Heidi Sloan 2018 Teacher on the Trail

Heidi Sloan – 2018 Teacher on the Trail™ reflects on Anvik

The Iditarod Air Force planes are grounded if the visibility is poor.  That means the Teacher on the Trail stays put until the weather clears. Having waited two days, but following the admonition to always be packed and ready, I jumped in the first available plane out of Unalakleet to the checkpoint of Anvik! We …

Iditarod Summer Conference 2023 is in the Books!

On Sunday, June 25th, 25 Iditarod educators arrived in the UP of Michigan for the beginning of the 2023 Iditarod Summer Conference. Teachers from all over the country were in attendance, from states as far as Massachusetts, Virginia and Nevada! It is the first time in a while that there has been a conference in …

Iditarod with Text Features and Structures

Paws Along the Trail with Creating Iditarod Booklets If your class followed the Iditarod, you will be surprised at what your students remember even at this time of the year.  As we review for the reading standardized state test, I am still using the Iditarod to motivate and engage my students. A difficult concept is …

Learning in Nikolai

Paws Along the Trail with Hospitality Early this morning while mushers were traveling with their dogs through Finger Lake and Rainy Pass, I waited with a group of veterinarians, trail volunteers, communications people, media reporters, and others to jump on a plane and leave Anchorage.  We flew to the community of McGrath.  If you look …

Gold and the Iditarod

 Paws Along the Trail with the Gold Rush Gold. Just hearing someone say the word creates interest and a desire to eavesdrop. The Iditarod Trail is remembered for the path it created for winter travel from the gold mines to the ports, usually by dog team.   Between the gold mines and mail carrying, dog teams …

Dog Team Hitches and Math

Paws Along the Trail with Hitches and Math Most of us picture a dog sled team harnessed in tandem along a gangline, pulling a sled.  For the Iditarod teams, this formation keeps the dogs closer together which is good for narrow, wooded trails.  Pulling power is  concentrated.  Dog teams can also be hitched into a fan formation where the …

Get Started Now Teaching With the Iditarod

Paws Along the Trail with an Iditarod Start If you’ve never incorporated the Iditarod as a teaching tool into your classroom, it can be a bit daunting to get started.  We teachers have so many standards to teach that it’s difficult to find the time to add a new idea, no matter how great it …

Best Conferences…Iditarod Style!

My journey toward 2018 Teacher on the Trail™ started at an Iditarod Educator’s Camp in the summer of 2016.  The thing I first loved about coming to an Iditarod Educator’s Conference was that I met like-minded, passionate teachers!  Anyone who incorporates the Iditarod and is willing to travel to Alaska to learn more has to …

A Great Ride!

Paws Along the Trail to Say Goodbye I can scarcely believe my year as Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ has come to an end.  What a great ride it has been! Learning more about the Last Great Race™, this amazing feat of strength and endurance,  has been a dream come true. Here are some Iditarod …

Make it Fun!

Paws Along the Trail with Laughter School is ending for many of us teachers.  This is the time of year when standardized tests are completed and some lighthearted academic activities are welcomed in the classroom.  I love seeing my students laugh!  This activity brought fun moments for our last week together. I thought, “Why not …