Little did I know that God had something else for me. One day, less than two months after moving to San Diego, I applied to a teaching credential program. I applied because I had enjoyed watching professors’ teach the labs when I was a student and when I was a lab coordinator. I saw that the professors could talk about what they knew and also ask questions with their students. I even saw that they could spend time during labs with their students both inside a classroom looking under a microscope and out in the field observing the tentacle of an octopus! Thinking back, the professors did have me assist with instruction at times. They made me feel a part of the learning process. It wasn’t a lot of teaching experience, but it made me wonder - could I do this? Could I talk about what I know and then ask questions with students?
Now, why am I a science teacher? In part, it’s because I am drawn to the natural world. The intricacies of how our bodies work is amazing and being in nature gives me a sheer sense of joy. There is no possible way I will ever know all there is to know about all scientific topics, yet I can constantly learn each and every day. Plus, like my students, I can view the same video or read the same text over and over again and yet not be able to answer the multiple choice question correctly on a test! I need practice with this information!
I want to foster that curiosity in myself and in my students. I want them to ask lots of questions, and I now can say I am comfortable with each of them doing unique work. I don’t want to grade paper after paper that has the exact same information. I want to hear them thinking in their writing and see their thoughts in their videos! Being an educator allows me to learn often and share that gift of learning with others. I am blessed.