STEM Content Knowledge in Practice

When I think back over my tenure, I have spent a great deal of time asking questions, listening to others and trying to solve problems. Students complained that no one ever taught them to make claims, or find evidence to support their claims. Some students insisted they are unable to write a rationale that uses their evidence to support their claim. My collogues complained that their students were unmotivated and will not or do not possess the skill to engage in student to student dialogue or teacher to student dialogue. Many of my colleagues lamented, "My students would simply prefer to hear me talk ; so I talk and they do not listen." So, I listened and tried to build bridges to help my collogues see that something needed to change.

The school year was winding down and my colleagues and I were developing final examinations. I received an email that contained an open invitation to participate in a Rice Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching (RESST) Summer Institute. This wonderful learning opportunity turned out to be targeted toward the problems I had been trying to solve on my own. The experience was focused on teaching chemistry with a redesigned lesson plan that included as an expectation and integral part - the students. The students were required to collect and analyze data from real world events. The teachers would be required to have a deeper understanding of the learning objective and still present the content at a high school level. In hindsight, I can see that these were the two components that needed to change for the teacher - student interaction to improve. And improve it did. I took these lessons back to campus and shared them with the team and encouraged everyone to participate in the RESST Summer Institute the following year. Everyone did and I assumed a teacher leader role.

Some team members have moved on and many stayed. I have continued to learn and grow in STEM content knowledge. I continue to read books , attend professional development and transformed my practice. I keep as my primary focus engaging students in real world problems to work on. We integrate text, multimedia and experts when we can get them. Experts help us define problems more clearly. Over the years we have developed a culture of working together across content areas. We set team goals and we help all of our students understand that failure is often a necessary part of the process of learning. I continue to be a resource to teachers and students. My practice has shifted from instructional resource to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) resource.

I continue to participate in learning opportunities with Rice Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (R-STEM). I would also like to share that this journey did not take place over one summer or a couple of years. I describe it in three short paragraphs and in real time I have been learning, working, sharing, and growing in this work for more than a decade. During this time I have come to understand that problem-solving is an on-going and rewarding process. I am a better teacher and my students are better learners.