Science teachers may teach science the way it was taught to them or they could choose to innovate and experiment on teaching strategies that can help their students learn more effectively. Discovering new teaching strategies requires commitment, self-evaluation, planning, observation, and creativity.
Commitment
A science teacher must be committed to make a difference in the learning of her students. The goal of education is to produce lifelong learners and this necessitates that the science teacher must be knowledgeable on how to make her students learn more effectively. Unless, the teacher is committed to fulfill this goal, her students will just be learning to pass the course and will not have a lifetime appreciation of the subject matter.
Self-evaluation
A good science teacher constantly evaluates herself in the light of her students’ achievement. An honest self-evaluation is essential to improvement. Evaluate if your teaching methods are helping students learn or not. If these teaching strategies are no longer effective, make the necessary changes to make learning more effective.
Planning
Planning involves knowing the tools and materials that will help in making the learning experience more meaningful to students. The science teacher must have a good collection of classroom activities that will keep the students interested in learning science concepts while enjoying the tasks. The students should be given the chance to interact with their classmates and allowed to express their understanding in variety of ways. How the science teacher implements the different learning experience must be based on a sound plan and backed by learning theories and research.
Observation
The science teacher must have information or a good record of how students perform and value the different activities and this can be obtained by proper observation. As a science teacher, valid records of students’ performance in different classroom activities must be properly used to improve learning. Be sensitive to the nuances of learning difficulty. Discover why students are struggling to learn the different science concepts and use that information to make better plans.
Creativity
Science teachers can improve classroom experience by incorporating creative ideas in her teaching. Varied and interesting tasks or activities geared towards a certain learning goal can help students attained their learning potential. Consider multiple intelligences as you plan your lessons and activities. Every student must be able to express his/her understanding in the way the student is most proficient in. Evaluate students’ learning properly and in variety of ways. In this way, students are happier and may develop more positive attitude towards science.
By constantly finding ways to improve classroom instruction, the science teacher of this millennium is making a new trail and not merely following old ones. Be a science leader by improving your teaching performance and by helping students become science literate in a fun and easy way.
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