Hi Boys and Girls,

I’d like to introduce Linda Kal Sander.  Linda is a Reading Coach and District Trainer at Pompano Beach Middle School in Pompano Beach, Florida.  She is also a nationally recognized presenter of cooperative learning strategies and other areas including curriculum on an international level.  It sure sounds like she works with a lot of students and adults.  Her favorite thing to do is play with cuddly puppies and to read.

I asked Linda about a goal she set for herself.  She said that after reading a book by Gary Paulson, she decided she wanted to learn all she could about sled dogs.  While doing that, she started learning about the Iditarod.  After a couple of years of reading, learning about the Iditarod, and sharing her knowledge with her students, Linda decided she wanted to be the Target Teacher on the Trail ™.  She said it sounded so exciting.  She made it a goal of hers to fill out the application.  She completed the application and mailed it off last year (2007).  Unfortunately she did not get picked as a finalist.  Although disappointed, she had a goal and she was determined not to give up.  So she decided to go to Alaska, learn as much as she could and try again.  Look what happened- she made it as a finalist this year!  Congratulations to Linda for not giving up.

Linda has a new goal (besides becoming the TOTT ™ 2010).  This year Linda has set up literature circle discussions using high definition video conferencing between her students and students in Alaska.  Students were hooked up by way of television and discussed the book Dogsong, by Gary Paulson.  Her new goal is to “continue using this technology to connect students in South Florida with their Arctic peers for reading and learning”.

Linda has also promised to give me ear scratches and belly rubs.  How’d she know that one of my goals is to get as many belly rubs as possible!

Congratulations to Linda and good luck with your goal of becoming TOTT ™ 2010.

Happy Trails,

Gypsy

Hi Boys and Girls,

How is school going? Are you studying hard? I sure am. It’s a little harder this year than last year and I have a lot more kennelwork to do.

I wanted to remind everyone about setting goals. This is a great time to do it. It’s a new school year and you are probably starting new activities. If you read my articles last year, you know that I really believe in setting a goal and working towards it. Some of you sent me your goals. I’d love to hear how you are doing in reaching those goals. For all you new readers, I want to go over what a goal is and how to achieve those goals.

First you need to decide what you want to work towards. Make sure the goal is something you are able to achieve. Then you need a timeline. Can you achieve this goal in a week, a month, a year? Some goals take a long time. Finally, you need to come up with the steps you need to take to achieve your goal. Let me give you an example. As you know I want to make the team at my home and I want to be a lead dog. Well that’s 2 goals so since I already know I made the team (I heard my humans talking), I’m going to set my goal to be a lead dog. While I want to be a lead dog right away, I know I have a lot to learn, so I’m going to say that I’d like to be a lead dog by March. That gives me 6 months of training. So now I have to decide how I’m going to do this. Well, I need to show that I can listen and follow commands, I have to pay attention, I need to show that I can read the trail and avoid dangers. What else do you think I will need to do to be a lead dog?

Now I want you to decide what goal you want to achieve. You can do more than one goal at one time. You could have one goal that you can accomplish this year like making good grades, and you could have a second long term goal like what you want to be when you grow up. Achieving good grades could help you meet your second goal. See how it works? I can’t wait to hear about your goals.

My next article will be about one of my favorite adult humans. He set a goal when he was very little and there were some obstacles along the way. He doesn’t have much to do with dog sledding except for running us when he comes to visit. His is a story of what you can accomplish if you work very hard.

So work hard, set those goals, and I’ll see you on the trail.

Gypsy

PS- remember if I made the team, my humans said I could have a blue harness??? Well there’s a rumor going around the kennel that my harness has been ordered. Just stay tuned for pics.

What an exciting time in the race. The winner will be in soon. Who do you think will win? It’s going to be a close race all the way to the finish.

Anyway, I thought this would be a good time to bring up setting and achieving goals again. (If you just started reading the Zuma blog during the race, you can read about goal setting by going to K-9 Gypsy reporter and go to the goal setting articles that were previously posted.) What do you think leaders Lance Mackey’s and Jeff Kings goals were when they started the race? Do you think it was to win? What kind of plan do you think they had to meet their goals?

Not everyone’s goal is to win. I’ve had several comments the past few days from readers who have been disappointed that their musher isn’t in the lead. Most mushers are in the race for the personal goal of finishing the race. If they have run the race more than once, their goal may be to finish this race faster than they finished in the past. So If your musher is in 50^th or 60^th or 70^th place, don’t be worried or think they aren’t doing well. They may be meeting the goal they set for themselves.

If you are following a musher, I’m sure you have done some research on him or her. Did they say what their goal may be. If not, what do you think their goal is? Is it to win? Is it to finish? Or something else?

Mushers decide early what their goal is going to be. Then they make a race plan. This plan is usually made several months before the race. This plan includes, when they hope to be at certain checkpoints, how long they will rest, when and where they will take their 24 hour mandatory stop. Once the plan is made, they will decide what and how much to pack in each drop bag. The drop bags going to the 24 hour rest checkpoint will have more supplies in it than a drop bag going to a checkpoint that the musher isn’t planning on staying long at. So the plan affects all parts of the race and is very important.

What could keep a musher from reaching his or her goal? Think about some of the things you have learned during the race. Could weather or trail conditions affect the goal? Illness? Injury? What else?

How are the goals you made for yourself coming along? My goal to be a leader on my team is going slowly. I have been running as a swing dog and I have learned so much. Remember, I wanted to make my goal by next fall, so I’ll just keep showing my human what I have learned and hopefully, I’ll get to try lead really soon.

Hope you continue to enjoy the race. Remember when the winner comes in, the race is not over. There are many mushers still on the trail hoping to reach their goals.

Happy trails,

Gypsy