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Marshwood teacher Mrs. Shaw named Iditarod "Teacher on the Trail," shares curriculum and student projects
Summary
Mrs. Shaw, a Marshwood teacher, described winning the Iditarod's Teacher on the Trail program and outlined how she will use the race to teach research skills, interdisciplinary units and social-emotional traits; students presented project work during the board meeting.
Mrs. Shaw, the district teacher selected as this year’s Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, spoke to the school board and public about the program and how she will use it as a teaching platform. She described plans to visit checkpoints, teach in Alaska classrooms and bring standards-driven, technology-enabled lessons back to Marshwood students.
"I get to teach at different schools along the trail while I'm there," Mrs. Shaw said, explaining that she will visit Anchorage, Willow and Nome, and use online journaling and real-time race data to connect students to the events. She emphasized lessons in credibility and digital literacy, explaining how her class practices identifying reliable websites and evaluating AI-generated content.
Mrs. Shaw explained that the Iditarod unit reinforces social-emotional traits — including grit, integrity and teamwork — and that these tie into the middle-school advisory and writing assignments. She described past activities (musher log entries, two truths and a lie, and musher profiles) that engaged students across disciplines.
Several students shared short reflections and reading pieces about what they learned, including a focus on perseverance and optimism. One student described the Red Lantern Award (for the last finisher) as teaching that finishing can be an achievement in itself. The presentation concluded with applause and board congratulations.
What happens next: Mrs. Shaw will participate in the Iditarod program next year and will provide resources and lesson materials to the district; the board said the presentation was a valuable touchstone experience for students.
