Hi Boys and Girls,
Can you believe that the start of the Iditarod is only a month away. Are you getting ready to follow the race? Have you picked a musher to follow yet? I bet your teachers are working hard to get things ready for you to learn about and follow the race.
Talking about teachers, did you know that there is a special program for teachers called the Target Teacher on the Trail Program ™? This program offers teachers a unique opportunity for a once in a lifetime adventure. One teacher is selected every year to spend 3 ½ weeks in Alaska doing presentations, visiting schools, and flying in a small plane up and down the Iditarod trail following the teams from Anchorage to Nome. During the time these teachers are the TOTT ™ they prepare lessons and they report from the trail. I bet your teachers use some of the lessons developed by the TOTT’s ™.
So, how does a teacher become a TOTT ™? There is an application they have to fill out. I looked over the application and it’s the biggest homework assignment I’ve ever seen! Some teachers say that it takes months to put together all the information needed to complete the application. All the applications are due by Dec. 1 of each year. Once all the applications are received, the selection committee goes over each one and together they decide on 3 finalists. Those finalists then go to Alaska the week before the start of the race. They do a presentation at the Iditarod Teachers Workshop, have an interview with the selection committee, complete an assignment/project, go to the banquet and to the start and restart of the race. They get to meet many of the mushers and give lots of ear scratches and belly rubs to the canine athletes. When the race is over, the selection committee will select the next TOTT ™ from the 3 finalists. What a wonderful experience for these 3 teachers.
I was very lucky to do email interviews with all 3 of this years finalists. I will be doing a post for each one. They told me about special goals they have set in the past and some for the future. I love goal setting stories! I hope you enjoy their stories and that it helps you set some new goals for the future.
Do you know of a special teacher that would make a good TOTT ™? If so, please encourage him/her to apply. Maybe next year, I’ll be writing about your teacher.
See you out on the trail,
Gypsy
Hi Boys and Girls,
I’d like to introduce Nikki Allen. Nikki teaches at Fort Braden School in Tallahassee, Florida. She teaches Social Studies to 7th and 8th grade students. She likes to go to the beach and the gym to work out. She has traveled a lot and has visited 12 different countries. Doesn’t that sound like fun. I love to travel and see different things and meet new people. I bet Nikki has lots of great stories to tell about her travels.
When I emailed Nikki about her goals, I got an email back from General, the wagging Weimaraner of the South. You can see General in the picture with Nikki. Isn’t he handsome? Anyway, he said that Nikki’s daily goals were to smile, laugh, be physically fit, and to be a good role model for her young humans. I think it’s great to have a daily goal. I’ll have to think of some for me. General told me his daily goals were to chase squirrels, and get as many treats as possible. Those sound pretty good to me especially the treat part. General then told me that a long term goal of Nikki’s was when she was in high school. She wanted to be accepted to Florida State University and become a cheerleader for the Seminoles. She had dreamed of that goal for years. She worked hard, kept up her grades, focused on her athletic training and was accepted to the University and not only became a cheerleader, but she was a pole vaulter for the track and field team. Wow what an accomplishment. This was a goal from when she was a young human and she accomplished it as an adult human. I bet some of you already have goals in mind for when you’re all grown up.
Nikki’s current goal is to put her best effort into becoming the 2010 TOTT ™. This is a goal not only for herself but for her young humans. They are a team going on this journey together.
Congratulations to Nikki and best of luck becoming the 2010 Target Teacher on the Trail ™.
Happy Trails,
Gypsy
Hi Boys and Girls,
I’d like to introduce Herb Brambley. Herb teaches at Southern Fulton Elementary School in Warfordsburg, Pennslyvania. He teaches Environmental Education and Technology to K-6th grade. Before he became a teacher, Herb, was a machinist, tool and die maker, welder, farrier, blacksmith, and sawyer. Do you know what all those jobs are? If you don’t, be sure to look them up and find out- that’s what I’m going to do. It sure sounds like he’s had some interesting jobs.
Herb set a goal for himself when he was an adult. He had gone to college and had a job but decided he wanted to be a teacher. He was a dad to 2 boys in elementary school at that time also. He said a difficult thing about this was it cut into the time he spent with his boys doing sports or school things. But they worked together like a team of huskies and made it work. He did homework the same time the boys were doing theirs. Herb thinks that helped the boys realize that their homework was important.
Herb accomplished his goal and graduated with a degree in elementary education and environmental education. Because of this goal, he now teaches students about the environment and how to care for it. A lot of his time is spent outside with his students at the schools wetlands, pond and 140 acres of forests and field. Doesn’t that sound like a neat school setting?
Herb said the best thing about accomplishing his goal was that his 2 sons have accomplished theirs. One is a Forest Ranger and the other is a High School Math teacher.
Herb said “setting goals and having high expectations for yourself might not only help you, it might help those around you achieve goals that they may have”.
Congratulations to Herb and good luck with your next goal of becoming the Target Teacher on the Trail ™ 2010.
Happy Trails,
Gypsy
