I could see my best day of teaching science involving some kind of guided inquiry into a phenomena and students being comfortable and confident enough in their science terminology to ask questions and make relationships between concepts without fear of being wrong. Learning is inherently uncomfortable: if I can promote a comfortable enough learning environment, I believe it will encourage students to have the capacity to be uncomfortable enough to learn something. Collaborative engagement within science learning is an integral part of my best day of teaching; students working together on assignments, discussing phenomena in a speculative manner, posing questions not only to me, but to their fellow students. The lessons I have taught previously have certainly been very aligned with an inquiry-based approach to science learning, but have not always included a demonstration of phenomena (mostly due to the nature of the standards I have taught to). I think in many ways, this sense of comfortability in asking questions has been heavily implemented in my teachings to date. I have realized that when co-teaching, this atmosphere of questioning can prove difficult to promote, especially if your co-teacher is not as heavy on encouraging inquiry through questioning. 

This model of my “best day” is a fairly attainable goal, I think. A typical day of teaching science for me will involve encouraging students to engage with material through inquiry and inquisitive collaboration. 

Both parties’ roles in a typical science lesson should be as learners. I think that teacher’s roles extend past “teaching-” we are mentors and facilitators of knowledge. However, I believe the role student’s play in my own learning as an educator cannot be understated, and that dynamic should be emphasized to students. At the end of the day, the teacher’s goal in a typical science lesson should be to promote a safe, equitable, and engaging learning environment. I understand that not every day will be a total knockout, but if students leave my classroom feeling heard and validated in their ability to take up space in a scientifically academic setting, it is a good day. 

I believe science is best learned in nature where possible. What I mean by this is that student engagement with science learning increases tenfold when personal connections can be brought in. Humans, but especially kids, are curious- promoting that sense of wonder and inquiry around the things we experience on a daily basis in the classroom amplifies an already existing curiosity. This observation correlates quite directly with implementing a constructivist approach in the classroom, along with associations I have garnered in conferences on making the classroom more equitable for all students. In my K-12 and into my collegiate science experiences, I do not see many intensive attempts to relate material to its application in science/life, why it is used, or why it is important that students learn and make connections within science. In my teacher preparation program, I have come to understand the importance of adapting curriculum to the learners present in the classroom. I do not believe any particular “groups” of students will learn science best one way or another- I know that providing variety in the way I present information will help achieve the most reflective results from students. Incorporating student input into the way I present information is a priority, because I know students will learn (anything) best when they feel heard in a space.

My ideas about science teaching are, at their core, very similar to when I first began my science teaching journey- I just have the terminology to properly express these concepts now. A lot of science teaching feels very intuitive in some ways. For example, it feels natural that relating science concepts to phenomena students experience in their life will increase the likelihood of invigorating students to learn and love science. I know that inquiry is at the root of science, and promoting it as a core, fundamental aspect of my science classroom will have an impact on student perception of science and science learning long-term. 

1. An Ode to the Teachers of my Past

The teachers in my life have garnered a whole new level of respect from me this semester. In my science teaching journey, I will never stop realizing the scope of the impact my teachers have had on who I am today. My passions, my personality, and my future livelihood have all been so directly shaped by the teachers in my life. I have always looked up to my teachers, but realizing the extent to which they crafted an environment I felt safe enough to learn in and creating novelty from the normal keeps hitting me. That’s all!

1. The importance of finding community in the spaces you choose to take up space in. 

I learned a lot about the impact forming relationships can be not only with students, but also with my peers. I have felt so connected to this program this semester, and a huge part of that has been in the relationships I have made. It made me realize that I have created the buy-in necessary for myself to stay invested by surrounding myself with folks I enjoy and finding joy in those around me.

2. A key to teaching is adaptability. 

“Adaptability opens doors no one thought were closed.”

There is no end-all-be-all way to do something in teaching. No perfectly “right” way. I believe that a willingness to adapt to the needs of your students and change things on the spot is key to not getting as readily burnt out in a teaching role.

3. How bringing autonomy into the classroom creates student buy-in.

Space for student autonomy in the classroom can be found in various ways, and will be created differently by every teacher. This semester has reinforced my understanding of how creating spaces for students to be heard and providing input on something greater than themselves can be an essential factor in willingness and ability to learn. 

4. The significance of the language used surrounding a concept has on student perceptions of said concept and their own self-efficacy. 

Bringing in academic language in a safe way and creating a culture where using said language is accepted and valued in a space can really impact how “science” a student feels and not only shapes their perceptions of a subject, but also shapes their self-efficacy in relation to the subject. 

5. Order matters. 

In a class where you create the curriculum, the way you order content has a direct impact on a student's abilities to make crucial connections in material. 

6. How class dynamics can support or hinder learning. 

In my observation, I had the opportunity to observe an academic, an honors, and an AP class. I found that in the higher-level classes, the amount of collaboration and learning taking place felt much lower than that of the academic level classes. It could have been chalked up to the classes being at different times of the day, but I have a theory that it could have been that the higher level students had a fundamental fear of being wrong. Even with the welcoming and supportive culture my lead teacher created, the level of interaction between the students, teacher, and material, felt much lower in the honors and AP classes compared to that of the academic section. 

7. The intersections a teacher finds between content knowledge, pedagogy, and knowledge (PCK) related to teaching the content directly impacts student learning and willingness to engage with material. 

We know the way a teacher teaches heavily influences student perceptions of a course, and therefore can directly influence learning outcomes because of it. The connections a teacher makes and bridges between content, how they teach the content, and best science teaching practices weaves a culture surrounding science learning in the space students learn in (the classroom). The decisions I make in how I set up my classroom will also directly impact how students perceive the subject matter!

8. A new age. 

I did a lot of reflecting this semester about the age we are currently living in and how it directly influences societal perceptions of teaching. From technology in the classroom to more heated political debates related to keeping a separation of church and state, there are so many factors that influence what perceptions a student is walking in the door with. This semester has caused me to take a step back to consider the implications various levels of parental influence in the classroom, student engagement with technology, etc. have on the culture and dynamics of your classroom. The dynamic of a space is shaped by the people who fill it, and it is interesting to consider how this will carry over into my future classroom throughout the years. 

9. Affirming my “why”

I believe a lot of the time in teaching, we are constantly reminded to think about our “why.” Why we want to become a teacher, and what is driving us to continue to want to reach that goal and sustain a career in the teaching profession. It can feel really easy to get caught up in the weeds in my education courses, especially when you frequently hear your “why” referenced in this strange, almost obligatory way that feels like a run-on sentence on a path straight to hell. I used to believe that, in a lot of cases, a teacher's “why” is often used to corral them into stagnancy. And maybe, in some small way, when the reasoning behind staying with something you once or currently loved is being held like a dagger to keep you from leaving said something, that is its purpose. But I believe that I have realized that my why is found in the kids I work with. The students' lives I impact, whether that be to inspire them to notice the science surrounding them or just to feel like they can take up space in an academic setting. I find my why every time I work with a student, and my decision to enter the teaching profession, regardless of how many times I have to hear that I should “think about my why” on a hard day, confirms that it is one that is right for me.