So last week I started a new journey in teaching. I have moved up to the college level. I am a full time graduate assistant and doctoral student. I am teaching an undergraduate class called Classroom Learning Theory (CLT), taking three classes of my own (Qualitative Research, Stats and Intro to Educational Media) and I am TAing a Masters level Research Methods class. It is a busy schedule but I like it. I have been at it for just over a week now. My CLT class is going great. I really feel that I am making an impact on the future teachers my students will be.
I am learning new things about myself too. Like my philosophies in life are not exactly what I thought they would be. I still rely on science but I am more postmodern in my views when it comes to research, I find that there has to be a collaboration between the researcher, participants and data to come to valuable conclusions, which isn’t very “scientific” at all. “Scientific” usually requires that biases and other viewpoints be eliminated rather than embraced. Also, I am a constructivist in my teaching but not so much a social constructivist. I firmly believe that there are multiple perspectives which is why I embrace constuctivism in my teaching, every one of my students’ views are valuable and can add to the collective learning experience. Apparently I value the perspectives of my participants in my research too.
Honestly I have never thought about it until tonight really. But I think it is impossible to eliminate all biases and different perspectives and since they can’t be eliminated they must be acknowledged and accounted for. So as I embark on the journey to helping improve teaching for all students, I find myself reflecting on everything I have done so far. How I have ran my classroom for the last eight years, the research I have done in pursuing my Master’s, why I made my decision to even start this journey.
I want to teach future teachers and current teachers how to teach science better. That is going to require my science knowledge and studies, but it will also require me to look qualitatively look at the practice of teaching. Because what good is knowledge if it can’t be delivered understandably to others? So this journey will require all my skills to understand and relay information, quality information, to the next generation of science teachers.
Later days,
Ms. O
O's Bureau of Scientific Investigations 