12 November 2014 Time for a New Adventure...In the Classroom

Another Beginning

Where one adventure ends another begins, for now I take the lessons learned from a month in the Southern Ocean and South Georgia and teach my community. Hopefully my new knowledge of plate tectonics, polar science, and Antarctic wildlife will become a part of Northern Arizona.

One often goes to work, does their job and that is all, but as a public educator my passion runs deep. My job is more than a paycheck it is a desire to show all my students the amazing world of science, to open their eyes to the magic of discovery and questioning...questioning everything.

Every day in my classroom I ask why, and more often than not I would prefer an explanation for a wrong answer than that of a right answer. So now I begin again, a new adventure. Why do the magnetic poles switch? Why do the tectonic plates move as they do, and what caused the South Georgia Micro Continent to separate from the South American Plate. Can the information learned during our expedition give me some of these answers. And, to question even more, for as the Earth's plates continue to move what will the shape of this planet look like in ten thousand years, let along a half million.

One component of my expedition that touched my heart was you! All of you who made flags and followed along gave me purpose and direction, a desire to excite your children and your classes to learn science.

Humans are so lucky to live on this amazing planet, there is so much to learn, to explore, to question and open doors. I hope in some small measure I opened some doors for all of you. Excited a child about the seals whiskers, maybe a grandparent to think about magnetic pole reversals. Because you see, it should never end, from birth and every day we should be excited about learning and the knowledge this amazing world has laid at our fingertips.

Thank you everyone for sharing with me a life dream, thank you for learning as I learn and being a part of a grand adventure.

Don't forget PolarTREC has scientific expeditions currently on Antarctica, continue your quest for knowledge as other teachers also follow their dreams.

THANK YOU!