This time three years ago I was spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. All in the name of learning of course. So were am I now, this seems like a good time to reflect.
I was charged with improving my own science teaching, and lifting the level of science teaching through the whole school.
My own science teaching has definitely improved for two reasons. there is more of it and the teaching has a much greater focus and I have a clearer idea of what I want to teach. Sometimes that clearer focus is in terms of knowledge, but more often it is the processes around finding out about science-or the Nature of Science. One of the highlights have been how the children can use the knowledge they have learnt and explain it in their own ways. we have had videos, raps, poems, as well as the more traditional charts and info-graphics. Many of these have also talked about the processes they used to find out or investigate their findings.
In terms of increasing the amount and level of science teaching in the school there has been some progress.We started off with a lot of input and discussion. Teachers were keen to try new things and we did things at school, syndicate, and class level. Over time this has dropped off a little, but not below where we started. With an increasing focus on inquiry learning and in-service around this I can lots of opportunities to keep science in focus.
Lots of good things have happened and rereading this blog has helped me focus again on keeping science teaching in the front of my mind.
