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Any other teachers commuting?

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Any other teachers commuting?

Old 09-24-07 | 03:49 AM
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Any other teachers commuting?

Le Tour Du Schools is what made me wonder...actually I was wondering already. Any teachers commuting on here? I teach 4th grade. 8 mile country road/bike path/state hwy commute. It's getting chilly. La dee dah. Gotta go correct stuff. Later.
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Old 09-24-07 | 05:34 AM
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I've been commuting fourteen years (8 mile r/t) as a special ed teacher. This comes to an end in November when I retire. Four lane residential/business all the way. BTW, I used an older and I'm sure, heavier Le Tour for years.
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Old 09-24-07 | 06:00 AM
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I volunteer at my daughters' elementary school, I commute .3 miles to school.
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Old 09-24-07 | 06:10 AM
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I've been commuting across the Yolo Causeway from Davis to W. Sacramento for the last 3 years, and every single day for the last year and a half. 12-14 miles each way.

I keep my bike in the room where I teach first grade.

I think it's very important for kids to see grownups who don't drive cars everywhere they go.

What I find most interesting are the questions kids ask about my bike ...

Why do you have two water bottles?
How come your tires are so skinny?
Why is my name on your wheel? (asked by Alex)
Why is my name on the back of your seat? (asked by Brook)
Why do you have such tiny pedals?
Is your bike your car?
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Old 09-24-07 | 07:19 AM
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From: Zionsville, IN

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I commute to teach. 20 miles rountrip in Indianapolis. This will be my first winter, I plan to bike as much as I can. It is hard with other gigs, tutoring, and my own kids at home, but I love it.
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Old 09-24-07 | 07:27 AM
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Middle school SDC/SLI teacher in SF. My ride is six miles each way over some fat hills. I keep my bikes in my room as well.
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Old 09-24-07 | 07:27 AM
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Originally Posted by MrCjolsen
I think it's very important for kids to see grownups who don't drive cars everywhere they go.
I don't teach per se, but I do work in a childrens home. Every morning the children mention my bike. This morning it was a youngish (10?) year old girl. I think it sets a great example. There aren't any teaching jobs in my area that are ever open otherwise I would love to get a history degree and teach away.
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Old 09-24-07 | 07:38 AM
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I taught pre-K for a year and half and I used to commute.

[Edit] My new job is about 2.5 miles closer so I commute more often now.

Last edited by jonathan180iq; 09-24-07 at 08:36 AM.
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Old 09-24-07 | 07:40 AM
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At my 2 yr college downtown there are two professors and one counselor who commute. I am Staff, not a teacher.
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Old 09-24-07 | 08:08 AM
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Originally Posted by MrCjolsen
Why is my name on your wheel? (asked by Alex)
Why is my name on the back of your seat? (asked by Brook)
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Old 09-24-07 | 08:32 AM
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I teach 4th & 5th gd Band (approx. 250 students). Just started commuting last week. It's a 7 mile round trip commute. I'd like to see how far into the winter season I can keep it up. Love to be able to do it year round.
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Old 09-24-07 | 08:40 AM
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I teach Elementary Music and 4-8th band. Only 1.2 miles away, though.

Most common bike related comment, "You have a CAR?!?!"
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Old 09-24-07 | 09:16 AM
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From: For the record, I am not now, nor have I ever been, an idiot.
I've been teaching for sixteen years. My present assignment is to teach incarcerated youth in a juvenile detention centre.
This is my fifth year cycle commuting to work. I travel about 6 km one way. I cycle commute year round but took about 6 weeks off last winter due to frequent problems with freezing rain. My problem with the icy conditions wasn't so much my ability to cycle in it as I use studded tires, but the ability of the drivers to maintain control of their vehicles on the ice.
I'm able to take my bike indoors with me and lock it inside of a locked utility room. The facility has showers for staff so I'm able to clean up, shave and change at work.
I'll probably only be 'in jail' for another year or two and am hoping to be assigned to a community school that is in cycle commuting range for me.
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Old 09-24-07 | 09:30 AM
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I teach high school English. There are a few teachers at my school that commute on bicycles. The plan is to join them beginning second term.
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Old 09-24-07 | 09:47 AM
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My kid's 1st grade classmates *love* the pugsley.
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Old 09-24-07 | 11:32 AM
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At both the colleges where I teach, a decent fraction of the faculty are bike commuters. One campus is at the top of a pretty decent hill (800 feet elevation over two or three miles). Back when I still commuted by car, I was astounded at all the gray-haired professors who made that "impossible" (as I perceived it then) climb on their bikes each morning.

In fact, their example is probably a big part of what got me into bike commuting.
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Old 09-24-07 | 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by HardyWeinberg
My kid's 1st grade classmates *love* the pugsley.
Imagine what they would think of the Karate Monkey.
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Old 09-24-07 | 11:56 AM
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I commute 8 miles tp Los Medanos College
My wife does 5 to her middle school
My department mate commutes 5 into LMC.
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Old 09-24-07 | 01:07 PM
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I have commuted for 2 years when the weather is nice, which is the majority of the school year here. I am a SLP serving 3 different schools 9-17 miles one-way.
My wife has joined me on Mondays and Fridays this year . She teachers 4,5,6 resource (spec-ed) 8 miles away.
I agree with some others that the example is a good. I park my bike in my office and encourage questions about it.
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Old 09-24-07 | 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by HardyWeinberg
My kid's 1st grade classmates *love* the pugsley.

A friend of mine is a first grade teacher and has said that she couldn't possibly commute by bike because of the amount of stuff she has to bring back and forth every day. Just curious how you handle that?
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Old 09-24-07 | 03:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Charlene
A friend of mine is a first grade teacher and has said that she couldn't possibly commute by bike because of the amount of stuff she has to bring back and forth every day. Just curious how you handle that?
Panniers, and occasionally a trailer. Very occasionally, like when I'm hauling bulky and fragile lab equipment, I'll rent a car (or ask a friend for a ride in.) And during exam season, I will usually stay late and come in early so I can do part of the grading at work; fewer exams to haul back up the hill in the morning.

Depends on what sort of stuff your friend has to transport, though. If it's mostly papers and books, then she'll be fine with panniers and/or a trailer. If she is carrying fragile art projects or something, it might be more of a challenge. (Maybe the projects go in one of those big plastic bins, which in turn she bungees to her trailer?)
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Old 09-24-07 | 06:09 PM
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My commute is about 7 miles one way on neglected asphalt and frost heaved concrete sidewalk. A rack and panniers is the new addition this fall, replacing a backpack. I've never done it year 'round, but I'm think I can go pretty deep into October. Looking forward to finding out!

I don't teach full time yet (still a grad student, in American literature) so I only carry a full load of books and papers and laptop and stuff three times a week. The other three days I'm in the library or a coffee shop, so it's just the laptop and a book or two.
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Old 09-24-07 | 06:17 PM
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I can't get over the irrational fear of being late.
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Old 09-24-07 | 06:30 PM
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Right on. This is inspirational. I get my papers and books + clothes into two panniers. I have not braved the winter commute yet.
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Old 09-24-07 | 08:08 PM
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Originally Posted by vulcan
I can't get over the irrational fear of being late.
How do you get over that fear when you're driving? A bike can't get stuck in a traffic jam (ok, it can, but you have to REALLY try). A car... well...
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