The World needs Great Science Teachers and lots more of them! If you are reading this blog, you probably are either a Science teacher or are thinking of becoming one!

Excellent, here are eight things you can do to be an inspiration to your students and enjoy what you teach even more… Have a passion for Science You might not be up to date with all things Scientific, I doubt that anyone is, but it is vital that you are passionate about your favourite areas of Science.

Be recognised for your specialities, as well as have an excellent working knowledge of the Science you are teaching, above and beyond what is in the textbook. Be a role model scientist and join a professional organisation of Science teachers. Be a Science Communication Professional Many scientists cannot communicate their discoveries to the general public and as a consequence their work can be undervalued. Become an expert in communicating difficult scientific concepts to the public as well as your students. Make sure you can connect with your students orally, visually and by the written word at the appropriate level. Many scientific concepts require staged explanations over many years. For example, describing the Bohr Atomic model to a 13-Year-Old is a lot simpler than teaching the Electron Cloud Model to a Chemistry undergraduate! Keep up to date Science is probably the fastest growing area of knowledge in the 21st century and keeping up with everything is impossible but do your best. Subscribe to a Science publication, read both Science and Science Fiction, there are glimpses of future Science in Science Fiction. Dick Tracy’s watch of the 1930’s looks a lot like the latest communication technology to me! Don’t forget the past The History of Science and scientific discovery can be a fantastic way to get a student’s attention. Many Science teachers know what they wanted to do after watching Neil Armstrong step onto the Moon as children. Be open to change Be ready to change with the scientific times as new theories and ideas are put forward and tested. Science does not stand still and what was right once may now be better understood and no longer considered correct. For example String Theory, Dark Matter and Dark Energy theories are only a few years old, but are providing a completely new understanding of the Universe. The Science you learnt at school is not always the Science you will teach. Be aware of misconceptions The ideas of how things work and misconceptions that young minds come up with often surprise Science teachers! Some misconceptions are not so off the mark and many have been previously considered by Science. Some sites for your further investigation: The Science Teacher Misconceptions and conceptual change in science education. Secondary National Strategy - Understanding students’ misconceptions. Teach Science using the STEM Method Futurists are telling us that the workplace of the 21st century will be a very different place for our students, if not teachers as well. To be successful we will need to be very flexible. With a STEM education, as well as studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, students are encouraged to develop the key “Soft Skills” required for working in the 21st century, such as: problem solving and logical reasoning, curiosity, creativity, critical analysis, independent thinking and collaboration, initiative, communication, entrepreneurship and digital literacy skills. Take the opportunity to emphasise the STEM Soft Skills whenever you can. "The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning new skills. Everything else will become obsolete over time." - Peter Drucker Don’t just tell them, show them and let them discover as well Practical demonstrations, field trips and experimentation are vital in Science education. Do, do, do, less talking more doing! Easier said than done but give it a try. Students usually remember a dynamic practical experiment or a discovery better than a lecture or what they have read. Want more? Ten Websites for Science Teachers from Edutopia has lots of Science teaching tips and good ideas for your consideration. 50 Innovative Teaching Methods in Science: More than just conveying facts or findings in Science, students love to explore the world of Science.

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