Kerrie Gill shares lessons from NASA’s Space Camp

“I was an astronaut and traveled into space.

I was an engineer and built a rocket.

I was a scientist and performed experiments on the ISS.

I walked on the surface of the moon.

I experienced 3 Gs.

I landed a rover on Mars.

I built a lunar colony.

I survived a helicopter crash.

I traveled around the world.

I rode Space Shot.

What did you do this summer?”

This July, as part of my year of service as the 2024 DoDEA Teacher of the Year, I traveled to Huntsville, Alabama to take part in Space Camp with the other 50+ State Teachers of the Year. As a tried-and-true English teacher, I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel about Space Camp. Science classes were never my favorite, I’m not a fan of rollercoasters or too much motion, and I don’t know all that much about space. 
 

But after a week of rocket building, performing experiments on a mock-ISS, riding the Multi-Axis Trainer & the 1/6 Micro Gravity Chair, participating in water evacuation drills, and learning from actual astronauts, I can proudly say I not only survived Space Camp, but I enjoyed it, too. And while we did spend quite some time talking about space and science and NASA, we spent just as much time talking about collaboration, engagement, critical thinking, and team-building – skills that any teacher can take back to their classrooms, regardless of the content they teach. 

What did I take away from Space Camp? 

1. What you can accomplish as a team far surpasses what you can on your own. Our State Teachers of the Year cohort was broken into smaller groups for activities throughout the week. These groups were named after past & present astronauts. I was proudly placed on Team Dottie, named after astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenberger. Dottie was a science teacher herself and an alum of Space Camp. During the week, my fellow Team Dottie members were my rock. When I was anxious about an activity, they spoke kindness & bravery towards me. Collectively, we completed tasks and missions that would have been impossible to do on our own. We cheered for one another and lovingly nudged each other to try new things. 
2. You’re braver than you believe. There’s power in embracing the fear and doing the hard thing. I was less than thrilled to participate in many of the motion activities. With getting motion sickness even when I sit in the passenger seat of the car, I was worried I wouldn’t do well. With the support of my team, I powered through the fear and participated in every activity that was made available. I reminded myself that I would have this opportunity only once, and I embraced the fear, and I’m so proud of myself for it!
3. Every person doesn’t have to be an expert in everything. As mentioned, I am no expert in anything science or space related. Leaning on my colleagues who thrive in those areas helped me enjoy & make sense of the content. While I wasn’t the content guru, I was able to motivate my teammates and provide insight in other ways.
4. Embrace curiosity & adventure. Jump in with both feet! Be willing to learn new things. I didn’t think I’d find much joy in the activities of the week, but having an open mind allowed me to embrace the learning and collaboration. 
5. Never forget to have fun. Sitting and getting is simple. It’s easy to deliver this kind of content to our students, but it certainly isn’t fun. Let’s get our students up and moving. Let’s have them interacting, building classroom communities, and finding the joy in learning something new.