There is a continuum of hard to reach students. Some students are hard to reach on a minute by minute basis, some who are hard to reach on a day by day basis, some on a week by week basis and some I have never reached and may never will. I am not interested in teaching biology to the state test. If I follow the standards success on the state test will come. What I am most interested in is trying to get students to see and appreciate the beauty of life on Earth. I have the content biology content knowledge, but how do I build excitement in the room to get students to hear my message.
No one can have any interest in the environment if they don’t see beauty in its inhabitants or hold curiosity for how it works. How do I create interest? How do I build curiosity? Most students read below grade level. When students read below grade level, students ability to think abstractly doesn't really exist. I can’t rely on my explanation of DNA or bacteria to be fully understood because bacteria and DNA are microscopic and require abstract thinking to be fully understood. How do I bring theses things to life for students? I have worked to incorporate basic microbiology labs into my curriculum to make the microscopic macroscopic. I can reach the hard to reach student who comes to school most days. We don’t do labs everyday, but we do them often enough that I can rely on the lab experience to inform the culture of my class. I have to rely on my charisma, knowledge, and love of biology to continue to tie in labs to our everyday discussion of biology. Sometimes, I'll play guitar or make up a song on the spot about what we are talking about that day, just enough to get students to laugh. I understand that class, biology, life, is boring at times. However, I think biology is utterly amazing and informs everything we do everyday. I love biology, even more than when I began teaching. I let my love show. I often think/wonder what happens when I don’t biology or teaching it as much; if that day ever comes. What do I do? My blossoming love of biology enables me to overpower apathy in my class. The longer I teach, the more I will engage with science and the better I will understand it. The better I understand it, the better I am able to pass along to students a love of life on earth |