Teacher

Name: Michael Bauer
Profession: Teacher (Physics, Biology, Technology)
School: Erich Kästner Gymnasium, Eislingen
Province & Country: Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Age: 35

I've always been interested in science, and long before I knew that I wanted to be a teacher I decided to study Physics and later Biology. I believe that research is the only way to understand the world that surrounds us and how it works. That’s why I thought of pursuing a career as a I scientist myself. Now that I am a teacher it is one of my personal goals in my job to show young students the scientific approach to understanding nature and to encourage them to maintain their genuine curiosity, since human curiosity is still the most important motivation for all scienific research – far more important than technological application of scientific knowledge.

Unfortunately, the classroom offers only limited opportunities for students to experience scientific work themselves. So when I heard about the International Polar Year, I knew right away that this was an extraordinary occasion for me and my classes. Now, I am looking forward to an exciting expedition on board of the Polarstern. I hope that I will be able to bring back home a lot of experiences and impressions that will inspire students and support their interest in the Arctic. I think that knowledge about an ecosystem is essential for appreciating it. So hopefully the Polar Year will make students aware of the relevance of the Arctic and its endangerment. And finally, I hope that I will have the opportunity to learn a lot about the Polar regions, the deep sea and exploring the Arctic myself.

I will try to keep in touch with my classes and my colleagues via email while on board. This way my students will get first-hand information while they study the ecology of the Arctic Ocean in their Biology classes. Additionally, some of my students will make a documentary about this journey using material that I will be filming on the Polarstern. The movie will be used in coming years to inform students about polar research and life on board of the ship.

I’m really looking forward to the expedition and I can’t wait to travel to Svalbard where I will meet the scientists and the other teachers!