The landscape of education is constantly shifting. Thatās 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, weāve outlined four tips for weathering shifts. The bottom line? Itās important for teachers to be able to change with the times, while remaining a steady, solid presence for students.
1. Embrace changeāitās good for kids, too.
āI always change my labs. I donāt like to do the same thing over and over again,ā says Dieppa. And when she tries something new, she tells her students sheās experimenting. (After all, itās science!)
āTheyāre afraid of trying something new and failing,ā Dieppa saysāso she tries to model taking on the unknown, learning, and adjusting as needed. This is part of cultivating a growth mindset for kids. āItās for them not to be fearful. That gives kids a foundation they need.ā
2. Have an open-door policy.
The pandemic has exacerbated challenges in kidsā lives that can make it tough for them to learn. Some even say weāre in a youth mental health crisis. Now more than ever, itās important that āyou become more than just a science teacher,ā says Cross. āYouāre a mentor. Youāre an encourager. Sometimes youāre a counselor.ā
Itās impossible to be everything to every student, but itās important to let them know you see them.
āI always say, Iām not there to really be your friend, but Iām there to help you,āā says Dieppa. āAnd you gotta tell āem, you know, ‘if you need to talk, come talk to me’. Because so much of what weāre doing is like life coaching in addition, and that connects to their success in the classroom.ā
3. Measure wins in lots of ways.
What keeps Dieppa going? āWhether [students] have struggled all year and theyāve had that one piece of success, or they come back and tell you they didnāt realize what they got out of middle school science until they got to high school, those are my moments of success.ā
4. Rememberāyouāre still learning, too.
Yes, youāre the teacher, but āyou donāt have to be the expert in everything,ā says Cross. āTeachers tend to be more risk-taking and innovative when theyāre willing to say, āI donāt have to know everything in order to do something.āā
Whenever it feels like you canāt do something or donāt know something, remember: You canāt do it yet. You donāt know it yet. Growth mindset phrases for students apply to your growth, too.
Listen to the whole podcast episode hereĀ and subscribe to Science Connections: The Podcast here.Ģż
About Amplifyās 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.
