Tami Schoff, a 6th grade teacher at Marshwood Middle School, will be off to Alaska later this month, representing the state of Maine as one of three national finalists for the 2027 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail program.
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race – often called “The Last Great Race on Earth” – is an endurance race of nearly 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. If chosen, Schoff, a language arts teacher, will be the first teacher from Maine to represent her state in this great Alaskan adventure.
The winner will be announced in April after she and the two other finalists spend Feb. 28 to March 9 in Alaska completing the final steps in the interview process, Schoff said. This year’s Iditarod begins March 7 with the ceremonial start in Anchorage, followed by the official restart in Willow on March 8.
Marshwood Middle School language arts teacher Tami Schoff, with friends April Eastman and Beth Glidden (l to r) wait for the dogs at a rest stop at the Can Am International Dog Sled races in Fort Kent In 2023.
Marshwood Middle School language arts teacher Tami Schoff, with friends April Eastman and Beth Glidden (l to r) wait for the dogs at a rest stop at the Can Am International Dog Sled races in Fort Kent In 2023.
The iconic race draws teams of mushers and their 12 to 16 sled dogs that navigate remote wilderness across frozen rivers, mountain ranges and tundra, facing extreme weather while honoring Alaska’s history and sled dog traditions.
This year’s 39 teams include 27 male and 12 female mushers, 26 of them veterans of the race. It likely will take the first team nine to 12 days to cross the finish line in Nome, according to the Iditarod race center.
Perhaps the most exciting experience for the winning teacher will be observing each of the rest stops during the 2027 race. For the well-being of mushers and especially their dogs, most of them Alaskan Husky crossbreeds, each team must take at least three rests during the race: a 24-hour layover at any checkpoint on the trail; an eight-hour layover on the Yukon River; and an eight-hour stop at White Mountain. There are 26 official checkpoints where mushers must sign in.
It is at the rest stops the Teacher on the Trail will get a close look at the mushers’ priority: the care and comfort of their dogs. They provide straw bedding for warmth, wake up every couple of hours to feed and stretch the dogs, and protect their paws with booties.
Schoff’s interest in the race began 25 years ago when she was teaching a unit that required students to conduct research about adventures. She assigned students the classic young adult novel “Black Star, Bright Dawn” by Scott O’Dell, featuring Alaska and the Iditarod.
“Being named a finalist for Teacher on the Trail is an incredible honor,” said Schoff. “It’s been exciting through the years to see students so engaged as they connect classroom learning to a real-world event that highlights perseverance, teamwork and resilience. “
One year, she invited a sled dog “musher” to her classroom to talk to the students, heightening her interest in the sport and motivating her to read about the Teacher on the Trail program.