First off I wanted to welcome everyone to my page and what a fun filled semester this is going to be. A few semesters ago, I had the pleasure to have Dr. Smirnova as my professor. Walking into Science Methods I was confident because I knew what to expect. Science has always been a huge part of my life and I look forward to taking this class to learn more exciting aspects. The first day of class was a productive day for all of us. The one characteristic that I really enjoyed was the mystery bag. This mystery bag helped us become scientist by making a hypothesis. Dr. Smirnova walked us through multiple steps in order to make an educated guess to figure out what objects were in the bag. All of us were using the inquiry method to discover what might in the bag. This really opened up my eyes to using this different method and we use this method on an everyday basis if we are unsure of something. Another activity that we did toward the end of class was draw a picture of what we thought a scientist looked like through our eyes. It was amazing to walk around the room and see the different interpretations that everyone made. One of the common traits that everyone put down was a man with a lab coat working with chemicals. Below there is a picture of what I thought a scientist looked like through my eyes. You can see that I also drew him as a man and was working with chemicals. I think this exercise was excellent to see the different stigmas that people have. This activity would be an excellent one to work with the students as well.
The second day of class was very exciting because a few classmates presented their experience with science. Whether it be through elementary school or any grade higher. Dr. Smirnova had us write a reflection on our past experiences. Personally, this essay was fun and insightful to write because I love recalling memories of the past. Listening to most people present it was exciting to see everyone's past memories. The one aspect that I noticed is the effect on the teachers. Every classmate that presented a memory, a teacher that they loved would be linked to their experience. As an aspiring teacher it is important to follow by the characteristics that some of my fellow students mentioned. Some key characteristics that make a good teacher are: 1.Engaging
As a teacher you have to engage your students to want to learn. You can do this by making lessons hands on and making them more interactive. This can be as simple as turning to your partner and talking to them about what the teacher just discussed. There are multiple ways of making your lesson plan engaging with science.
2. Passion for the subject
It is pretty obvious to students when a teacher is showing love towards the subject. Showing passion will help the students want to learn the material as much as you do. This can be toward any subject that a teacher will be teaching. Students can pick up on a subject that a teacher either dislikes or doesn't teach to their fullest potential. It is ALWAYS important to look over the material as well before teaching it. A teacher must be prepared and confident to teach the lesson to their students.
3. Constructive feedback
This can be a hard area for teachers because their is thin line that teachers cross. A good teacher will provide feedback, but not in a demeaning way to their students. Constructive feedback would include making notes on what they really liked and also what they had questions about. As a teacher you never want to "go over that line of being too critical."
Those three characteristics are the most important to me. There are vast amount of features that teachers need to consider while teaching. This course is designed to help us think like a science teacher and also come out with more knowledge on science. I look forward to meeting everyone and spend this journey with you!
