EDUCATION 398 Blog Post – Science and Math Theory of Action Statement

Throughout my educational experiences and time in the Bachelor of Education program, I have recognized that every student learns material and content differently. When it comes to every subject in school, I believe that it is the responsibility of teachers and educators to ensure that we address the unique needs of all learners which will in result, lead to an effective, nurturing, and rich learning environment.

For myself, my favorite subjects in school were Language Arts including the reading, writing, and literacy components. These subjects were where I excelled, whereas Math and Science were my second and third favorites. This idea allows me to recognize that everyone is different, and there are indeed many students out there that may say that their favorite subject in school was Mathematics, while literacy was their least favorite. Therefore, as future teachers, how do we get those students that look at Mathematics and Science as their least favorite subjects or as learning barriers to take interest and succeed in these particular areas?

When I look at the approach of teaching Mathematics and Science, I first look at my numerous years of school that I endured and the variety of teachers that have taught me. I reflect upon what worked for me, and what did not in terms of my studies. I question about which teachers were the most effective and I study in my mind about the various techniques, methods, and strategies that my past teachers used to teach Science and Mathematics. I strongly believe that this is the key and beauty of education and life-long learning. We all go through our schooling, and arrive into the world with at least one instance of inspiration from our experiences and teachers. For example, worksheets, creative projects, and even tests helped me learn Mathematics and Science the best with these teachers. I always needed explicit instruction, along with practice and more practice. These methods can give me an idea and inspiration about what could help my future students. This also forces me to recognize that not all students will find these methods as effective as I did.

As I explore and read further into this blog post for Education 398, these ideas lead me to my theory of action statement in terms of teaching Mathematics and Science. I plan to approach teaching Mathematics and Science by recognizing my past educational experiences and teachers, putting these constructive strategies into action, and going out of my comfort zone to try new learning activities and methods to enhance the learning experience for each individual student in my classroom. These methods can include hands-on, experiential, and outdoor activities which I have never been quite accustomed to in my prior education. As a future teacher, I will make it my goal to do what it takes to address the unique needs of all my students to secure interest, value, and exhilaration of their Mathematics and Science studies along with all other subjects. If this is accomplished, then students will be excited to come to school each day, and feel welcomed and valued by their teacher, which will be me!