Professional Development for Science Teachers

I have been going back and forth about continuing my education. It has been over a year since I graduated M.Ed. program at Concordia. I really enjoyed the online experience, but I want to learn more about the recent changes in the science curriculum. National Generation Science Standards were adopted in my state and I want to be able to use these standards in my classroom. Another reason why I am considering applying to another masters program is because I want to get more experience learning the theory behind teaching. In addition, getting the courses I need in order to become certified in chemistry is a great asset to have. An addition certification will make me more marketable for applying to other science teaching positions.

When I was a novice teacher, I did not understand the meaning or value of professional development. All new teachers were expected to attend professional development off campus over the summer. This experience was very similar to the student teaching course I took in college. The workshops were geared towards teachers who did not have any teacher training. I had experience developing lessons and reading about different educational pedagogy. The workshops taught me that I needed to think outside of the box in terms of my lessons, but did not have the knowledge to do so. In my second year of teaching, I was hungry to learn more about education and how to develop lessons for multicultural classrooms. There is a certain way to teach students from different backgrounds and I wanted to figure out how to teach those students. My thesis was about character development in science classes. Again, I did not have a direct path for what I want to study and uncover. Actually, I am still discovering new things everyday about learning every year I teach.

I currently teach biology at a high school. Teaching science has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had in my life. When science is taught in an engaging way, students are excited to learn what you are teaching. I want to continue to develop my teaching so I can make my lessons more engaging for my students. Every year I look for professional development opportunities for me to be able to incorporate more quality lessons in my classroom. Here are a list of some useful resources for science teachers who want to get more professional development outside of their schools.

NSTA Membership 

The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is a great membership for science teachers. The membership includes access to discounts on conferences (I am going to one in December for the first time) and books. NSTA Book Store is teacher heaven! All of my favorite professional development books can be found in the store. NSTA also has magazine that for elementary, middle, and high school teachers. I am subscribed to Science Teacher Magazine. Science Teacher Magazine has different activities and labs that high school science teachers can use in their own classroom.

Any Subject Specific Membership 

Subject specific memberships are really awesome because they provide great activities and conferences that are specific to the subject you teach. I have a membership with the National Association of Biology Teachers. I love this membership because I get information about labs and activities related to the subject I teach. There are other memberships for middle school science teachers, chemistry teachers, physics teachers, and many more.

Advanced Degrees

Ph.D or Master's level degrees are a great way to get some extra professional develop. This is the most expensive option for professional development, but I found it to be the most rewarding. I advise that you look at different types of programs. Find the program that meets your needs the most and won't break the bank. Some schools will also pay for you to get professional development. I am looking into a couple of graduate school programs for special education and science education. I would suggest looking in you own area for programs, figure out the cost of the program, then ask your employer to cover some of the costs. I am going to cover in another post how to ask for money for your professional development from your employer.

Books!

Books are a great way to get some new fresh ideas in your classroom. Most teachers spend their time reading over the summer because that's when they have time. I love going into Barnes and Noble to look at educational books. Amazon has a great education resources for teachers who are interested in using books for professional development. NSTA has a selection of great books teachers to incorporate lessons into their curriculum. Start by doing a search for different topics you are interested in (ex. coaching, reading, writing). Create a list of book you want to read that are related to your topic. If there are any previews for the book (Amazon has great previews), then read the table of contents to see if the book is right for you. Reading about different topics is a great inexpensive way to do professional development. 

ATTENTION ALL SCIENCE TEACHERS. I am hosting first book club meeting next month. This book club will be completely hosted on my blog. Share ideas that you have used in your classroom in the past and discuss how the book inspired you to try something new in your own classroom. Teachers who teach K-12 are welcome to join. The book announcement will be made at the end of each month. Tune in every week on Wednesday to have a live discussion on my blog. Follow my blog by email for more book club updates. 

What is on your summer reading list? What science books to you suggest for the new science teacher book club?