Interview with Jeff Sipper

Age: 47
Hometown: Well, my mailing address is Brainerd, Minnesota, but I live 12 miles from town. Most who know me would say Crosby-Ironton, MN because that is where I teach.

What is your favorite food?

My wife, Peg, jokingly says, "Anything that doesn't crawl off the plate." Really, most seafood, salmon, and just about every Italian dish I've come across. Oh, yeah, chocolate especially dark chocolate.

What kind of music do you like?

Wow! Many answers come to mind because as I have an eclectic collection that ranges from Jimmy Buffett to Mozart to Frank Sinatra and Neil Diamond to Classic Rock.  I guess that I'm a rock fan at heart.  I really like Classic Rock bands like: Aerosmith, Boston, Rolling Stones, U2, Eric Clapton, and Pink Floyd to name a few.  In fact at one time I had several hundred CD's now I'm starting to move to MP3 files.  I received a new iPod for Christmas. 

Hobbies or interests.

I really enjoy canoeing, camping, and fishing with my family. My daughter, Kelly, has brought me into the world of Dog Sledding which I find totally captivating. In past winters, I liked to cross country ski and snowshoe. A new interest, well I guess I've been dabbling in phenology for nine years, but it seems new, is in the area of Phenology. Our school has had a partnership with John Latimer, Phenologist, and KAXE radio out of Grand Rapids, MN. www.kaxe.org and each spring we send in our reports on a weekly basis. We even had a live phenology radio show broadcast right from our elementary school last spring (2006). I also love to read, a success story, because reading was difficult for me as an elementary student, now it's an absolute joy.

Favorite classes or subjects in school?

My most favorite classes come when we take our entire 5th grade class (about 100+ each fall) to Deep Portage Conservation Reserve near Hackensack, MN. Deep Portage is an environmental immersion school where we spend 3-days and 2-nights learning about the great outdoors. We reached a mini milestone after the fall of 2006; I've estimated that we've taken nearly 1000 students to this awesome outdoor school since 1999.  My classes have been visiting Deep Portage on day trips since the later 1980's. I have some great partnerships with local businesses and community organizations that help make this unique endeavor possible each fall. After that, I really like science and reading.  I like reading adventure novels with my class and I have a special fondness for Gary Paulsen novels especially Hatchet and the other books in that series.

Favorite childhood memories?

One of my favorite memories comes from casting my Zebco 202 (I still remember the model!) into Agate Lake near Crosby, MN during the summer of my 3rd grade year in school and endlessly fishing for bass, sunfish, and the occasional northern pike. At the time, I didn't think things could be any better than that. Other great memories come from fishing and grouse hunting with my brother Tim on the lakes and in the woods of Minnesota. Perhaps, some of the best memories come from family gatherings especially in the summer.  I couldn't believe how many aunts, uncles, and cousins that I had.  We'd get together somewhere near Aitkin or Crosby, MN and have massive feasts with all sorts of hot dishes (Midwestern favorites) and desserts. 

How did you choose your current career path?

I didn't always know that I was going to be a teacher; in fact, I didn't arrive at that decision until late in my 3rd year of college. I always respected my brother-in-law, John, who taught for over 30 years. I was a teacher's aide in his room when I was in 8th grade and saw how he enjoyed working with kids and I thought maybe this would be the path I'd take someday. Reflecting on the decision to become a teacher over the past couple of years has led me to the conclusion that I've always wanted to "Make a Difference" in the lives of students and as much as possible to make learning fun.

Who or what inspires you?

That's changed over time.  When I was younger it was probably some baseball player or rock star. As I've thought about this, I've come to the conclusion that people who "Make a Difference" either on a local basis or worldly one are the ones I admire the most. I admire people who stand up for the environment and our world. People like Will Steger, Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth), and the team members of GoNorth! are the ones I truly admire. People who are passionate about what they do attract my interest and attention.

What advice do you have for the students of today?

Never give up on your dreams.  Hang with things even if results aren't immediate.  Expect mistakes as they are a form of learning. A quote that resonates with me is that"It's not so much the destination as it is the journey." Take what you can from each day and use it to build for the next day. I know my students constantly hear me say, "Would you quit basketball if you missed a shot or walk away from the batter's box if you strike out?" To which they loudly respond, "NO!"  So, I believe that the same needs to be said with school and all of your dreams. Never give up.

Why is it important to study the Arctic?

While the Arctic is considered to be a remote location relative to the population of the rest of the world it is indeed connected to all of us. I believe this often escapes or isn't understood by those of us who live in the mid-latitudes. Our choices and lifestyles have a huge impact on the climate and peoples of the Arctic. While we may experience change where we live it is multiplied in the Arctic. An astonishing piece of information that I came across was that if the average temperature is increased by 1°at the Equator that can translate to as much as a 12°change in the Arctic. Next, I believe that there is an untapped cultural knowledge, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK as Go North calls it) in this region.  Just as the Rainforest holds untapped knowledge, I believe the same can be said for the Arctic. Most of all, I believe that we owe all cultures the right to live and maintain a lifestyle that has been around for thousands of years.  While we maintain the ideals of freedom of choice in the mid-latitudes, I believe it is important to understand that with those choices come consequences unintentional or not that affect the lives of cultures living in another region of the world, in this case the Arctic.  I'd like to believe that rather than being independent of one another as cultures and societies we are actually interdependent. We only have one earth.

How and when did you first become a dog musher?

Well, let me make this clear; I am new to the sport of dog sledding and am an absolute rookie.  I come to this arena through my daughter, Kelly. She has always been fascinated by sled dogs; in fact, she used to pull a sled around our yard as a form of play.  When we were offered the opportunity to socialize a three month old Polar Husky, Baffin, the beginning of Kelly's dreams began and I didn't know it at the time, but mine as well. After we took care of Baffin for three months, and a joy it was, we were offered a chance to have Fuji, as a retired Polar Husky. I became totally captivated watching Fuji pull Kelly on a plastic snow sled across the frozen lakes of Minnesota. Just seeing Fuji pull as though a mythical being, and both of them with huge smiles on their faces, was enough to hook me forever. Fast forward one year, and we now have a sprint sled, made by Dan Levno, who happens to be a participant in this year's Serum Run in Alaska(Feb. 2007) and who lives but a few miles from our home.  We have a new dog, a Siberian Husky, named Kona.  Kelly spent the whole winter(2006) convincing me that another dog would really make Fuji pull even harder, and you know what, she was absolutely correct plus she is an excellent teacher for Kona. So as I watch, and run, and sled as well, I find that I am at a loss for words to describe the feeling that I get from dog sledding, but the only word that seems to come close to it is "PURE" because it seems to be such a pure experience that transcends all things and literally puts Kelly and myself into another world. There have been moments when I've felt that sledding through the woods or across a frozen lake is "All" I want to do.  There is a lot of work that goes into dog sledding and I've gained respect and admiration for those in the past such as Leonard Seppala to current times with Jeff King of Iditarod fame to the Go North Team and their adventures. I truly love reading about the history and characters that make dog sledding so incredible. What's interesting is that my daughter has always known much of what I have only recently discovered and comes by it so naturally.

Why did you want to become a Teacher Explorer?

There are a number of reasons that I wanted to be a teacher explorer. I want students, my friends and family to remember that this opportunity is the opportunity to "Make a Difference" and proof positive that you must never give up on your dreams. For some time, the inner dialogue that I had with myself, but a few years ago, went something like this. "Well, is this it?"  "Is there more to this story of life than I'm living?" This mantra would repeat each and everyday. And, now, I know the answer, as do you. I've had some pretty incredible opportunities come to me; certainly this one tops it all. It took me weeks to come to a decision to apply for the Teacher Explorer position. I saw what an excellent job Mick Hamilton did last year, and of course, I want to do the same.  I've tried to explain to people how my life has changed in the past two years from Polar Husky Boot Camp, to my entry into dog sledding and bringing my daughter's dreams to a reality, and now to my selection as Teacher Explorer and it's all so amazing.  There have been so many positive experiences created from Polar Husky. Now, rather than, "Is this all there is?" The dialogue goes like this, and I truly believe this, "This is only the beginning!" "What's around the next corner?" "Hike, Hike!"

Responsibilities on the trail

The Teacher Explorer will be assisting with scientific and TEK data collection. I will also have the responsibility of daily camp and travel preparations.