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Help! I'M Teaching Middle School Science

Posted on: Tuesday, 6 December 2005, 03:02 CST

By Anonymous

Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science. C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward. Arlington. VA: NSTA Press, 2003. 133 pp. S 15.95 (paperback). ISBN: 0-87355-225-3.

The book Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science, by C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward, is a potpourri of great tips and ideas taken from various sources to create a survival guide for first-year teachers at the middle school level. References and Internet Web sites are provided at the end of each chapter for teachers who require more extensive information on a subject presented in the chapter. The outcomes of the National Science Standards are also identified, highlighting the importance of the material in each chapter. The scenarios depicting possible teacher situations presented at the beginning of some of the chapters set the tone and provide a good introduction to the information presented. The book is to serve as a tool, or rather "an inanimate but spirited mentor" ( 1 ), for the beginning science teacher who may be feeling uncertain and overwhelmed. To this end, the book addresses subjects important to the beginning teacher but does not go into so much detail as to be overwhelming. Some of the pertinent chapters and ideas will be highlighted.

The first chapter describes the rationale for writing the book and provides a brief overview of the subsequent chapters. The tone is conversational and informal to emphasize the helpful nature of the book. The second chapter, dealing with the first day, presents several icebreakers that teachers can use to set the stage for learning and to ignite student curiosity and interest about what science is. The icebreakers are also important in that they allow students to get to know each other and promote an atmosphere of cooperation where students are comfortable expressing their ideas and asking questions. Beginning teachers are given information on best practices in chapter 3-valuable techniques and strategies useful in providing optimal learning for middle school students. These techniques take into account the developmental needs of adolescents.

Some common worries of the beginning teacher are lab setup and safety, and the authors use their extensive experience as middle school educators to describe how to obtain and store supplies, as well as the importance of training students in lab safety. This is discussed in some detail in chapters 4-8. They provide useful suggestions such as taking students on a field trip to the storage area in order to discuss chemical storage and MSDS. While parents can be used as lab assistants, they must be well versed in the safety procedures and laboratory protocols prior to entering the lab and working with students. The authors also discuss how first-year teachers can adapt elementary and high school laboratory experiments to suit the needs of the middle school student. However, rather than devoting time to doing this, the time might be better spent trying out the experiments already identified for middle school students or talking to more experienced teachers about the experiments that they recommend.

Being that measurement is one of the basic skills of science, chapter 9 deals with this and includes a sample lesson using the stair-step method to teach the conversion of metric units.

Another common concern addressed is classroom management. In chapter 10, the authors effectively contrast the ineffective classroom and the effective classroom through the use of scenarios. They also describe strategies that beginning teachers can use to curtail possible problems.

In this book, there is an emphasis on the importance of building community and making use of the skills of other subject teachers as a resource to assist in student learning. These teachers include the technology, physical education, English as a second Language, and English teachers. Chapter 12 discusses teaming, and describes the role of the science teacher in an interdisciplinary group. Being that this type of structure is popular in middle school instruction, beginning teachers need to be knowledgeable about it.

A very useful part of the book is the blackline masters of test and forms that beginning teachers can adapt or use directly. The authors state that any of the material in the book can be reproduced for the purpose of classroom instruction. These materials include a list of science lab safety rules for students and parents, laboratory tickets, quizzes, rubrics, surveys, and letters to parents. Recipes for simple experiments are also included at the end of the book.

This book does indeed provide some excellent survival tips and strategies. Many topics useful to the beginning teacher are discussed, from what to do the first day to working with substitute teachers. It is a good reference for those intending to teach students at the middle school level.

Copyright HELDREF PUBLICATIONS Fall 2005

Source: Science Activities

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