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Teacher on the Trail™
Engaging lessons based on Insider video clips.
Our four-legged correspondents write for all ages..
Collection of all things Iditarod.
Latest Teacher on the Trail™ Posts
One of the things I love most about teaching writing is that I get to help students learn how to use sensory language. Sensory language just means that writers are telling about what they see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. It’s a skill that takes a lot of practice because it’s not something we really …
Mushers are announcing their bib numbers on social media after the banquet last night. The banquet, and the bib draw especially, is a huge event that creates a lot of excitement. As I was excitedly watching the bib draw, writing numbers in my race guide, I noticed that there was a feeling in the air …
As the 2024 mushers count down the final days before the Ceremonial Start this coming Saturday, they are preparing drop bags, choosing the final dog team, and many other preparations. I anticipate that many of them will be carrying personal items, wearing special jewelry, or sporting significant patches on their parkas. Importantly, Trail Mail cachets …
You may have seen a video that shows a view of the Earth from far away in the Solar System, then gradually zooming into our home planet, getting closer and closer. As the camera view whooshes toward the Earth, we can start to discern familiar landscapes and places we can name. Then the camera might …
Teachers at the Iditarod Winter Conference were treated to a mini-Iditarod with three important stops today. First, we headed out to Iditarod Headquarters to see the mushers bringing in their dogs for final vet checks. Second, we met for lunch at the Broken Boat Grill at Knik Lake. Third, we visited Turning Heads Kennel to …
Today was the first day of the Iditarod Education Winter Conference. Educators from around the U.S. got together to share ideas and listen to some amazing speakers. I know I came away with some new ideas, and I hope everyone else did, too. My post today tackles one of the Depth and Complexity concepts: trends …
All along the Jr. Iditarod Trail this past weekend, I learned to approach people, ask a question appropriate to the circumstances, and then ask follow-up questions. Doing so resulted in many amazing conversations with all kinds of people. If you knew me when I was in high school, you would have been shocked—I was known …
At the finish of the Jr. Iditarod today on beautiful, sunny Knik Lake, I observed smiles, hugs, tears, laughter, a finish line nap, snacking, rolling in the snow, proud expressions, eager snacking, photographs being taken, and spectators cheering. Twenty one mushers and their dog teams took off yesterday at 10 am in two-minute intervals. They …
As much as people tell you about something, you can’t really understand and absorb it until you experience it personally. My experiences today with the Jr. Iditarod reminded me of how important this concept is in teaching. The air was electric with excitement this morning at Knik Lake, the start of the Jr. Iditarod. Dog …
Today I drove out to Iditarod Headquarters to visit during the vet checks for the Jr. Iditarod and then later, attended the Jr. Iditarod musher pre-race meeting. The Jr. Iditarod is a sled dog race for 14-17 year old students. They run an out-and-back course of 150 miles with ten dogs. At the halfway point …