Inspired Science Teachers

The Science Across the Curriculum Advanced Seminar wrapped up tonight, and we closed by creating 'Inspired Science Teacher Oaths.' The teachers reflected on all the challenges they faced in teaching science and thought of ways they could overcome those obstacles. They generated lofty, personal 'to-do' lists, which we fashioned into a choral poem and individual oaths. Here is a selection of their promises to themselves and their students:

I am an Inspired Science Teacher.

I will let my students know that science happens every day, not just from 1:20 to 2:20 on Thursdays.

I will do more experiments.

I will let the children explore the world around them.

I will integrate science with math and technology.

I will read picture books and poems in science class.

I will use all the materials I have. I will scavenge my closet and my garage for things I can use.

I will find more ways to engage all students with lively activities.

I will utilize my colleagues, and use my knowledge of science to share ideas with them.

I will have my children living and thinking science all day.

Science across the Curriculum

Last night I facilitated my very first Inspired Teaching workshop all by myself. It's called Science across the Curriculum. The syllabus says that teachers will learn to integrate math, literacy, and science. The teachers reminded me that science also touches so many other content areas--geography, history, art, ethics, theology, and philosophy, among others.

Our class started with the teacher participants sharing their 'Science Autobiographies.' Each illustrated themselves as a scientist--one would be a food scientist, another an experimental physicist, a third an earth scientist. Each shared their common joys and frustrations of teaching children to explore, investigate, and understand their world. The frustrations: too little time to dedicate to the luxury of letting children experiment through play; too few supplies, books, and other material supports for hands-on activities; and too little preparation in their teacher education. The joys? Many spoke of the pleasure in witnessing the emotions of children engaging in scientific concepts--what other subject can bring out fear, wonder, disgust, and curiosity all in one lesson? Others acknowledged that they enjoyed the ethical responsibility of teaching environmental stewardship. And one teacher, who, like me, sort of backed into her role as a Science Teacher, said that the "best part of teaching science is learning along with the kids!" Now *there's* an Inspired Teacher!