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Working With Teachers
Our science teachers are today often in an overburdened situation.
Responsible for lecture preparation and grading of homework and exams,
frequently for large classes, they also must lead students through major laboratory and inquiry-based learning exercises.
It's difficult in that situation for a single teacher to have enough contact time
with each student to teach adequately and also to provide adequate safety supervision.
In addition, the content of science is changing rapidly. Naturally, teachers wish to
provide their students with a contemporary understanding of the subject. There is little time
each day, however, for the preparation necessary to do this.
Finally, there is the very important issue of
continuing education
for our teachers.
Often this is an issue of providing additional preparation in science content.
Such preparation provides teachers with an expanded science content portfolio and therefore
the possibility of teaching additional courses, assuming greater responsibility
and possibilities for faculty leadership. In short, continuing education is
an important pathway to advancement and to higher salaries.
Outside Scientifically-Trained People Can Help
There are several ways, using volunteers from Santa Fe's scientifically-trained
community, to ameliorate this situation.
- Such volunteers could help teachers by providing one-of-a-kind lectures on certain subjects
(e.g. the creation of artificial life);
- Volunteers could be assigned to classes to provide an extended series of lectures on specialized
topics (e.g. the origin of the Universe);
- Volunteers would be very useful in helping with science fair projects or with judging them;
- Volunteers could be assigned to classes to provide an extended series of lectures on specialized
topics (e.g. the origin of the Universe);
- Scientists could be of significant help to teachers seeking to improve their knowledge of science
content, either for the delivery of specific material or in terms of longer-term continuing education
goals.
One of the main reasons for the existence of the Alliance for Science is to provide for contacts
between teachers and our local scientific expertise to help solve these kinds of problems.
Join the Alliance and let's try to make a match!
Organizations or Workshops Offering Continuing Education for Teachers
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