A “Climate Talks” Update & Apply to Be a GTF!

With my travel schedule as whirlwind as ever, it's been hard to find the time to update this blog! However, I have two exciting things that I just had to share with you this week. You may recall that a few months ago I was a part of an exciting documentary project called Climate Talks. This …

Climate Talks

In a mere three days I am heading off on another grand adventure to touch my toes on my seventh continent. (Australia, for those of you keeping track!) It's been a whirlwind getting prepared for it all, but I wanted to take a minute before I go to share with you the launch of an exciting project …

Hello again!

For the past two months, I've been stuck at home with a bad virus, and have only recently begun exploring the outside world again. While being sick is no fun at the best of times, it certainly takes its toll when you are isolated and out of routine for so long. Unfortunately, it means that …

Fat or Feathers?

How do polar animals survive and thrive in their harsh environments? There are two main methods that these animals use to stay warm in their icy habitats: blubber and fur (or down). Walruses, whales, and many seals have a thick layer of blubber insulation. This blubber is highly vascularized to insulate them from the intense cold …

How Does Antarctica Measure Up?

This week the National Geographic Education blog featured a post about my Antarctic measurement curriculum. You can also read a bit more about this topic in one of my previous posts. I hope you enjoy it!

Back to Reality

Coming back from Antarctica is hard. You go to parties to see your friends, and they ask you, "How was it?" but you keep finding yourself at a loss for adjectives. Amazing or spectacular just doesn't seem to cut it. "Tell me all about it!" they say, but you stare at them like a deer in the …

If We Build It, Will They Come?

A few summers ago, I signed up for a workshop offered by the Monarch Teacher Network of Canada. The registration fee was being subsidized by my school board, and I figured, why not? It ended up being one of my favourite professional development workshops and has had a profound impact on my teaching. Since then, my …

What Is Geographic Education?

When I first told my friends and family about my selection for the Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program, they were, of course, overjoyed for me. But, well-intentioned, many have since asked me questions like, “You don’t teach geography, so how did you get selected?” It’s true that many Grosvenor Teacher Fellows are not geography teachers. We are …