The landscape of education is constantly shifting. That鈥檚 always been true, because the world is constantly changing. But at no time in recent memory has the landscape of education been forced to change in as many ways as it has over the past few years.
How can teachers navigate the seismic changes in the education system in their day-to-day lives?
In this recent episode of Science Connections: The Podcast, host Eric Cross talks about managing educational change with veteran educator and former Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Middle School Science Teacher of the Year Marilyn Dieppa.
Below, we鈥檝e outlined four tips for weathering shifts. The bottom line? It鈥檚 important for teachers to be able to change with the times, while remaining a steady, solid presence for students.
1. Embrace change鈥攊t鈥檚 good for kids, too.
鈥淚 always change my labs. I don鈥檛 like to do the same thing over and over again,鈥� says Dieppa. And when she tries something new, she tells her students she鈥檚 experimenting. (After all, it鈥檚 science!)
鈥淭hey鈥檙e afraid of trying something new and failing,鈥� Dieppa says鈥攕o she tries to model taking on the unknown, learning, and adjusting as needed. This is part of cultivating a growth mindset for kids. 鈥淚t鈥檚 for them not to be fearful. That gives kids a foundation they need.鈥�
2. Have an open-door policy.
The pandemic has exacerbated challenges in kids鈥� lives that can make it tough for them to learn. Some even say we鈥檙e in a youth mental health crisis. Now more than ever, it鈥檚 important that 鈥測ou become more than just a science teacher,鈥� says Cross. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a mentor. You鈥檙e an encourager. Sometimes you鈥檙e a counselor.鈥�
It鈥檚 impossible to be everything to every student, but it鈥檚 important to let them know you see them.
鈥淚 always say, I鈥檓 not there to really be your friend, but I鈥檓 there to help you,鈥欌�� says Dieppa. 鈥淎nd you gotta tell 鈥檈m, you know, ‘if you need to talk, come talk to me’. Because so much of what we鈥檙e doing is like life coaching in addition, and that connects to their success in the classroom.鈥�
3. Measure wins in lots of ways.
What keeps Dieppa going? 鈥淲hether [students] have struggled all year and they鈥檝e had that one piece of success, or they come back and tell you they didn鈥檛 realize what they got out of middle school science until they got to high school, those are my moments of success.鈥�
4. Remember鈥攜ou鈥檙e still learning, too.
Yes, you鈥檙e the teacher, but 鈥測ou don鈥檛 have to be the expert in everything,鈥� says Cross. 鈥淭eachers tend to be more risk-taking and innovative when they鈥檙e willing to say, 鈥業 don鈥檛 have to know everything in order to do something.鈥欌��
Whenever it feels like you can鈥檛 do something or don鈥檛 know something, remember: You can鈥檛 do it yet. You don鈥檛 know it yet. Growth mindset phrases for students apply to your growth, too.
Listen to the whole podcast episode here聽and subscribe to Science Connections: The Podcast here.听
About Amplify鈥檚 Science Connections: The Podcast
Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So how do we help kids figure that out? How are we preparing students to be the next generation of 21st-century scientists?
Join host Eric Cross as he sits down with educators, scientists, and knowledge experts to discuss how we can best support students in science classrooms. Listen to hear how you can inspire kids across the country to love learning science, and bring that magic into your classroom for your students.
