I teach a subject that most students (and their parents) are intimidated by and recoil from when the name is mentioned:  Biology.  Many of the adults I meet who ask me what I do for a living make faces and say things like “Ugh!  I hated Biology in high school” when I tell them I teach high school biology.  I have yet to meet another adult who isn’t already a biology enthusiast that thoroughly enjoyed their high school biology experience.

I believe that there is no good reason for the intimidation.  Science is something that all of us can do, and perform on a daily basis.  We just don’t call it that.  Science is an intuitive discipline.  Toddlers learn by trial and error that certain things in their environment don’t taste good when placed in the mouth.  Scientists go about the research we see in the news that’s considered innovative and cutting edge in the same way—by trial and error.  There is nothing intimidating about trial and error except failure, and I do not see that as a reason to avoid doing what comes naturally to us in the form of curiosity.  It is this natural curiosity that makes us ideal scientists.  Unless this curiosity and wonder about the world is encouraged, science will continue to be an intimidating subject, and I seek to eliminate this “fear factor” from my students by encouraging their natural curiosity. 

I believe that the way that science should be taught is not simply by spewing forth a series of facts, as many adults were probably taught.  Facts are not intuititve, nor are they something one can connect with instantly or find immediate relevance for.  I believe that science should be taught by doing, by experiencing and by exploring.  Students in my classes are engaged in lab activities from the first week of class, and are encouraged to explore and discover more about topics that we study in class. 

Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for teacher-driven lecture.  But teacher-driven lecture should not ever be the focus of a science class at the high school level.  Plenty of time should be devoted to student-centered exploration of a topic to allow students to uncover varying aspects of that topic at their own pace, and at their own comfort level until they master the topic and its underlying concept.

Learning should also be relevant for students.  In my lessons and activities that my students engage in, there is always some element that ties back to practical experience in the students’ lives.  If science is not made relevant for the student, the student has no vested interest in learning and thus will not put forth the full effort that he/she is capable of. 

Every student is capable of learning, and every student should be given equal opportunity to learn and be successful.  Students in my courses are provided multiple opportunities to experience success through the activities done in class as well as additional help outside of class. Students in my classes are given the tools--both tangible and intangible--that they need in order to experience success in my class and beyond.  

Finally, students must appreciate the importance of science in their lives.  Science is something that affects decisions that students make regarding many aspects of their lives—from their healthcare to where they decide to make their home.  The most important part of my job to me is demonstrating to students how important science is to them while encouraging them to learn more about the discipline and giving them the tools they need to do this independently.