When I started teaching at my current school, it was brought to my attention that I should do a project to collaborate with the other teachers in my grade. So, I asked my friend Lisa at the time, who told me teachers at her school do the Iditarod Dog Sled Race. I took the idea and incorporated my own ideas and ran it my first year. Well, it became a tradition that every year I taught all 50 second graders the history, training, equipment, people who made a difference, etc. We do an ABC book each year, we do popsicle sleds each year, and every year I find new ideas and new things to add to my 50 slide PowerPoint. New pictures, new stories, new records, etc. It has become a part of me that I absolutely love to teach. I look forward to February when it is time to teach, and the first weekend in March when the race begins.

The Iditarod is in Alaska, and runs from Anchorage to Nome, it is 1049 miles long and each year the students and teachers pick a musher to follow. We put on a challenge where the students read books during the race. Each book is worth 5 miles and if they can beat the mushers to Nome, we have a hallway display, then they get a party. That means as a second grade they have to read 210 books in about 2 weeks. Every year, for the last 8 years, they have made it to the party. Well, we got a new superintendent about three-four years ago. It has been known that I do this project, and one day he made the comment that he would bring a musher in for a presentation. I was thrilled! Each year, I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting... he's a busy guy right? This year, I took matters in my own hands and found Debra Glenn.

She came to our school April 29th of 2009 and brought with her 3 dogs; Adtka, Tinder Box, and Scooby. She did an hour long presentation for about 300 students, 2-8th grade. (Everyone who has had Iditarod training.) SHE WAS SPECTACULAR. She gave a video presentation on the history of Iditarod; she brought her gear and explained how they work and why they are important; she let 16 2nd graders pull the sled and showed the length from the sled to the lead dog; and of course, showed the dogs, how to harness, and let students ask questions! After the presentation, all the kids got to pet a dog on their way out. She mentioned to me that I "gotta get on a sled", my heart dropped! REALLY!!!!!! That'd be amazing!!!!!

No snow meant mushing with a four wheeler instead of a sled. I was surprised with 2 grown adults, water, and various other equipment, how fast and well the dogs could pull us! That four wheeler must have weighed at least 500 pounds!