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...
Prayer, Just Like Exercise, Takes Discipline

Prayer, Just Like Exercise, Takes Discipline

Abigail Braun Kaikati

What a Broken Appliance Taught Me About Sustainability

What a Broken Appliance Taught Me About Sustainability

Molly Gettinger

Quarantine Doesn’t Have to Threaten Your Marriage

Quarantine Doesn’t Have to Threaten Your Marriage

Erin Ramsey-Tooher

9 Side Hustle Ideas for Bringing in Some Extra Cash

9 Side Hustle Ideas for Bringing in Some Extra Cash

Lillian Fallon

"Forgotten by February"

"Forgotten by February"

Grace Poppe

When Life Gives You New Dreams

When Life Gives You New Dreams

Lillian Fallon

5 Daily Affirmations to Remind You of Your Worth

5 Daily Affirmations to Remind You of Your Worth

Jessica Ping-Wild

8 Ways to Deck the Halls on a Budget

8 Ways to Deck the Halls on a Budget

Lauren Lawson

How Service Helped Me Find a Deeper Way to Live

How Service Helped Me Find a Deeper Way to Live

Mary Grace

What the World Needs to Understand About Single People

What the World Needs to Understand About Single People

Maria Walley

Facing the Pandemic as a Single Person

Facing the Pandemic as a Single Person

Grace Carroll

4 Ways to Respond if the Pandemic Took Your Job

4 Ways to Respond if the Pandemic Took Your Job

Chris Hazell

Free Download: Financial Checklist for College Students

Free Download: Financial Checklist for College Students

Grotto

4 Tips for Planning the Perfect Road Trip

4 Tips for Planning the Perfect Road Trip

Hannah Smith

Struggling to Say 'No'? Try Prioritizing Better

Struggling to Say 'No'? Try Prioritizing Better

Khang Tran

Singing Opera to Bring Beauty to the World

Singing Opera to Bring Beauty to the World

Grotto

An Injury Put Me on Crutches — And Taught Me 4 Important Lessons

An Injury Put Me on Crutches — And Taught Me 4 Important Lessons

Neil Fulton

The Real Difference Between Passion and Calling

The Real Difference Between Passion and Calling

Josh Noem

This Mother Chronicles Her Pandemic Pregnancy Experience

This Mother Chronicles Her Pandemic Pregnancy Experience

Grotto

Are You In An Abusive Relationship? Here’s How to Tell

Are You In An Abusive Relationship? Here’s How to Tell

Julia Hogan-Werner

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

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