Teachers of science cannot be expert in all areas of the science they teach. Nor can they expect their science knowledge they learnt in university hold them in good stead for their entire working careers. Science does not stand still. The frontiers of knowledge advance rapidly.
Keeping current and expandind your knowledge base has benefits for both teacher and student.
What are the benefits?
Click READ MORE (below) and find out ....
It helps to maintain a current knowledge base
Some teachers find themselves in the position of having to teach science when it is not one of their main teaching areas. This makes it difficult for them to explain concepts fully and to answer student questions.
New teachers are
often more concerned with classroom management in the first teaching
years. They may not feel confident of the content they teach and this
restricts their ability to encourage critical thinking on the subject
matter.
Other teachers who
have taught the same topic over and over for years (from the same
book) get bored and may lose that spark of enthusiasm they once had.
Sometimes burnout follows.
In my experience as
a former Head of Faculty (Science) I would encourage my
science staff to keep abreast of where the knowledge was headed in
their specific teaching area. To help them do this I would purchase
science magazine subscriptions and science videos and documentaries.
I would also ask the librarian to record interesting science
documentaries. Today the internet provides a wonderful world of
science information.
Why bother keeping
abreast of the knowledge?
For the bored
teacher it may rekindle that spark of interest. You can enrich and
update those lesson plans. For the teacher lacking the content
knowledge it will give them more confidence to elaborate and to
answer questions. The new teacher will begin to feel a little more
confident and relaxed in the classroom situation.
Students benefit
too
You will broaden
their knowledge. You will encourage more thinking and questions. You
will establish a good rapport with the class. You will gain greater
respect as a teacher. You may fire up a passion that inspires a
student to enter a career in science. It may help the student find
their interest and motivate them to work towards a goal.
Building Evergreen Knowledge ..
I offer to you a few science links to help get you going. You build on from these …
Phys.org (an
excellent site)
Science Alert (good
one for students as well)
Sci-News (handy
site)
Astronomy Now (with
Spaceflight Now)
Start Now !
