GMS teacher embarks on great Alaskan journey

English teacher Brian Hickox with eighth graders Leah Cohen, Ashley Factor and Shannon McGrann (Moira Sweetland photo)

On Friday, February 15, just before the start of school vacation and on the final day of “PAWSitivity Week,” the entire Galvin Middle School community gave English teacher Brian Hickox a rousing send off as he prepared to begin his journey across the country to participate in a month-long adventure as the 2019 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail.

Chosen last spring after months of preparation and a rigorous selection process, Hickox officially assumed his duties at the start of the current school year, launching and maintaining an active blog on the Iditarod Education website that features articles, lesson plans and lesson ideas tied to the famed dogsled race.

Next he will head off to Alaska to experience the Iditarod itself, known as the “Last Great Race on Earth.” Each year, mushers and their teams of dogs travel nearly 1,000 miles across rough Alaskan terrain, ending on the coast of the Bering Sea in Nome. The race commemorates the part that sled dogs played in the settlement of Alaska.

Once the race begins on March 2, Hickox will be flown by bush plane to many of the mushers’ checkpoints and will post daily journal entries chronicling events from the race.

While he must travel and complete his mission as an individual, his selection has fostered tremendous school spirit and helped to strengthen the school culture at GMS. Over the past three months, students have participated in a school-wide Idita-Read independent reading program. Art teachers Pat Johansen and Carolyn Owens worked with a select group of students to paint a hallway mural commemorating Hickox’s upcoming journey, and they facilitated a contest wherein students designed patches to represent all that Hickox brings to his role as the Teacher on the Trail. A number of GMS colleagues have also rallied in support of their colleague, gathering at teacher Maureen Holland’s house early last year to celebrate with Hickox and help raise funds to offset his travel expenses.

And just this past week, Holland, a fellow ELA teacher and outdoor enthusiast, organized a day of exploration and learning for the eighth graders that featured a presentation by second generation musher Bailey Vitello from Northern Exposure Outfitters in Brookfield. “Students stood in the cold and mushy snow as he described how they care for the dogs, what equipment is necessary, and finally led the dogs on some laps around the field in the back of the school,” said Holland. “It was awesome to watch our students learn firsthand about how dogs are cared for as they compete.”

While Hickox will surely miss his students while he is away on his trip to Alaska, he hopes to stay in touch via Skype and is eager to share his experience with students and teachers all over the globe. As he noted last spring upong learning of his selection as the Teacher on the Trail, “This unique opportunity and experience will enable me to grow as an educator, engage students, collaborate with teachers and enrich the community. I feel very fortunate and I am very humbled. I look forward to sharing this experience with everyone in the Canton community.”

For more information about the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail program and to follow Hickox on his great adventure, visit iditarod.com/edu/category/teacher-on-the-trail.

See this week’s Canton Citizen for more photos from the Feb. 15 sendoff and PAWSitivity rally by Moira Sweetland. Click here to subscribe today.

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