After a 20-year career in technology, I am now teaching science at a local college and in a private middle-school. In both settings, I make tricky material accessible and engaging, with gratifying results. But I have a hard time stepping out of the lecturer/mentor role to let students discover science for themselves. It’s much easier to demonstrate an experiment I’ve rehearsed, then guide the room toward a conclusion, than it is to invite students to investigate something and take ownership of the process, as well as the textbook explanation.
Both styles are, of course, valuable, and I am pleased to have a talent for lecturing. Yet I have felt the power of discovery methods myself, both as a student and as a teacher, so I’m hoping to find the courage, patience, and skills to encourage more discovery in my classes.
