Watch

Science Teacher Bikes Colorado Trail

Creator:
Published:
January 29, 2024
May 16, 2020
This science teacher knows the importance of practicing self-care to renew his passion for work.|This science teacher knows the importance of practicing self-care to renew his passion for work.

Andy Brubaker knows that to fulfill his calling to be a teacher, he has to spend time renewing himself outside of the classroom, too. This is why he decided to spend a summer biking the Colorado Trail.

"If we don’t take the time to renew ourselves, we’re not going to continue to be able to put energy into those careers."

Video Transcript

Andy: As teachers, but as anyone in any job that requires you to devote yourself to it, you need to be well-balanced. That's something that I think often falls by the wayside. If we don't take the time to renew ourselves, we're not going to continue to be able to put energy into those careers.

Andy is a high school biology teacher. He bikes to work every day.

Andy: A camel has several different features that makes it able to survive better in the desert. The furry ears are going to help protect against the sand. This is pretty steep up this way, and curves, and curves in a little bit more, like that.

Student 1: Dang, skills.

Andy: Thanks.

Student 2: And do we have to have all straight lines?

Andy: Yes, you do.

The body's there on the outside. The egg perimeter is the very outside of that circle, okay? For the Day Six and Day Eight embryos, you're looking for these things. Eyes up here real quick for me, please. I want to make sure you get this.

Questions? If you have them later, let me know. Stereo microscopes. The embryos are there on the far side. Go and grab those things. Here we go.

A friend of mine and I, we were both about to turn 30. We knew we were entering into a period where there were going to be some life changes happening, so we wanted to do something that was going to cap off this young adult experience, but at the same time, be something we could look back on 30 years from now.

Andy biked the Colorado Trail. A 13-day trek.

Andy: 550ish miles, 80% is dirt, mostly single track. The average elevation is over 10,000 feet.

While I didn't walk away from it with a whole new unit of lesson plans, I did walk away with another part of my life that's very important to me being renewed.

Oh, yeah. I still get nervous before most of my classes. The anxiety has gotten less since I've taught more, but I think some of my initial fears were, "No one's going to listen to me. They're going to stand on desks. They're going to throw things around, and then I'm going to get fired." Then, you realize that you can't plan everything, because you have to be ready to respond to stuff.

That's real good. This is okay. That's going to hurt.

Andy's friend: It's going to be bad.

Andy: You're only here the times you come here.

Oh, my God. Wow.

The Colorado Trail, for me, is figuring out, "What do I really want to do, and how do I get there?" I think that's something that a lot of our students need to start doing more for themselves.

I had so many different role models that had been guides for me. Teachers, members of the church that I went to. I want to at least try to be that kind of a role model for someone else.

Did it hatch?

Student 3: It did.

Andy: There you go. This will be the last day. Well—

Student 4: What day?

Student 5: What?

Andy: No, no. Sorry. We're going to look at them again. The last day that you're going to have to draw anything.

Student 6: Oh, that's a plus.

Andy: We're going to keep observing them. That's okay.You guys have a great day.

Be present. [Church bells.]

Creators:
Grotto
Published:
January 29, 2024
May 16, 2020
On a related note...
4 Ways to Exercise Outside During this Pandemic

4 Ways to Exercise Outside During this Pandemic

Coty Miller

Why We Could All Use a Mentor

Why We Could All Use a Mentor

Grotto

TFW You're Successful — and Miserable

TFW You're Successful — and Miserable

Claire Krakowiak

Learning to Accept — and Love — My Post-College Life

Learning to Accept — and Love — My Post-College Life

Abby Urban

Training for a Race Improved Other Areas of My Life

Training for a Race Improved Other Areas of My Life

Haleigh Ehmsen

Dogspotting is the Game You Didn’t Know You Needed

Dogspotting is the Game You Didn’t Know You Needed

Josh Noem

To All Fatherless Daughters on Father's Day

To All Fatherless Daughters on Father's Day

Sarah Yaklic

What I Believe About the Things I Tell Myself

What I Believe About the Things I Tell Myself

Anna White

Why It’s Better to be ‘Bored’ than on Your Phone

Why It’s Better to be ‘Bored’ than on Your Phone

Sophie Caldecott

How to Deal with Family Stress Over the Holidays

How to Deal with Family Stress Over the Holidays

Julia Hogan-Werner

How I Found My Crew in College — Without Drinking

How I Found My Crew in College — Without Drinking

Dan Masterton

How and Why to Detach from Consumerism

How and Why to Detach from Consumerism

Ashley Adamczyk

4 Ways to Cultivate Patience When Getting in Shape

4 Ways to Cultivate Patience When Getting in Shape

Claire Krakowiak

How to Add to Your Income When Money is Tight

How to Add to Your Income When Money is Tight

Sarah Coffey

3 Ways to Practice Everyday Mindfulness

3 Ways to Practice Everyday Mindfulness

Krista Steele

How to Get Through A Rough Patch in Your Marriage

How to Get Through A Rough Patch in Your Marriage

Dr. Daniel, Bethany Meola

Half Helen Helps People See with Her Mobile Eye Clinic

Half Helen Helps People See with Her Mobile Eye Clinic

Grotto

What to Know About Dating Someone with Depression

What to Know About Dating Someone with Depression

Emily Bouch

A Place To Come Home To

A Place To Come Home To

Shemaiah Gonzalez

Where Grit Comes From and Where It Can Take You

Where Grit Comes From and Where It Can Take You

Mariah Cressy

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.