Science Education as we all know is a very tough subject to take. It will take us a lot of understanding and practices to better learn the subject matter. It is a matter of time and effort to manage and even fully understand the concepts in science. Effective teachers of science will understand the topics of their grade level. Those who are not effective are looking at the teaching of science as simply teaching ponds, butterflies, or dinosaurs, which are the themes or the stories of science. Effective teachers of science will use them; however, they will use them to develop, practice, and apply the big ideas and skills to get at the necessary content. They might use dinosaurs as the context, but it will not just be to give students facts and vocabulary—it will be to develop interrelated ideas and skills about changes in life forms and environment over time

Being a teacher, have you just wondered how can we become one of those teachers who teach this subject with no sweat and the students won’t just sleep and have a bright eyes all throughout the discussion? How can we effectively teach our beloved students? How can we help them in their struggle to understand science?

Below are the ways and means on how to effectively teach science subject:

1. Managing Inquiry-Based Learning
2.  You Need the Stuff to Teach Hands-on Science
3. Just Putting the Students into Groups Does Not Guarantee Effectiveness
4. Deepening Teacher Content Knowledge

Materials management and cooperative learning strategies, both of which go together to support inquiry-based science instruction.

 Mr. Hallock’s district and others around the country provide materials for their elementary science programs. This district has made elementary science a priority and the materials kits are delivered to every teacher from a central distribution center. These material resource centers can be found in some large districts across the country. To learn more about these resource centers, visit the Association of Materials Centers website www.kitsupport.org. Many districts provide materials kits that are intended to last for the entire year, with a teacher or a school leader responsible for turning in the replenishment list at the end of the year. Whichever way the materials are delivered or supplied to the teacher, the main point is that to be an effective teacher of science you have to have the materials to do the hands-on

Frankie Troutman is a highly effective kindergarten teacher who is passionate and knowledgeable about the teaching of primary science. She is asked to deliver professional development seminars all over the country and knows that materials are not enough to be effective in executing an inquiry-based investigation. She therefore stresses cooperative learning. Science educators, because they encourage teachers to have students work in groups for their investigations and projects, have embraced cooperative learning techniques.

 “First of all, you have to provide purposeful, efficient, and effective designing and delivering effective science instruction. As a classroom teacher this was the first tool I have ever used to help me unpack the ideas from the standards. It helped me to see what the research said about what misconceptions the children might have and pointed a way to content. I needed to understand so as not to set up these misconceptions. It was a way to drive through the topics and dig deeper. In the long run it made my life easier, but it was time consuming. I feel much more confident about my own teaching and ability to mentor others now that I have done this process. —Nancy Chesley, Elementary Science and Literacy Specialist, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance ToolsSciTchg.qxp 2/29/08 12:04 PM Page 67 professional development to deepen both your teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge. Not the one-time workshop after school, but sustained efforts giving teachers time to learn this new knowledge. Then provide mentoring and coaching to help them transform their classroom practice reflecting this new knowledge.”

REFERENCE: http://books.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E01100/VasWebSam3_3_08.pdf

 

 

By: Rachelle Ann A. Enriquez