Trucker Buddy International is a wonderful program. It opens up classrooms to the trucking world as well as the world outside of the classroom . Truck drivers are paired with a class and spend the school year exchanging letters and post cards.
Often times, the trucker buddies spend time in the classroom working with the students.
July’s Trucker Buddy of the Month, William “Mike” Mattingly, was paired with Ms. Carla Eutsler’s fourth, fifth and sixth grade social studies and science classes at the Friendship Village School of Friendship, Maine for the 2012 school year.
“As soon as the students were told that Mike was their Trucker Buddy they began sending him letter and cards. Just a fewweeks after he first received them, he came to see them at their school. He even got to co-teach with Ms. Eutsler for 2 days.
Some of the sixth grade students located on map of the US where all Mike and his chihuahua, Rufus has travelled. Just in one month he traveled from Texas to California to Georgia to Maine to Louisiana to NYC and back to California. On his visit to the school all the students there, about 100, were able to ‘tour’ Mike’s truck,” Trucker Buddy International reported.
“The students enjoyed his visit and missed him when he left,” says Ms. Eutsler.
During his travels, Mattingly sent his students pictures of his home and home state of Texas and of the Friendship, Arkansas town sign. He also shared information about time zones and travel safety.
“My family has made a new friend, too,” says Ms. Eutsler, whose own 13-year-old son got to meet Mattingly and tour his truck as well.
“Mike got to try lobster for the first time when he came to Main,” added Ms. Eutsler.
Mattingly have Eustler’s family Mercer shirts, and Eutsler gave Mattingly and his wife Maine coffee mugs
“We appreciate the positive interactions the Trucker Buddy program encourages,” says Ms. Eutlser. “This is a wonderful program and it enhances student learning.”
If you would like to participate in the Trucker Buddy program, follow this link to get started.