Trailer: Catalyzing the Spark of Learning in Young Scientists

From my first encounter with a chemistry set as a child, science has been my sandbox of curiosity, a place where Barbie dolls endured the brunt of my early experiments. Fast forward through a high school experience that almost extinguished that spark, to a military stint, then onto a biochemistry degree and a career in the biotech industry. But it was the undeniable pull towards teaching that reshaped my world. In this inaugural episode of 'Teaching High School Science', I, Doc, unfold my journey from the lab to the classroom, sharing the highs and lows that come with inspiring young minds. 

As we navigate through my story, you'll learn why I transitioned from biochemist to high school teacher and eventually to a private tutor, passionate about making science education accessible and engaging outside the traditional classroom. No stone is left unturned as we tackle the challenges and triumphs of teaching science—from the heartache of public education's limitations to the joy of witnessing students' 'aha' moments. Join me as we chart a course towards demystifying science education, exploring hands-on strategies for homeschoolers and online educators alike, all while fostering a collaborative community of learning and curiosity.

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Let's continue the conversation and explore the wonders of science together!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the very first episode of teaching high school science. I'm Doc, your host, and in this episode I'm going to share a little bit about my science background, my journey and how I left the lab to become a science teacher, and then why I left the classroom, and then later we're going to talk a little bit more about what this podcast is all about and what you can expect in future episodes. Welcome to teaching high school science. I'm your host, doc, a former biochemist turned high school science teacher and private tutor. Whether you're homeschooling your team through high school science or teaching online, join me as I share tips and strategies I've learned over the years for at home and online labs and activities, breaking down complex concepts and structuring learning in a way that makes sense. Now let's dive into the day's topics. So my goal and purpose for this podcast is all about making high school science doable and meaningful for your homeschool experience and to bust the myth that you cannot learn science online. The style of this podcast is going to be more collaborative, meaning I want your input. I want your questions, your thoughts, your ideas, even sharing strategies that worked or didn't work. So please go to my website, thesciencementorcom, and click on the podcast link from the menu.

Speaker 1: 1:20

Now, I've been fascinated with science since my early childhood days. In fact, I had Barbie dolls in a chemistry set, so my Barbie dolls inadvertently became subjects for experiments that I designed with my chemistry set. Let's just say that wasn't the best thing that I could have done, because I definitely got in trouble when I cinched a hair off of my Barbie dolls. But, needless to say, science was always encouraged, or I should say the exploration, the curiosity, asking questions and then trying to figure out ways to determine the answers to those questions. I do not have a huge memory of science through elementary school, but I can tell you that at some point in high school that experience was awful. Yes, it was really awful. I remember my ninth grade teacher, and it was a chemistry course, more of a lab based course, and that teacher did not want to be teaching that class and we knew as much, even though she tried to hide it and I may be giving her a little bit of credit here but we knew it. It really wasn't until my eleventh grade year, when I signed up for an AP human anatomy and physiology course with a friend of mine because she wanted to have a partner in the course that I fell in love with science all over again, and if you guess that it was because of the teacher, then you are right on the money. I enjoyed that class and, surprisingly, human anatomy and physiology While I enjoyed a subject it is not what I went into. I still had a love for chemistry and after working with that teacher and speaking with that teacher, she encouraged me to pursue my love in science.

Speaker 1: 3:06

After my time in the military, I completed my bachelor of science in biochemistry and I began working in the biotech world as a biochemistry tech On research and development teams and it was wonderful. I explored many different things and learned so many different things. In the midst of all of this I still had the urge to teach. I had spent quite a bit of time tutoring teenagers in chemistry and physics and biology and I enjoyed working with them and watching those aha moments. And then I got accepted into a PhD program that had a bit of the late start and I decided to take that opportunity and just get this teaching bug out of my system. I remember joining a corporate to the classroom program and I said I would do this for a year at the most. But once I stepped into that classroom, I never looked back. I fell in love with teaching and it felt as if I was combining two of my greatest passions science and teaching. I've taught middle school, high school, undergraduate and graduate level courses. Now why I love teaching.

Speaker 1: 4:21

There are some frustrations that comes with teaching in the public school system, and those frustrations are due to the constraints that keep me from really being able to meet the unique needs of each of my students, and in recognizing these limitations, I started offering more tutoring and classes before and after school. Unfortunately, many of my students that really needed this help or this additional one-on-one time were not able to come to those time meetings. So eventually the frustrations has got to the point of where I just left the classroom, but I never left teaching. I love teaching, I love working with students, so I never truly left teaching. Instead, I started working with students as a private tutor, and in working with them I also work with their parents.

Speaker 1: 5:11

So I was working with families and helping them meet their needs in science, and that grew into working with more homeschool parents, because some of the parents that I've worked with decided to take their child out of the public school system for various reasons, and I began to work with them as their science teacher through high school and I realized a couple of things in that. I realized that many of my parents, whether they were homeschooling or parents of public school students, had similar concerns. My public school parents who wanted to homeschool were concerned that their child would not receive the comprehensive education that they needed to be competitive in college, and many of my homeschool parents, especially the ones that I was working with that had middle school students, were concerned of the very same thing. Should I still continue to homeschool my student through high school or should I put them back in high school so that they will have the edge or competitiveness to be accepted into colleges?

Speaker 1: 6:19

And, being the teacher that I am and the passionate person about science that I am, this insight in these questions led me to work even more closely with my families, offering tips and strategies covering everything from the best progression of science courses for their student through high school and even timing that with the math that they would need to have that comprehensive experience in science, and then sharing with them the content that they would need. So sometimes I'll be teaching my parents the content to share with their students, or just being the private science teacher to my students, sharing with them what they needed to be competitive in college. I also provided guidance on AP courses, because many of my parents did not realize that their child still had access to the advanced placement program and that they, as parents, could gain approval from the college board to teach their children approved AP courses and that their child could still sit for the AP exam without even attending or having to attend a public high school. So I am deeply passionate about providing quality science education to all students, ensuring that they have the tools and knowledge to succeed in their educational journey, no matter where it may take them.

Speaker 1: 7:40

So, whether you are aiming for a career in STEM or simply want to nurture a love for science in your student, you will not want to miss a single episode. Let me know if you have any questions, ideas or other experiences that you would like to share. Head on over to my podcast page, which you can access by visiting my website at thesciencementorcom. Then select Podcast from the menu and subscribe now to the Teaching High School Science Podcast for your regular dose of motivation and just-in-time science ideas, and together let's make high school science a journey of exploration and achievement. Until next time, remember curiosity leads to endless possibilities.