Journal Entry

How do you define BUSY?

Well, it's May 28th and June is right around the corner. The students are getting excited about summer and going to the beach, but I have other things on my mind.

This is a very busy time of year, especially for educators. What do you define as busy? Well, as many of the other PolarTREC teachers can attest, getting ready for an expedition like this requires lots of time and preparation.

Here are a few of the things that I need to do to get ready for my expedition to Greenland in August.

  1. Finish meeting with 70+ parents to plan their child's GIEP (6-8 page document) goals for next year.
  2. Complete research and course work for my EdD program (seems like it is taking forever)
  3. Administer online Astronomy course for local college (I love the  planets and stars)
  4. Plan and prepare for two week vacation to Sanibel Island with my wife and three young children (Hoping the oil does not reach the island or surrounding area)
  5. Complete list of home remodeling projects (stain deck, finish basement…)
  6. Oh...my family!  Play with the kids, get them to camps, and spend time with my wife…
  7. Other things I'm sure I forgot about.

Here are a few things I've completed:

  1. School board presentation. I thanked the Gateway School District school board and administration for giving me the permission to participate in PolarTREC. They were very thrilled to see one of their employees selected for this prestigious project.
  2. Conducted an interview with the local newspaper.
  3. Discussions with students, peers and community members about PolarTREC and my upcoming expedition. I hope to have a huge following!
  4. Research on Greenland and Summit Station. Check out some pictures of where I'll be during the expedition.
Big House - Summit Station, GreenlandA web cam picture of the Big House at Summit Station, Greenland. Tent City - Summit Station, GreenlandA web cam picture of Tent City. The luxurious accommodations found at Summit Station, Greenland, located above an ice sheet thousands of feet thick.

So, as you can see, May has been a very busy month and there is really is no end in sight! All I can say is, I plan on taking everything in and will attempt to enjoy the ride.

 

Until next time, this is Jim Pottinger signing off from Delmont, Pennsylvania.

 

Happy Memorial Day!