Introduction Caneverystudentbecomeascientist?Itsurelyisnotsuggestedfromstandardizedtesting,andmany studentswouldsoonerforgettheirexperienceinascienceclassthanpursueacareeroutofit.Itisa challengetoteach,yetIamdeterminedtofindawaytoinspirenewgenerationsofscientists.Eversince Ibeganteaching,IvealwaystriedtoenvisionhowImightchangemypracticeovertimenotjustasa wondering,butalsotogivemeadirectioninwhichIshouldfocusmyefforts.Somethingswerecertain. IveknownfromthefirstdaythatIstoodinfrontofaclassofstudentsthatbeingateacherwasmy calling.Ialsounderstandthatitisearlyinmycareer,andthereismuchthatIhavetolearn. Onafundamentallevel,therearetwomainthemesformydevelopmentthathaveguidedmethusfar tobecomemoreeffectiveathelpingmystudentsrealizetheirpotentialandtosparktheflamesfora lifetimeofsciencelearning.Ithasbeenachallengetoaddressthissuccessfully.Frequently,scienceisa subjectthatmanystudentsfindcomplicatedandstrenuous.Asapersonwhoenjoysscienceand performedwellinclasswhenIwasastudent,Ihadtroublefullygraspingthestudentsdifficultieswith thesubject.Tobetterunderstandwhy,Ielicitedfeedbackfrommyclassesattimes.Aftergatheringtheir responses,IfeltIwasabletogeneralizethesourcetothetrouble.

Scienceisacomplicatedsubjectformanystudentsbecauseitinvolvesadvancedcomputationspaired withtheunderstandingofabstractconcepts.Inaddition,ifthestudentfindsthesubjectboringor irrelevant,theworkbecomestedious,makingitfurtherdemanding.Asateacher,Iamleftwithtwo options.Icouldremainstubbornwithasuckitupattitude,dismissingtheirperspectivesaschildishor ignorantwhilestickingtoaprescribedtextbookcurriculum.Or,Icouldacceptthatthewaysciencehas beenpresentedtothemisboringandirrelevanttomostoftheirlives,andconsideranewapproach. Keepinganopenmind,Idecidedonthelatter.IpresumedthatifIcouldmanagetomakemyclassmore funandengaging,theworkwouldbecomelesstiresome,andasaresult,studentswouldbemorewilling toputforthastrongerefforttograspthechallengingconceptsorcalculations. Thispremisebecamemyfocus,andovertheyears,Iattemptedtohonemyskillsatmaintainingstudent engagement.Itriedtodesignlabsthatincludedmoreautonomousinvestigation,withhandson activitiestointroducescienceequipment.Iprepareddemonstrationstowowthem,andtookevery opportunityIcouldtoinitiatediscussionstosharethelatestscientificnewsortellinterestingstories abouthistoricalscientificdiscoveries.Onsomelevel,Ibelieveditworkedatleastitdidsuperficially.I becamegoodatkeepingtheirattentionandIcouldrecognizethat,forthemostpart,studentswere enjoyingtheirtimeinmyclass. AsIimprovedinkeepingthestudentsattention,however,workanddemonstrationsofknowledge showedinsignificantsignsofimprovement.ThestrategywasnotachievingtheresultsthatIhad anticipated.Thisweighedonmeforquitesometime,untilonedayIhadarealizationthathad previouslyeludedme.Duringadiscussionaboutthestatesofmatterwithmyclass,Iwastryingto illustratetheprocessofsublimation.IwassharingmyexperiencesusingdryiceatapreviousjobIhadin college,andhadachunkofthesubstancewithmetodemonstratesomeofthetopicsthatIwantedto cover.Nearlyeverystudentwaslistening,andwewerehavingagreatdiscussion.Icouldhardlyanswer

allofthequestionstheyhad,althoughIbegantonoticehowtheirquestionscenteredmoreonmy experiencesandlessonthematerialathand.Therewasadramaticdecreaseintheirattentionthat coincidedwithmyeffortstorefocusmoreonthecontent,andthensomethingstruckme.Theywere enjoyingmeastheirteacher,butnotnecessarilyenjoyingscience. Mynewfocusbecameclear.IhopethatinthefutureIcanlookbackandseehowIshiftedfrombeinga sciencethemedentertainertoateacherwhoinspiresmystudentstotalk,produce,andlearnabout science.Ihopetobecomeaneducatorwhocansimultaneouslymaintainbothanentertainingand educationalclassroom. Iamnowfacedwithdeterminingmynextsteps.Ihavesearchedforbrightspots,orinmycase, occasionswherestudentswerehavingfunandwerealsoenthusiasticaboutlearning.Oneparticular instancestandsout;aphotographyprojectthatIhadperformedinapreviousyear.Thepurposeofthis projectwastohavestudentslearnaboutthechemistrybehindthepicturedevelopmentprocessand alsocreateascientificnarrativetotheimagerythattheycaptured,withanexpectationthattheywould gainascientificperspectiveontheworldaroundthem.Iwantedthestudentstolearnhowphotography beganbypreparingtheirownsilvergelatinemulsionstocreatephotopaper.Duetolimitedliteratureon thisprocess,IwasnotconfidentthatIwouldbeabletofigureitout,letaloneachievedecentresults.To mysurprise,theclasswasexcitedtotakeonthechallengewhenIsuggestedittothem.Weknewthatit verywellmightnotworkout,buthadacontingencyplanwecouldalwayspurchasephotopaperifit camedowntoit.Eachdaynewtechniquesandapproacheswereattempted,experimentingwith differentchemicalsandapparatuses.Atthebeginningofeachclass,wewouldgooverourprevious results,andwiththeirfindingsandmyknowledge,theclasswouldcomeupwithoptionstochoose from.Thereweremanyfailures,butthestudentsweredeterminedtocontinueon.Moreover,manyof themperformedresearchathomeandthencameinwiththeirnewideasandproposals.Ifeltpressured bytime,butdidnotwanttostifletheirmotivation,andamthankfulthatIbackedoff.Intheend,itwasa success.Itbecameevenmorefulfillingwhenthestudentsimageswerehighlycommentedonby professionalphotographersduringtheexhibition.Afterwards,manyofthestudentscamebacktotellme howgreatofanexperiencetheyhad.Infact,twoofthemchosephotographyastheircareerpath,and haveevenopenedupabusinesstogether. Sothereitwasachapterinoneyearwhenmystudentswereengaged,motivated,andexperienced significantlearning.Thelearning,however,wasnotwhatIhadnecessarilyplannedfor.Whatwas significantabouttheprojectwasthatconcreteexpectationsastohowthestudentswoulddesignand proceedthroughtheprojectwereestablished.Notbyme,buttogether.ThestudentsandIcollaborated tobuildallaspectsoftheproject,includingnewstructuresandnormsrelatingtoacademics,workethic, androutinesthatcreatedaframeworkfortheworktobedoneandwaysforittobeconducted.Inthe past,Ihavestruggledwithmovingtowardslessguidedinstructionwhilemaintainingstudent engagement,butthistimeitworked.Ibelievethatthekeytomygoalofinspiringmystudentsisto considerwaysofusingtheirfeedbacktocreatestructuresorcomponentswithinmypractice,which leadsmetomyactionresearchquestionof: HowcanIusestudentselfassessmenttobuildclassroomstructure?