Teaching Science 101

Today began my journey into Teaching Science. My initial thought when thinking of science in an elementary classroom was content, content, content. My next thought, oh crap! I only have distant memories of diagramming bugs and building solar systems, I really need to brush up.

Can we be good teachers without having a deep understanding of science content? Do we need to be "science-minded" people to be good science teachers?

During our first class meeting, Dr. Kat left us with the Key Nature of Science Concepts. Teaching is not merely a parade of knowledge, a showcase of facts. It is a melting pot of many things. It is observation, inference, creativity, influenced by society, tentative, subjective, not limited to any single method, and collaborative.

As teachers, we must foster this all encompassing environment for our students to put on their thinking caps and explore the world we live in. We must create a community of learners, a place for students to form relationships and grow and make discoveries about the things they care about.

I'm looking forward to this quick semester and starting my adventure down the happy science trail!