“Learning
science is something students do, not something that is done to them.”
As
I read The National Science Education Standards, I thought to myself this is
why I want to become a teacher. I
want to make a positive impact on my students. I want to teach them to think
and to learn not just memorize facts that they will forget after the test.
I want to inspire them to love science as much as I do and get excited
about science education. I want
them to be able to visualize the overall scheme of how science fits into
society and that you cannot have one without the other.
I do not want their knowledge and comprehension of science and its
wonders to be tied to a book. I
want them to be able to think critically and use the skills they obtain in
school to help them become productive members of this technologically advanced
society. I found in this set of
standards the articulation of everything that I want to accomplish as a
science teacher. It lays out a
practical and doable means to achieving a scientifically literate, critically
thinking society. More
importantly, it stresses not only the role of the teacher and student in
achieving this goal but also holds parents and legislators accountable for
realizing this dream. The
standards are comprehensive yet not overwhelming because they illustrate ways
these goals can be applied now, not just at some point in the future.
All of this done with the foresight to realize that this goal cannot
nor should not be achieved overnight. Rather
the standards provide a workable framework for making my dreams as a teacher a
reality.