We have all shared many frustrations and successes about science education in our classroom and our districts. Some of us have come across more roadblocks than others whether that roadblock be diversity, socioeconomic status, or district/school programming. I have been involved in a group that is hoping to change the philosophy of teaching science at our schools and possibly our district. We have talked about how we may just be a small drip, but over time, and with many, many drips, we can do great things.
I know I have shared this in groups before, so I feel somewhat like a broken record. I have been involved in a Place-Based Education Leadership group that has been meeting at Teton Science School in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the last several years. Initially, we learned how we can integrate teaching a Place-Based Education (PBE) model in our classrooms or grade levels. We then, after we understood the approach and philosophy behind teaching a PBE model, we were able to begin tackling the roadblocks that lay before us. The first block we foresaw was the administration at our immediate buildings. We all agreed to share with our administration what we were trying to do, and to be allowed a trial period to provide data. Data, now that’s the key word to get an administrator on board. We were able to provide positive trend data to our administrators over the course of the first year, so then we moved on to the other teachers in the building. I focused first on the intermediate teachers in my building as I understood the curriculum they were teaching, and what could be expected of intermediate elementary learners. After doing some cohort work, the intermediate teachers went to a professional development together at Teton Science School so that the teachers could be the learners in a PBE model. NOW, these teachers are hooked.
At this point, that’s where I am. The intermediate group is going to work with the primary group now. After we get our school all on board, and our school is showing growth on standardized assessments in all content areas, then we can approach the district level. Our district has site-based management, so it is a challenge to effect change on a broader scale, but in the end, it will be worth it.
