Anjanette Steer starts her rookie run in 2012

In order to enter the Iditarod, a rookie musher must meet a set of qualifications that includes having completed a number qualifying races.  Added in 2014, the mushers must also have a Musher Assessment Form completed for each of those qualifiers.  More details can be found here:  http://iditarod.com/resources/mushers/

Well… in my mind… a Musher Assessment Form = a Musher Report Card right?

In my classroom, at the end of each week (or more realistically every two weeks), my kids take home their Friday Folder of completed and graded assignments. My grade level team also likes to include a mini evaluation form with the folder just to touch base with the parents about how things are going in class.

Given that a lot of the character traits that the Iditarod Race Judges are looking for in their mushers are the same traits that I am looking for in my third- graders, I thought it might be fun to adapt the Musher Assessment Form into weekly self-assessment form for my students!

I think using this form with the students will give us a great opportunity to talk about the idea of preparedness.  Why does the Iditarod require qualifying races be completed prior to attempting the Iditarod?  Why would the judges be looking for specific character traits in the mushers?  Are those traits only useful for mushers or do they apply to “real-world” situations as well?

Find the form here:  Student Musher Assessment Form