie mushers and weather alerts.  Vern led sessions teaching us all about mushing, equipment, and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.  To put what we had learned into practice, teachers were put into groups and challenged to plan their own run/rest race strategy and then explain their choices.  We were instructed on how to harness and bootie dogs, and then we were tested to see which group was most efficient.  Vern completed our kennel experience by giving us cart rides with the dogs and feeding us in high fashion with a fabulous salmon dinner.

These speakers alone would have made for a wonderful Iditarod Camp, but Vern and education director Diane Johnson planned for others to contribute to our “dream” experience.  Gary Paulson, veteran Iditarod musher and award-winning author, shared his life’s journey and how he moved into the world of dogs and mushing.  Sue Allen, a local high-school physical education teacher and musher, beautifully summed-up the significant lessons she learned in running Martin Buser’s puppy team this year and related this experience to a greater understanding in working with her students.  We were packing up our gear when Dee Dee Jonrowe, our last speaker, arrived.  Dee Dee shared the highs and lows of her 25 years of competing in the Iditarod.  One conference member cried tears of joy in being able to hear and talk to this woman she held in such high regard.  This was a dream come true.

After three days and many dreams fulfilled we left the Dream a Dream Dog Farm headed for our next adventure.