This semester I had the opportunity to participate in a third grade classroom over at York Country Day School. The lessons I observed were based off of the new FOSS Module that my teacher was piloting. It was a unique learning experience because it was her first time teaching the material. I felt that we were able to learn and grow from one another as we reflected on components of the lessons. The activities were hands-on and put students in charge of their own learning which is the heart of Inquiry-Based Science. The first lesson I observed during my placement was about gravity. Students were given twirly birds to drop to the ground and investigate their patterns of movement. Students cut out a slip of paper from a template and folded two
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As teachers, we have to try and figure out what went wrong so that lessons can improve for next time. In our education courses at York College, we always reflect at the end of our lesson plans. Reflection is a necessary part of the teaching process. Their is always room for improvement to make learning more accessible to all students. When I teach science in my own classroom, I will try and incorporate some of the ideas I learned from my placement and from the teaching science course. I saw first hand how much students enjoyed being in charge of their learning. Students seemed to grasp difficult concepts such as the different forces of motion and variables because they were able to explore like scientists and ask critical questions. The teacher never put down or ignored an idea from a student. When students made predictions, she always stressed that scientists are constantly making and changing their hypothesizes. I would like to foster a similar environment in my classroom where students are not afraid to share their ideas. I will also try to take my students outside when possible because their are many benefits in teaching science in this way. A last thought my teacher shared with me was that all of her students told her that science was their favorite subject. I have found this to be true across many classrooms I have visited where the teachers were passionate and the activities were Inquiry-Based. Giving children direct and meaningful experiences with science develops an enthusiasm for
As teachers, we have to try and figure out what went wrong so that lessons can improve for next time. In our education courses at York College, we always reflect at the end of our lesson plans. Reflection is a necessary part of the teaching process. Their is always room for improvement to make learning more accessible to all students. When I teach science in my own classroom, I will try and incorporate some of the ideas I learned from my placement and from the teaching science course. I saw first hand how much students enjoyed being in charge of their learning. Students seemed to grasp difficult concepts such as the different forces of motion and variables because they were able to explore like scientists and ask critical questions. The teacher never put down or ignored an idea from a student. When students made predictions, she always stressed that scientists are constantly making and changing their hypothesizes. I would like to foster a similar environment in my classroom where students are not afraid to share their ideas. I will also try to take my students outside when possible because their are many benefits in teaching science in this way. A last thought my teacher shared with me was that all of her students told her that science was their favorite subject. I have found this to be true across many classrooms I have visited where the teachers were passionate and the activities were Inquiry-Based. Giving children direct and meaningful experiences with science develops an enthusiasm for