Learning to teach science well

Day one of kindergarten science class and I ask my students what they believe science is? 
Every year the response was the same; 'We will blow things up and make potions'. 
The image kids have in their mind seems to have come in part from tv, movies and books, but some kids really love science and read about it with their parents or do experiments on the weekend. They understand that there is so much more to science and that it is such a vastly wide subject. There is bound to be a theme they are enthused about although it may not mean they like every science lesson. 
Either way, they are usually keen. Bright eyed and eager to know; 'What will we be learning about this term?'


I have seen many young students enthusiastic for their school science education, only to become disillusioned and unenthralled by the lessons delivered. Bored with worksheets, fact sheets on inventors and videos, they wanted to get their hands dirty, make something fly or test something. They wanted to create, to work in groups, and 'do stuff' but mostly to not have to sit and write or be talked to. Of course, most units of work have some element of this, but for some this is all they experience. 
I believe that for some elementary school teachers, teaching science can seem intimidating. It requires the teacher to not only teach in a different way, to use and organise a lot of resources, but for the teacher to let go of the control of a highly structured class and accept some temporary mess and let their students move around.


Once I was able to overcome this, I found teaching science fun and of course the students enjoyed it more. I learned to expect the unexpected from them and let their imaginations and creativity run wild.

http://o5.com

The beginning of an exciting adventure in science education.

Welcome!!! Today we embark on an exciting adventure. 

For years I have taught primary school science to enthusiastic open young minds, shared in student's successes and challenges and watched them engage in their lessons with creativity and zest. It's time to share with a wider audience the lessons I have taught and been taught by my students. 
I have seen science taught in schools where the staff have not been supported in their endeavour to improve science education and where there are limited teaching resources. I have met students who love science but their science experience revolved around worksheets and limited practical activities. I have scoured the web trying to find appropriate resources to teach the way I wanted to teach, often coming up short and having to create my own. 
What you will find here are teaching ideas, methodology, activities and processes that I hope will assist teachers to improve their science education. We have been told many a time that the students we teach now will work in jobs not yet created or thought of and I believe fostering creativity in science education will not only help those jobs to be created but enable students to become the creative workforce that drives development. 

I look forward immensely to conversing with the teaching profession about the teaching of science in primary/elementary schools not only in Australia, but internationally. I hope you find something of use in this blog. 

Jenni Bennett

Science lessons should elicit wonderment and creativity in the minds of our students.