Jan26

Starting a New Career

I have always loved science - earth and space sciences especially. Although I've had a variety of jobs, since I began home schooling, I’ve discovered I absolutely love teaching. I'm thinking about getting my bachelor's degree in science education, perhaps at an online university. Do you believe this could be a worthwhile career change for me? Are science teachers still needed? Will I be able to support a family on a new teacher's salary? I need advice.
--M.S., No City or State

Being a science teacher can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience, sharing your passion and interest in the subject with students. But there are some aspects of the job you may want to consider. You mentioned your own interest in the earth sciences, so I assume you're thinking of teaching in a middle/junior high or high school setting. You may want to see if a nearby school will let you "shadow" a secondary science teacher for a day. You'll see for yourself the dynamics of working with 25 adolescents in a classroom. Secondary teachers usually have 4-6 sections, which add up to working with 100-150 students each day. You'll also see other parts of a teacher's day, including supervision duties such as homeroom or hall duties. But a teacher's day does not end at 3:00, as I'm sure you realize. Staff meetings, professional development sessions, and managing the laboratory all require time beyond the school day. Then there's the teacher's "homework" – grading lab reports and tests, planning lessons, revising lessons, keeping current on the content, and preparing other learning materials. I didn't see the top of the desk in my home office for years!

You asked if science teachers are still needed. That's hard to predict, without knowing your geographic location. Schools in urban and rural settings often recruit teachers actively, and schools with a lot of "baby boomer" teachers who are getting ready to retire may also have openings. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has an Occupational Outlook Handbook with job outlooks and projections. Having a certificate in more than one subject area (e.g., earth science, biology, math) or credentials in special education or ESL may make you a more attractive candidate. One thing is in your favor – I know of schools that look for "nontraditional" beginning teachers who bring a lot to the classroom in terms of life experiences and maturity. In places where there is a surplus of teachers, many teachers have to start out doing substitute work (per diem pay and no benefits).

In addition to schools, other types of institutions often hire educators: museums, nature centers, zoos, and state/national parks. I talked with a friend who works at a nearby nature center where I'm a volunteer. She loves her work but noted funding for her type of position is always an issue, and she cringes at every budget cut.

Speaking of funding, you asked if you could support a family on a new teacher's salary. That certainly depends on the starting salary and your family's needs and lifestyle. Most public schools offer benefit plans (health insurance, life insurance) and some may offer full or partial tuition reimbursement for future studies. The American Federation of Teachers has an online tool to look at salaries state-by-state and the Teacher Portal website has a table to compare beginning salaries in the 50 states Even within a state, the salaries can vary, but this would give you an estimate. Many schools have extra opportunities for teachers to supplement their salary: extracurricular activities, tutoring, evening adult education classes, or summer programs for students.

If you do decide to pursue teaching credentials, a major decision will be on a college or university. Before enrolling in any higher-education teacher program, I'd ask a lot of questions. Does your state accept the coursework and degree from the institution for a teaching certification? What accreditation does it have? What percent of graduates find teaching positions? What experience and background do the education professors and the science professors have?

The courses at online universities are certainly convenient and can be challenging and informative with a good instructor. I'd go a little further with my questions about the science courses. How will you gain experience in a real laboratory or out in the field? How will you get experience with the "tools of the trade" you probably don't have at home (e.g., telescopes, weather stations, computer-based probes, digital balances, microscopes, SmartBoards) but you'll be expected to teach with in a classroom lab? What kinds of scientific inquiry will you do, and how? What kind of training in lab safety is provided?

On a practical note, I also would ask any online university which local schools they have partnerships with for you to do your practicum (student teaching). Does the university have a supervisor who will visit you in the classroom regularly to provided feedback? How do the education methods courses enable you to address your state's science standards and reach a diverse student population?

I realize I responded to most of your questions with more questions! You have a lot to think about, and you're very smart to gather data from a variety of sources before making such a big decision. Going back to school sets a wonderful example for your children!
Published: Jan-26-09 | 0 Comments | 230 Links to this post

Jan13

Scientific Principal

We have a new principal. She doesn’t seem to understand what it's like to be a science teacher. For example, she wants to schedule non-science classes in the labs during our planning periods. One of my colleagues wants to give her a list of what she should do for us, but I'm not sure that would be the best solution.
-- DeAnn, North Charleston, South Carolina

In all fairness to our principals, they are expected to be both building managers and instructional leaders. If their own science backgrounds consisted of lectures with an occasional demonstration, they may not understand the concept or the value of inquiry-based learning. They may be unaware of the teacher's responsibility for safety in the labs or security in the storage areas. They may have never considered how much behind-the-scenes work science teachers do (especially when we make it look easy). Giving her a list could put her on the defensive, so you might want to help her see what your challenges are.

Ask your principal to observe lab classes (for the whole period, not just a walkthrough). In your debriefing meeting, describe what students learn from these activities (perhaps with examples of student work) as well as the amount of time it takes to set up and put away the materials and read a report from each student, the safety and cooperative learning procedures you help students learn, and the fact that the students could not have done the activity in a "regular" classroom without running water, lots of electrical outlets, flat tables, and appropriate safety equipment.

All teachers use their planning time for writing lesson plans and evaluating assignments. But science teachers have additional demands. Sometimes principals see how organized you are and don't realize how much time and effort it takes. Keep a log of the amount of time you spend setting up your labs, including time before and after school. Also log the time spent inventorying and maintaining the storage areas, repairing or servicing equipment, and complying with local and state regulations. Show her the inventory of equipment and materials you have to keep up-to-date, including the Material Safety Data Sheets.

Invite your principal to attend a department or team meeting to discuss some of your concerns. Frame your suggestions in terms of student benefit and safety rather than teacher ease and convenience. For example, describe the hazards (and possible liability) of scheduling non-science classes or study halls in lab classrooms. If you think homeroom students would interfere with your lab setups, suggest you could take on a different duty in lieu of a homeroom class. If you ask for more planning time, emphasize it would be used for the additional responsibilities that come with teaching science (and then be sure that it is).

Share some resources with your principal. The website Understanding Science has a section called "Everything You Need to Know About the Nature and Process of Science" that could bring her up-to-date on what good science teaching includes. Your question implies you're in a secondary school, so you could share copies of NSTA's position statements Learning Conditions for High School Science and Safety and School Science Instruction. NSTA's newsletter for elementary principals, Scientific Principals, may also be of interest. You don't have to be a principal (or a member of NSTA) to subscribe. NSTA also has several publications on safety that should be part of every school's professional library.

If you treat her as a professional colleague and focus on student learning and safety, she may become your science department's best advocate.
Published: Jan-13-09 | 0 Comments | 324 Links to this post

Jan06

Facilitating Parental Support

My school wants to encourage more parental involvement. Any suggestions?
—Madeleine, Lafayette, Louisiana

“Parental involvement” is a term we think we all understand, but it might help to discuss what "involved" parents are. On the one hand, they might be the parents/caregivers who come to open houses or conferences, belong to the Parent Teacher Association, read aloud to their child, volunteer in the school, call with questions about their child's learning, and make sure their child does homework. On the other hand, there are the parents who do the homework for the child, question you repeatedly about grading, second-guess instructional decisions, make unreasonable demands on your time, or assume their child is always correct. And don’t forget about the parents who work multiple jobs to pay bills, have difficulty communicating in English, are experiencing their own personal or medical problems, or stay away because of negative experiences when they were students.

I prefer the term "parental support" to describe the positive things parents can do to be a part of their child's education. Surprisingly, some parents may not know how to be supportive. Communication and positive experiences with schools can be the first steps in promoting parent support.

If we communicate only negative information (behavior issues, low test scores, missing homework), it can be understandable why parents/caregivers might not want much contact. A high school I worked in had a "Good News" project. Teachers were encouraged to send postcards (provided by the school) to parents to share positive student events: an improved grade, helpful behaviors, or an interesting activity. The school secretary would address and mail them (e-mail works, too, if parents/caregivers have accounts). Many parents would call to thank us for the good news.

Parents also should be able to find information easily on the school website. Class newsletters, webpages, or blogs could describe activities and assignments. An elementary school added a twist to the traditional school calendar. In addition to sporting events and holidays, every day had a suggestion—simple things such as "help your child write a note to a relative or friend" or "tell your child a story about when you were his/her age." The calendar also had information about the local public library and museums. Some schools have take-home kits that include books, science mini-kits, or puzzles and games.

It may be hard to believe, but many parents get nervous when they have to visit their child's school, and non-threatening, pleasant experiences can help them overcome their anxiety. A middle school I know switched from a teacher-centered Back-to-School Night to an Open House concept, encouraging students and other family members to come along. The students introduced their parents and teachers, showed their families where their seats were, what was in their lab notebooks, and how to open the lockers. If parents wanted to talk about their child in detail, they left their names and the teacher contacted them.

Some elementary schools are including students in the parent conferences, so students can share their work. At an elementary school in a neighborhood where many parents/caregivers walked their children to school, the principal offered coffee and doughnuts in the lobby every Friday morning and invited the parents to stay and chat with each other and some staff members.

A statement attributed to Shimon Peres may be applicable here: If a problem has no solution, it may not be a problem, but a fact, not to be solved, but to be coped with over time. We can wait for external solutions to what we perceive as the "problem" of a lack of parent involvement, or we can cope by communicating with parents/caregivers, providing non-threatening opportunities for parents/caregivers to visit the school, and helping them learn how to be supportive.
Published: Jan-06-09 | 2 Comments | 26 Links to this post