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August 8, 2007
Blast off for a teacherMore than 21 years after teacher Christa McAuliffe was to have made history being the first teacher to visit space aboard the ill-fated Challenger Shuttle, another teacher is set to make history by blasting off. Barbara Moran, the runner up to the 1986 Teacher in Space contest will be launched into space tonight.
It's been a long 22 years in the making for Morgan. The Chicago Tribune tracks her long journey in this article.
Morgan has been looking forward since 1985, the year she was runner-up to McAuliffe in NASA's Teacher in Space program. She trained with McAuliffe and would have been on Challenger had her friend been unable to fly.Instead, Morgan was on the ground when Challenger broke apart. As she consoled those around her, she had no clue that her NASA profile was about to change.
Morgan would become one of NASA's chief ambassadors--the teacher and dreamer who supported the agency even as its fatal missteps became a matter of public record.
She ultimately joined the astronaut corps, becoming a mission specialist and enduring another shuttle tragedy in 2003. Whenever she was asked about her commitment to the program, Morgan talked about her students.
"Kids were watching to see what the adults do in a terrible, terrible situation," she said in a NASA preflight interview. It was "important for kids to see ... that we figure out what's wrong, we fix it, and we move on and we keep the future open for our young people."
Although she's no longer merely an elementary school teacher, but also a trained astronaut, Morgan remains committed to McAuliffe's original goal: to be the first teacher in space.
[Her husband] said he thinks she's "carrying on" for her friend McAuliffe and other lost crew members. She feels connected to astronauts she has known and shares their values. She wants to honor teachers, especially those who make sacrifices every day.
"Some teachers -- and their students -- face physical risks just showing up at school in some of the more dangerous neighborhoods in our country," he said. "In comparison, astronauts live very safe lives, except when they fly in space shuttles, once every few years."
Hats off, Barbara Morgan, as you blast off into space.
Posted August 8, 2007 5:02 PM | Teachers
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Comments(1)
Posted by: rose on August 11, 2007 4:23 AM
AI am thrilled for her and I admire her humility, but Geez- this is regarding NSBA's words ( hidden philosophy? ): "Although she's no longer merely an elementary school teacher..."
OH REALLY? MERELY???????
Its too bad that the woman had to suffer through those years as an insignificant, lowly worthless completely ignorable and dispensable school teacher. I mean, how cool is it that she left and is now worthy of praise and attention much less all the significance your article has bestowed.
It is too bad teachers get recognized, lauded etc when they do something other than just, oh I don't know....TEACH.
C'mon, we expect this kind of stuff from the world- but from the NSBA Website? For shame.
Sincerely,
One of the worthless knaves of the classroom.
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