Exposing Students to Our World’s Many Possibilities

Even if you didn’t know that CPS had two teachers travel to Antarctica earlier this school year, you can relive their experiences through the Owls in Antarctica YouTube page. “Owls” refers to the mascot of Murphy Elementary School, and Ms. Maureen Murphy and Ms. Claire Trainer are the two teachers who went on this incredible adventure thanks to a partnership with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions. 

Students had the opportunity to connect with these teachers as their explorations unfolded. They were able to ask them questions and gain information that bolstered their knowledge of geography, science, and other subject areas. 

We caught up with both of these amazing teachers to learn more about their takeaways from this unforgettable experience. Read more below.

Was this experience what you expected, or was it more unexpected? 

It was definitely unexpected. We both tried to prepare for the trip mentally in different ways. One of us watched a lot of documentaries, while the other looked at a lot of maps to gauge the distance and travel aspects of the trip. But nothing fully prepares you for being there. At one point we were chased by an emperor penguin. At other times, your foot would sink a little bit while walking on the ice shelf. 

Exploration was at the heart of everything we did. At one point, our vessel was the furthest south vessel on the entire planet that day. It would have taken more than a day for anyone else to reach us. That reality tied in with a lot of what we were teaching the students, both about Antarctica’s history and its current state. One question that a lot of kids had was “Who owns Antarctica?” which was very interesting to discuss with them. 

What do you think you’ll remember about this experience? 

One takeaway that comes to mind is the beauty of Antarctica and other parts of the world that are untouched. Every view felt like a painting. At times, it felt like there was a green screen somewhere because the views were so unreal. We also saw a ton of wildlife, including humpback whales, and even the naturalists who were with us commented on what an unbelievable trip this was. 

It was just an incredibly immersive professional development experience. We would even describe it as life-changing. When we came back, our perspective was different. It’s hard to explain, but things just were not the same. 

What do you hope your students take away from being a part of this adventure? 

We want them to know that the possibility to explore is not isolated to a certain group of people. By seeing us live out a dream, they are able to understand that anything is possible for them. This experience also showed them that there is so much joy in the world.