Students need to explore and be creative which means getting messy and noisy at times. As the teacher I would have them answer a set of questions that would make them observe, touch, mix, and create, etc to find the answers. Then I would have them teach a fellow student something they learned. This is going to make it more meaningful for the students and will excite them about learning. I will also be prepared to respond to any criticism from administrators, parents or colleagues. We retain 75% of what we are learning when it entails us “doing” and we retain 95% from teaching others! It is imperative for our students to experience science not just hear and read about it!
Lisa Schneier makes it a point that students need to be a part of science not just observers. Teachers need to allow students to do the “doing”. How can a student fully understand what he or she is learning about when they have not experienced it themselves? Will they retain this information? No! Teachers need to stop worrying about being neat and quiet and bring their classrooms alive for their students! Their futures depend on it!! Listening to lectures, and reading about experiments is like watching a preview for a movie. In order to really know what’s going on and be in on the plot, you need to go into the theater and experience the wide view, surround sound, and watch the movie from start to finish. If you only get the preview, you are an outsider just like these students.
If a student asks me a question I do not hold the answer to, I will tell them, “that is a very good question, why don’t we find out together…or You know, that is an excellent question, I am not sure of the answer but lets try to find out together”. Teachers and students have a reciprocal relationship, teachers learn from students everyday as students learn from teachers everyday. I would point out that we are all explorers and there is always something new to learn.
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