Life/Science 101: So, You Think You Can Teach Biology!

What, indeed, makes me think I can teach Biology? After all, I've never taught it before. My college background is in electrical engineering without a single Biology course disturbing my transcript. Oh, wait, two years ago, I did participate in a MOOC from MIT that was focused on the biochemistry of DNA, RNA, and proteins. But, is that enough? Surely, one must have more that that!!!

Well, maybe . . .  but I remain absolutely confident that this will be a great year for my students and me. One way to evaluate the likelihood of success in a venture is to do a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) matrix. One lists as many of these factors as possible, then tries to build off the positives and address the negatives. I think I had internally sensed that there were a lot of positives but, until now, I had never quite formally expressed them.

So, here's my SWOT analysis of the venture:

STRENGTHS 20+ years of teaching experience at the secondary level personally fully “NGSS-ready” was deeply involved in the overhaul of the curriculum (making it align with NGSS) supportive department chair supportive administrators creative and committed colleagues common planning time with other Bio teacher summer time available for Professional Development life-long interest and reading in the area of evolutions and natural selection comfort with “deep time” from Astronomy instruction comfort with “controversial” topics from Astronomy instruction

WEAKNESSES relatively shallow depth of knowledge in the content area still working on the “Big Picture,” especially in the first unit

OPPORTUNITIES possible influence on analysis of life science investigations - more computational?? significant personal development as I learn Bio concepts at deeper levels, that can impact my instruction to the benefit of students - I’ll identify their struggle with content

THREATS school year “busy-ness” may constrain collaboration time with Bio colleague lots of chances to mangle the endless Bio vocabulary - will students lose faith?

Quick analysis:

1) There are, indeed, a lot of strengths and some cool opportunities.

2) The weaknesses are not hard to address . . .  I'm getting to be best buddies with ol' Sal Khan this summer, getting some great instruction in the areas of cell regulation, cell respiration, photosynthesis, specialized cell functions, etc. In terms of the "Big Picture," some time with my colleagues can address that quite easily.

3) At the risk of sounding like Yogi Berra ("They have deep depth"), those strengths are really strong! Time, support, interest, and experience are tremendous factors and quite possibly the ones I had internally accounted for!

Now, as a science teacher and long-time reader and fan of Skeptic and the Skeptical Inquirer, I know how capable we all are of self-delusion. But I'm hoping that this matrix demonstrates why I've got a good chance to be successful. At the very least, it should be an interesting matrix to return to throughout the year: What threats did I not anticipate? What weaknesses lurked hidden from view until too late? What strengths were over-stated?

If you think of generic or specific factors that I may have overlooked, please comment!

Life/Science 101: Summer Thoughts on a New Adventure

The calendar has flipped to August 1. My summer reverie breaks as I come to the realization that, before we flip another page, I will be in front of students. For the 23rd year, I'll face a new roster of names and a sea of bright, shiny faces waiting for me to set a tone, one conducive to a year filled with challenge and joy . . .  really! I truly believe that most students actually want this from their teachers. I also believe that those who don't benefit from the creation of such a classroom environment, even if they don't seek it. I'm happy to say I'm surrounded by colleagues and administrators who believe the same thing.

This year, I've got a new challenge. After 22 years of teaching Physics, I'll be teaching Biology instead! After years of advocating, within my department, that we should all be more flexible in our teaching assignments, my bluff was called!! I'm happy to report that, when asked to take this assignment on, I didn't flinch. Though these two disciplines are vastly different, I'm looking forward to this brave new world. As a teaching veteran, I see two big themes that I'll draw upon throughout this year:

1. It's all Science, whether Physics, Biology, Geology, etc.

2. They're just kids looking for a good experience.

Theme #1 manifests itself in a variety of ways but perhaps most frequently in the idea of the Conservation of Energy. Whether we're talking about respiration or photosynthesis, regulation at the body or cellular level, or the form and function of cheetahs or chrysanthemums, the idea that energy is conserved and is transmuted into scores of different guises will lie at the heart of learning. It's all Science . . .

Theme #2 is even more important. Though my choices as a teacher are essential, their progress, their understanding, their total experience are the ultimate metrics by which success will be measured. Can I keep the mood upbeat and hopeful, even in the face of academic challenge? Can I be transparent about my expectations, both within the classroom and on assignments? Can I help students develop both the science skills (asking questions, planning investigations, basing claims on evidence, etc.) and the life skills (clear and effective communication, reliable collaboration, self-direction, etc.) to be successful not just in this course but elsewhere in school and in life? I believe I can answer those questions in the affirmative and will use those to self-assess throughout the year. They're just kids . . . 

And content? Well, sure, the content is different and I've got a few ideas about that as well. But I'll share those in another post. For now, I just wanted to share my excitement about my new direction and invite you to check in with me occasionally to see how this Life/Science experiment is going!