Last Day of School
I recently finished my tenth year as a classroom teacher. As always, in preparation for summer maintenance and cleaning, I packed up most of my classroom materials and organized…
Final Lesson of the Year - PolarTREC
The month of June usually entails locker clean-outs, final exams, award and graduation ceremonies and other activities meant to wrap up a successful school year…
Useful Vocabulary
These definitions may be helpful as you read this journal entry:
Diatom - photosynthesizing algae with clear cell walls
Culture - the isolation and growth of cells
Peristaltic…
Just a Stone’s Throw Away
When researchers request PolarTREC teacher applications, I imagine that they are looking for personalities that will work with their research group; hard-working,…
What Exactly Are You Doing?
This past week, I had the opportunity to speak to my colleagues at North Quincy High School about my upcoming trip to Antarctica. This ‘teaser’ presentation was my first…
Post the Video to your Journal Anyway
As promised, here is my first attempt at making a video. I have much to learn about this process, but after much trial and error, I am happy to say that my…
Hibernation Habits
The Arctic ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) is a species of rodent that lives in the Arctic year-round. This small mammal does not spend the entire year exploring the…
What are you doing while you are in Alaska?
When I introduced the idea of PolarTREC, orientation in Alaska and my specific expedition to my students, they all expressed their support and interest in…
Waiting is the Hardest Part
I had been through this waiting stage before....many, many, many times. Little did I know that the wait was over - I was going to Antarctica! Let's not get ahead of…
