Sir Vivian Fuchs - Teaching On Ice

I'm excited about this trip for so many reasons, some selfish, but many to do with the educational and inspirational benefits to young people. What's tricky is judging whether the wider community buys in to my views on the benefits.

Every now and then things happen that make me believe I have wider support  (inspired companies like Teaching Expertise sponsoring me) and then something will happen that makes me doubt my views (school not being able to contribute any money).

Yesterday was the best day so far at making me feel really good about what I'm doing.

All the expedition teachers and guides were invited to the House of Commons by Tom Levitt MP. We were given an incredible tour by Swedish Penny; I've never been keen on history due to the amount of dates to remember, but stories of Charles I charging into Parliament with 400 swordsmen outisde, the Queen processing down corridors to open Parliament, how Westminster Hall embodies our unwritten constitution and why Queen Victoria is always pictured with a footstool (she was short) fascinated me.

After the tour we had a meeting and photocall with Jim Knight (Schools Minister). He seemed genuinely interested in the expedition and grateful for what we were doing. Hopefully he went away with the message that schools and government need to make time and money for teachers to do things like this, in order to fire up education.

After the House of Commons it was off to the Royal Geographical Society for an evening of lectures on Antarctica and Sir Vivian Fuchs, culminating in us being introduced to the audience. We spoke about our hopes for what we would achieve – I want simply to create an amazing story that gets children to think about the story they want to write for themselves.

We then headed off to schmooze, drink red wine and eat sandwiches which had the crusts cut off. Everyone I spoke to seemed excited, amazed and interested in what we were doing; their enthusiasm has fired me up and today I'm feeling really good about this expedition and my involvement.

Antarctica is a fascinating place, attracting explorers, scientists, geographers and tourists alike.

TeachingExpertise aims to inspire, so over the next few weeks we'll be bringing you an inspirational A-Z countdown to Phil's departure. Every day we'll be offering you a fact, an idea, assembly, activity, resource or weblink to use in your teaching. We begin with 'A' and a reminder of what inspired the expedition in the first place.

A: Anniversary

2007 is the 50th anniversary year of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary.

This blog is all about the expedition being undertaken this winter by a team of teachers to commemorate the anniversary and to inspire current and future generations of students.  

Read about the original expedition here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Trans-Antarctic_Expedition

and the 2007 expedition here: http://www.fuchsfoundation.org/page/9/antarctic-expedition-2007.htm

This week is student voice week on Teacher's TV. However, I want to address student voice in a post later on this week. For now I want to look at the language that the student voice is transmitting.

From history there are many stereotypical traits of an English person, some of which I like, others which I don't. Tea yes, chopping crusts off sandwiches no; fair play yes, big game hunting no; the desire to travel yes, white suits no. One trait I really admire is that of understatement. It is a technique seemingly lost on most students I teach. None of them are ever 'peckish', they are 'bloody hungry!!'; they are not 'good' at something,
they're the 'f'ing daddy!!'

Contrast the above caricature of today's youth with that of Sir Vivian Fuchs, a Polar Scientist who founded the British Antarctic Survey and in whose honour the Fuchs Foundation (the charity sending me South) was set up for (the daddy!). The following quote is taken from his book detailing the first ever land crossing of Antarctica (1955-58).

"Then, in a twinkling, a snow bridge fell away beneath 'Rock 'n Roll' [a large snow-mobile] leaving David Stratton and myself suspended in mid-air over an impressive chasm. The hole we had made was about 15 ft wide and 60 ft deep to the first step in the walls of the crevasses below. Peering out of the right-hand side, the situation looked distinctly  uncomfortable, for it was impossible to tell how firmly we were wedged against the sides, and in any case there was nothing to step out on to ..."

From 'The Crossing of Antarctica' by Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hilary, Casell & Company, 1958

I'm not sure that today he would be 'suspended' over an 'impressive' chasm feeling 'uncomfortable'!

My real worry is if words show underlying feelings, then the young generation prefer continuous chaos to calm.

Above: A similar but not so bad situation