Personal Growth - Science Educator
As a STEM educator, I strive to create a classroom where curiosity drives learning and students see themselves as capable thinkers. This reflection highlights my evolving approach to inquiry, equity, and engagement through real-world, interdisciplinary science teaching.
As a STEM educator, I strive to create a classroom where curiosity drives learning and students see themselves as capable thinkers. This reflection highlights my evolving approach to inquiry, equity, and engagement through real-world, interdisciplinary science teaching.
In my own continuing education, I’ve come to believe that STEM education, more specifically science education, is most impactful when it begins not with a textbook or vocabulary list, but with a question. Something students notice in the world around them that sparks genuine curiosity. While I’ve long recognized the value of interdisciplinary connections across science, technology, engineering, and math, my focus has increasingly shifted toward designing experiences that center observation, inquiry, and accessibility for all learners.
One of the most meaningful shifts in my approach has been embracing the use of real-world phenomena as a foundation for science instruction. Whether it’s observing a Great Blue Heron flying with its neck tucked in, then outstretched in hunting posture, or noticing a stray cat stalking birds in a backyard garden, everyday moments can lead to deep scientific thinking. These observations become powerful launching points for lessons in adaptation, predator-prey relationships, and structure-function relationships in biology.
I’ve found that students who might not immediately connect with traditional science lessons often thrive when given opportunities to engage with science through personal experience and curiosity. Tools like phenomenon-based journaling or inquiry-driven class discussions allow students to start with what they already know or care about and build from there. These methods encourage ownership over learning and validate different ways of entering scientific conversations through storytelling, sketching, data collection, or discussion.
Another area of growth in my teaching practice has been in designing learning experiences that encourage exploration, creativity, and real-world relevance. I’ve found that integrating elements of play, storytelling, ethical dilemmas, or design challenges into science lessons can shift the way students see themselves as learners. Activities like role-playing as scientists, analyzing local ecological phenomena, or building models based on animal adaptations help students apply scientific thinking in engaging and tangible ways. By offering multiple entry points, whether through visual expression, hands-on tasks, open-ended questioning, or collaborative discussion, I can support different learning styles and create a classroom culture where scientific thinking feels accessible, flexible, and connected to the real world.
Moving forward, I aim to create a STEM classroom where wonder and inquiry are central, and where all students can see themselves as capable scientific thinkers. That includes designing lessons that begin with authentic phenomena, provide multiple modes of engagement, and offer students choice in how they explore and express their understanding. It also means paying close attention to equity and inclusion, recognizing that not all students enter the classroom with the same experiences, but all deserve opportunities to explore science in ways that feel relevant and empowering.
In my classroom, science learning will not be confined to isolated facts or formulas. It will reflect the interconnectedness of the natural world and the lives of my students. Whether through journaling, experimentation, design thinking, or storytelling, my goal is to help students not only learn science, but to feel a part of it.