Target Iditarod Teacher on the Trail^™ 2007 Teacher on the Trail^™

Kim Slade from Vero Beach, Florida

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Kim Slade is a math coach and resource teacher at J. A. Thompson Elementary School in Vero Beach, Florida, a quiet beachside community where she has taught at the elementary level for 16 years. She received a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Central Florida and has taught kindergarten, fourth, and fifth grades. Kim has moved from the classroom and now works with all grades, kindergarten through fifth. She is responsible for training teachers at her school, and at the district level, in mathematical integration. Kim is the mother of two and the wife of a firefighter. Her interests include spending time with her family, boating, diving, fly fishing, snow skiing, and running. She also enjoys spending time with her four dogs (one of which is an Alaskan husky).

The integrated approach has always been key to her teaching style, and using the Iditarod in the classroom has been the most rewarding way to achieve this. She uses the Iditarod as a means to help students at her school obtain an understanding of a cold climatic region. “By following the race, students are interested in the weather, terrain, and environment of Alaska because they make a connection with the mushers and the dogs. The children feel as if they are there with the teams as they face the challenges along the trail.”

Kim’s interest in the Iditarod was catapulted by the 2005 Summer Iditarod Professional Development Conference for Educators and Fans. “It was by far the most comprehensive conference I have ever attended. The experiences that were provided have made me a better teacher, not only about the Iditarod, but in the way I approach teaching with students.” Her Alaskan experience has sparked a deeper interest about the race, with children at her school, and in her community.