Anna Leiss
Science Teacher
Clear, high, expectations to ensure all students find success.
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It takes a lot to be a good teacher. Even more to be a great one.
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Having taught science across a variety of grade levels, to students with varying levels of socioeconomic status, and in classrooms as diverse as a rainforest, I strongly believe that anyone can learn. Teaching takes much more than a passion for their discipline or even a desire to work with children. Teaching requires a balancing act of a multitude of skills in order to provide an educational environment where all students can learn.
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I am more than just a biology, agriculture, or science teacher. This makes my job exciting! Not only do I enjoy teaching students about the biosphere, but I would also get the opportunity to teach other skills necessary to succeed in life outside of school. Through the lens of my discipline, however, students in my classroom will be prepared to solve the problems they will face in other areas of life outside of science class. I understand that my students may not want to be biologists, geologists, farmers, or engineers when they graduate but they will be able to effectively approach problems and develop solutions in a variety of scenarios.
In science class, students will regularly be practicing principles of nature of science and building their scientific literacy. This will promote them to be critical thinkers, especially in the realm of science. In my classroom students will practice effective interpersonal skills through frequent cooperative learning activities - preparing them for working in an increasingly diverse world. My cooperative learning strategies are supported by the theory and research done by Robert Slavin and I will provide opportunities for students to work together to solve authentic problems.
John Dewey promoted his theory of experiential learning and believed students should participate in authentic and realistic learning opportunities. I will promote experiential learning in my classroom will also demonstrate and use citizen science projects and problem-based learning. In this way, I can instill a sense of citizenship and responsibility as students will be working closely with the world around them.
Walking into my classroom, an observer would see students engaged with the material on their own or working in groups. Students would be participating in inquiry activities, solving problems and reflecting on their learning. Having established a positive classroom environment, an observer will also notice that my classroom is a place where student voices are heard and students can take ownership of their learning. I make sure that students know their voices are respected and acknowledged in my classroom as well as practicing the skills of understanding the voices and values of their classmates.
Schooling provides students will opportunities to gain content knowledge, building interpersonal skills, prepare for a career, self-realization, and building moral and ethical character. In my classroom I strongly believe in providing a space for developing skills for citizen participation and providing a space for students to grow as global citizens. This includes practicing these skills in their own communities. Along the lines of citizenship is another guiding principle in my own life as well as in my classroom which is to practice environmental responsibility. I believe students need to understand that everyone has a right to a clean, safe environment but ensuring this requires action and conscious choices.
“Through interpretation, understanding; through understanding, appreciation; through appreciation, protection.” - Freeman Tilden
My background in environmental education and interpretation includes teaching in informal education environments. I have taught in museums, nature centers, and parks where participation and paying attention were optional. This has meant that I needed to provide engaging and captivating programs or lessons every day. When families or groups voluntarily join my programs, it was my responsibility to make sure my audience was engaged throughout my program and that they learned something. Success was measured in whether those people took action after my program. I expect the same results from my students.