Risk versus Reward?
When I informed my colleagues at school and my family that I had been selected to travel to the Arctic Circle as a PolarTREC teacher, they thought I was being punished not rewarded!!
Leaving California
It just didn’t compute why anyone from sunny Southern California; home of the Rose Parade, outdoor shopping plazas, and 329 days of sunshine; would voluntarily choose to be exposed to below zero temperatures. But my excitement couldn’t be curbed, I had a great phone interview with Elliot Friedman, one of the researchers on the project; I had already visited the PolarTREC Virtual Base Camp and saw some amazing past expeditions; and I had recently watched the movie “30 Days of Night,” which takes place in Barrow, AK. Then I received an email from Sarah Crowley a week before orientation advertising “temps around -30 or -40, but don’t worry…”
Suddenly, I became doubtful!! My family and friends were right. What was a nice SoCal girl going to do in Alaska in the middle of winter? Surely, there was a misunderstanding. So as I threw on yet another jacket over my fleece pullover and thermals, I calmly explained to my colleagues that I was actually embarking on an amazing scientific research journey that would allow me to attain first hand research experience and knowledge, gain access to working experts in the field, collect data and photos I can use with my class, all of which would contribute to improving my teaching practice.
I'm wearing two pairs of socks, boots, thermals, yoga pants, snow pants, a long sleeve shirt, a fleece pullover, snow jacket, neck warmer, and snow gloves and I'm STILL COLD!
Alaska "North to the Future"
And so far my first few days of orientation and training are proving me correct! I’ve already begun networking with the most fascinating peer groups I’ve ever worked with - teacher colleagues who have developed innovative science curriculums for their districts, winners of hundreds of thousands of dollars of grant money to improve their school sites, world travelers with profound professional and personal global experience, and still others who are Einstein Fellows. It’s going to be the start of an incredible journey.
Who needs a Metro bus pass when you can travel in style with sled dogs?