Sharing is Caring: From Classrooms to Conferences

Sharing is Caring: From Classrooms to Conferences

Sarah Solter – Intermediate Science Teacher, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board

As Li-Shien Lee shared in a previous blog post about the recent STAO conference, this too was my first experience presenting at a conference outside of my own school board.  Not that I hadn’t been interested in presenting, it’s just that the first time I was scheduled to deliver a workshop at STAO, the pandemic got in the way.  I’m happy that I decided to submit a presentation idea this year.  I’m even happier that I shared the stage with colleagues.

I’ve reached the 20 year milestone in my teaching career, and for the latter part of that career I’ve had the pleasure of teaching science to grade 7 and 8 students for at least half my day, every single day. I spend lots of time thinking about the fundamentals of science and finding creative and engaging ways to share these ideas with young people who might not otherwise be exposed to them. As much as I enjoy this role, I’ve begun to notice that my teaching experience is starting to feel a little lonely.  In an elementary setting, science specialists are rarer beasts, and scientific discovery is not a common topic of discussion in the staffroom or hallways of my workplace.  

Recently, I’ve made the conscious decision to bring more science-minded people into my classroom. Of course, there are guest speakers, online presentations, and organizations that will visit for a day, but I’ve been looking for something more sustainable.  I’ve found two solutions so far.    

The first solution is to seek out teacher candidates who have undergraduate degrees in a science or technology discipline.  Many of these candidates are in the Intermediate/Senior program and may not have considered an elementary or middle school for one of their teaching blocks.  These teacher candidates benefit from my classroom experience, and my students and I benefit from the energy and unique science background the teacher candidate brings to us.

Another solution is to contact an educational outreach agency.  This past year, I worked with students from The McMaster Children and Youth University (MCYU) on a project we developed together for one of my classes.  These third and fourth-year university students have an interest in science communication and working with young people in the field.  One of their course curriculum projects is to form a partnership with a teacher in an elementary school.  The MCYU team visited my classroom on four separate occasions and built productive, positive relationships with my students.  They shared their lived experiences, knowledge, and passion for their project.  This, in turn, inspired my students to plan, create, and apply their own ideas to the world around them. 

The MCYU collaborators and teaching candidates that spent time with me and my class have helped to re-ignite my own passion for teaching science.  

I was so pleased with the results of the MCYU collaboration that I wanted to share it with other teachers beyond the reach of my own school board. I also didn’t want to do it alone.  Thankfully, the MCYU team members, some of whom are now working in graduate programs this past fall, agreed to present the workshop with me.  The experience of co-planning and delivering a session with them was a rewarding one.

Looking towards the future, I hope to continue on-going collaborations with the MCYU and others who will bring their joy of science  to my students, my school, and to me.  I also hope to get the opportunity to share those new experiences, again, with you at another STAO conference.