Teach and Learn

Engaging lessons based on Insider video clips.


Our four-legged correspondents write for all ages..


Collection of all things Iditarod.

  • Mathematical Reasoning and Critical Thinking ~ by Kathy Thompson

    Paw Print = Anchorage ~ Potter Marsh Wildlife Viewing Boardwalk Exploration Feeling ~ Day Two = Reflective Today we traveled to the Potter Marsh Wildlife located at the southern end of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge with Sara Lamont.  My head was spinning with a ton of math ideas as I looked at each angle ...

     
     
    
    
    

Latest Teach and Learn Posts

SEL Snack: Let Your Decisions Define You

According to a study by busyteacher.org, teachers make 1500 decisions per day related to their work in the classroom. The role of educator, at every level, involves informing, assessing, administrating, facilitating, and de-facto parenting. All day long we make choices  – and the heart of these decisions is our responsibility to our students. SEL:Snack posts …

Meet Kate Newmyer – the 2024 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™️

The Iditarod Education Department is pleased to announce that Kate Newmyer is our 2024 Iditarod Teacher on the TrailTM.  Kate accepted this job after a through and rigorous application and selection process.  Based on her written application, she was selected as one of 3 finalists that were invited to Alaska prior to this year’s race …

IditaRead Finisher’s Certificate

Your IditaRead “mushers” may be crossing the finish line soon. Here are the PDFs and jpeg for a black and white or a color finisher’s certificate for you to present to your finishers. Additionally, we want to thank the over 1,200 teachers that signed up for the digital IditaRead program.  The suggestion box is live …

Izzy the Immunization Dog – Resources for Alaska Educators

In cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services, and for the purpose of protecting our children and communities, the Iditarod Education Department wants to share these resources for use in your schools.   There are mazes, coloring pages, and flyers.  Click on each thumbnail to access the documents.

Classroom Community Restart!

Educators devote an enormous amount of effort into creating a positive, supportive classroom community. The beginning of the year is dedicated to establishing norms and expectations so that every student feels included and supported. Integrated into the curriculum is identity work, emotional regulation strategies, lessons on collaboration, respect, and consideration, and reminders to make responsible …

SEL Snack: Generational Learning

Redington. Seavey. Smyth. Mackey. At the 50th running of the Iditarod, these legendary family mushing dynasties were referenced again and again. The mushers and organizers of the first Iditarod committed to rescuing the sled-dog, and reviving the cultural significance of mushing to the history of Alaska. These values, and the love of mushing, have been passed …

Turn On the Lights!

Late January is a difficult time of year; all of the bright holiday lights have come down as the snow, slush, and cold have settled in, and any sign of spring is too far away to see. Finding a way through this long stretch is possible, especially when we focus on the inner light that …

Who Will be the 25th Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™️ in 2024?

Congratulations to these 3 educators!  The Iditarod Education Department has selected them to be the finalists for the 2024 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™️.  Each year, teachers from around the world apply for this honor starting with a portfolio submission, due December 1. This portfolio takes months to compile because it  includes showcase lessons, experiences …

Light Up The Night!

Last year, as a finalist for the position of 2023 Teacher on the Trail, I visited Alaska from February 26 through March 7, 2022. I fielded many questions about the experience, but one that always seemed to crop up was, “How much daylight did you have? Because it must have been pretty dark up there …

SEL Snack: New Year’s Resolution – Be Kind

January 1st. The New Year is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. It is a day of potential – a strange sort of limbo where anything is possible in the coming year. Resolutions are made with the hope that in two months…six months…nine months we will be fitter, …