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Teacheron2wheels

In today’s world of advanced technology, classrooms come in all different shapes, sizes, and formats.  For the 2013-14 school year, my classroom will be the world, spanning approximately the 24,000 kilometers I plan to cycle during the next 14 months.  I plan to visit schools along my route, working and talking with students around the world.  I will be a teacher on 2 wheels.  If I'm cycling through your area and you'd like me to visit your school please contact me.

  

 

My Project

This will be the first year that I don’t have my own classroom since I started teaching and the thought is daunting.  As much as I want to carry out my adventure, teaching fulfills me and it’s part of my identity.  Therefore, my adventure wouldn’t be complete if it didn’t include some element of teaching.  Granted my bike trip is a life experience that will most definitely impact the way I interact with my students in the future, I also plan to visit schools along my route, sharing and working with students around the world.

 

I will be posting my biking statistics, sharing data from my trip, and travel experiences along the way.  My hope is that this section of my website can be used by teachers in their classroom in different subject areas to make more meaningful connections with learning in our everyday life.  Cycling in itself is a topic that naturally lends to a lot of great inquiry, classroom discussions, and activities.  Please share with me any activities you might be doing with my website, I'd love to see them.

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Please spread the word about me, "The Teacher on 2 Wheels" to any teachers you may know!  Thank you!

Recent Classroom Visits

The Remarkables Primary School

Frankton, New Zealand, February 2014

 

I visited with almost all the different grade levels at The Remarkables during the morning. Since they had just started with the school year, goal setting for the year along with having “hope and dreams” were the themes I chose to discuss with students. My favorite comment came from a fifth grader who shared that she was going to participate in a triathlon with her grandfather in the spring. No wonder this country is filled with so many active and outdoorsy people, they expose children at such a young age. I felt right at home at The Remarkables. Thank you Debbie Dickson for organizing the logistics for my visit.

 

 

South Westland School

Hari Hari, New Zealand, February 2014

 

It has happened a few times, where my Warm Showers host is also a teacher at a local school. This time, in Hari Hari, I was able to visit Dulkara Martig’s school, a small rural school that brings in students from up to 50 kilometers away. I talked with the upper level students in a multi-grade setting as well as the lower primary students about my trip in general and my experience in New Zealand thus far.

 

 

The Selwyn House School

Christchurch, New Zealand, February 2014

 

My first school visit in Oceania was in Christchurch at an all girls’ school. The timing of my visit was perfect because the school year here in the southern hemisphere had just started the previous week. I talked to the whole female student body following a guest speaker who kicked off the school year with the theme “Yu can accomplish anything you put your mind to”. Our talks nicely tied together and afterwards I was able to spend some more time with the 8th grade girls who will embark on a personal project this year: a topic of their choice to research and put into action, which also made for a meaningful discussion related to The Loong Way Home. Thank you Jane Lapthorn for organizing my visit to the Selwyn School.

 

 

St. Mathews Catholic Primary

Mudgee, Australia, March 2014

 

Years 3, 4, and 6 joined together at St. Mathews Catholic School to hear me talk about my trip. This was a special visit for me as it was the school my friend’s kids attended. It also meant a lot to me to have my friends attend my talk at school. Even though many students at St. Mathews told me they enjoy riding their bikes, few had seen a bike that looked like mine. They were fascinated to see my statistics, learn where I had cycled in Australia, and share some of their aspirations when they grow up. The local newspaper also showed up to cover the story. Thank you Kersti Faulkner for organizing my visit.

Melbourne Area Primary Primary

Mother Teresa Catholic, St. Fidelis Catholic,& Princes Hill Primary School, March 2014

 

I had a series of school visits in the greater Melbourne area at the start of March. I was excited to visit these schools as I have heard a lot of positive feedback regarding their inquiry-based curriculums. The students at these schools had spent considerable time looking at my website and some had even emailed me prior to my visit expressing their excitement and asking questions. Students recorded a lot of their wonderings in both writing and pictures and it was great to see their thinking and reflecting about my trip. Thank you Kath Murdoch for putting me in contact with these schools.

 

 

South Hobart Primary

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, April 2014

 

I visited a reception class and multi-years 1-2 in Hobart before setting off on my tour around the island. The teachers were very flexbile as I hadn’t contacted them previously. However, it was the school my host children attended. We had an engaging question and answer session followed by art time in both classes to observe and draw my bike using pencil, pen, and colored pencils. I’ve never seen kids so engrossed in their drawings, especially for an activity at the end of the school day. Thank you Warburg family and Di OpBroek for your enthusiasm and embracing a unique and last minute opportunity.

Don Christian School

Mudgee, Tasmania, Australia, April 2014

 

My first visit to a school up north in Tasmania was at the Don Christian School. I had a really nice long chunk of time with them to thoroughly share my experience with them in-depth. I spoke with both year 3 and 4 students. We analyzed some of my statistics after my introduction and question and answer session. They also had time to do some nice bike drawings that I took with me. Kids here in Northern Tasmania are avid cyclists and love the outdoors and were able to relate well to my adventure. Thank you Matt Conn for connecting me with Rachael Jessup and helping organize this visit.

East Launceston Primary

Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, April 2014

 

This was my last school visit before the Easter holiday here in Tasmania. I was glad to be sheletered inside a school as the wind in Launceston was unbearable. I made it around to four different grade levels talking with about 200 students, including the kids hosting me in Launceston. In the middle of my visit I had an interview with the local newspaper, The Examiner. They published a nice article about the visit that made me feel like a local celebrity. As I cycled east, people kept recognizing me from the article and were very friendly. Thank you Georgina Brown for helping organize my visit!

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