I am thinking of switching careers to become a secondary science teacher (I currently work for an environmental agency). Before I decide, what should I consider? —S., Connecticut

Being a science teacher is a rewarding and challenging experience, helping students develop and pursue their own interests in a subject you are passionate about. Many of our students have never met a scientist in person, and with your background, you can show students how science connects with the “real” world. You can also share the variety of work that scientists do beyond the lab—reports, letters, presentations, and other communications. Some schools may prefer “nontraditional” beginning teachers such as you, who bring life experiences and in-depth content background to the classroom.

You may want to see if a nearby middle or high school will let you “shadow” a science teacher for a day to see for yourself the challenges of working with 25 teenagers in a classroom. Secondary teachers usually have 4-6 sections, interacting with 100-150 students each day, including students with special needs or students learning the English language. Teachers may be assigned to teach more than one subject, depending on their certification. Note the types of technology that teachers use and how they manage their labs (most often without an assistant). You’ll also see other parts of a teacher’s day, including supervision duties in the halls and lunchroom, extracurricular activities, and tutoring.

But a teacher’s day does not end at 3:00, as I assume you realize. Staff meetings, professional development sessions, and managing a laboratory all require time beyond the school day. And teachers have their own “homework”—grading lab reports and tests, planning and revising lessons, preparing and organizing other learning materials, and keeping current on content and pedagogy through courses, workshop, and on-line studies. Much of this homework continues over holiday and summer breaks.

The state’s education department website should have a section on the science standards by grade level or subject and information on any standardized assessments that are administered at the secondary level, including end-of-course exams, for which you would be responsible. (If your state has adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, NSTA has a wealth of resources to help you become familiar with them. See NGSS@NSTA)

Check out the job situation at the schools in the area(s) in which you would like to work. Are they hiring new teachers? Are the schools downsizing or eliminating positions? Keep in mind you’ll probably start at a low level of the pay scale.

In places where there is a surplus of teachers, many start out doing substitute work (per diem pay and no benefits), which is a good way to share your availability and showcase your talents. In addition to schools, other types of institutions often hire informal educators, curators, or naturalists: museums, nature centers, zoos, and state or national parks. These positions may be part-time and depend on the funding levels of the institutions.

While you’re on the state department of education site, check out the certification requirements for teaching K-12 science. The state may credential science teachers by discipline (e.g., chemistry, biology, physics, earth and space, environmental, or general science) or by age level (primary, elementary, secondary, middle, or high). You could investigate multiple certifications, including special education.

Depending on the certification(s) in which you’re interested, you may need additional content coursework, and you’ll definitely need background in pedagogy, assessment, educational technology, and classroom lab safety. Before enrolling in any higher-education institution’s teacher program, ask a lot of questions. Does your state accept the coursework and degree from the institution for a teaching certification? What accreditation does it have? What percent of the graduates find teaching positions? What experience and background do the education professors and the science professors have, especially with the science standards? What kind of practicum or internship is offered?

Good luck with your fact-finding and decision-making!

Energy and Matter; Science and Language Arts; and Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information—these are the themes of the February 2015 journal articles from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Browse through the thought-provoking selections below and learn more about how your brain pays attention, the synergy between physical education and physical science, reading and writing alignment across content areas, teaching graph literacy, confronting ambiguity in science, modeling molecular machinery, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and other important topics in K–12 science education.

Science and Children

Energy and Matter is one of the most difficult of the crosscutting concepts in the Next Generation Science Standards for elementary teachers to develop. The ideas, tips and strategies in this issue of S&C will help equip you to introduce this crosscutting concept to your students

Featured articles (please note, only those marked “free” are available to nonmembers without a fee):

• Free – Editor’s Note: Energy and Matter
• Go With the Flow
• How Does My Brain Pay Attention?
• Inquiry-Based Science and the Next Generation Science Standards: A Magnetic Attraction
• Free – Looking Through the Energy Lens
• Physical Education Meets Physical Science
• Full Table of Contents

Science Scope

The Common Core State Standards for English language arts (CCSS ELA) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) share common goals for student literacy. This issue explores strategies for achieving literacy in science and technical subjects for students in grades 6–8.

Featured articles (please note, only those marked “free” are available to nonmembers without a fee):

• Comic Relief: Using Comics and Illustrated Trade Books to Support Science Learning in First-Year English Language Learners
• Free – Editor’s Roundtable: Literacy Provides Common Ground for standards
• Free – Reading and Writing Alignment Across Content Areas
• Science Haiku Art
• Teaching Graph Literacy Across the Curriculum
• The Who, What, When, Where, and How of Waves
• Using Disciplinary Literacy Strategies to Enhance Student Learning
• Full Table of Contents

The Science Teacher

It’s arguable that all science learning begins and ends with obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. We think of scientists and engineers working in the laboratory or outside during field research, but it turns out that reading and writing comprise over half the work of practicing scientists and engineers. Communicating science and engineering understanding is challenging, but the rewards are great, giving students a unique opportunity to synthesize ideas and solidify understanding. You can start by having students keep a science notebook or journal—including drawings, numbers, and words. We hope this issue inspires you to reinforce this important practice in the classroom. YouTube fans, watch high school science teacher and TST Field Editor, Steve Metz, introduce this month’s issue. Metz explains why this month’s topic so important. For starters, did you know that reading and writing comprise over half the work of practicing scientists and engineers?

Featured articles (please note, only those marked “free” are available to nonmembers without a fee):

• Beyond an Equation
• Confronting Ambiguity in Science
• Doing the Data Walk
• Free – Editor’s Corner: Obtain, Evaluate, Communicate!
• Modeling Molecular Machinery
• Sinking In
• Full Table of Contents

 Get these journals in your mailbox as well as your inbox—become an NSTA member!

Follow NSTA

      

Emily Morgan, popular NSTA Press co-author of the Picture-Perfect Science Lessons series, has recently added three new books to the Next Time You See series: Next Time You See a Maple Seed, Next Time You See the Moon, and Next Time You See a Pill Bug.

In a note to parents and teachers, Morgan explains that “the books in this series are intended to be read with a child after he or she has had some experience with the featured objects or phenomena….The Next Time You See books are not meant to present facts to be memorized. They were written to inspire a sense of wonder about ordinary objects or phenomena and foster a desire to learn more about the natural world.”

What we often call maple seeds are really the fruit produced by a maple tree. These winged fruits are known as samaras. They are also a source of delight for children as they watch them spin through the air like tiny helicopters. Have you and your students ever wondered why they do that? Learn about maple seeds and what it takes for one to actually grow into a maple tree.

The Moon has fascinated mankind through the ages. Its beauty and changing shape have inspired art, music, poetry, and storytelling throughout history. Have you and your students ever discussed why the Moon appears to have different shapes at different times of the month? The explanations and stunning photography in this book can help your students understand more about the Moon’s orbit and its different phases.

The pill bug is a tiny roly-poly creature often found under rocks. Studying these members of the crustacean family, you and your students will learn that pill bugs are actually isopods, which means that all 14 of their feet are the same. This makes them different from their cousins, the crab and the lobster.

These books also have downloadable companion classroom activities: Next Time You See a Maple Seed, Next Time You See the Moon, and Next Time You See a Pill Bug. These activities are designed to be done before and after reading the books. Feel free to pick and choose from the list based on the age of the children and your purpose for reading.

These books are also available as e-books: Next Time You See a Maple Seed, Next Time you See the Moon, and Next Time You See a Pill Bug

NSTA Kids book are trade books dedicated to nurturing the wonder and curiosity inherent in young minds. Learn more about these books geared toward elementary-age students (grades K–6).