Teaching High School Teachers

Teaching is an extremely important profession as we are responsible for training up the future generations of our community, country and in effect, the world. In order to be a successful and effective teacher there are some basic skills and competencies that one must possess. The experiences that students have inside (and outside) our classrooms, schools and various other institutes will shape and mould their approach to our subjects and to life in general. Therefore, it requires a certain level of skill and training to be deemed professionally fit to enter into this career path and even then, continuous

STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematic) includes some of the most versatile and important careers in the modern world. Most new developments that are making the world a better place to live are from the influences of STEM fields. As the world becomes more technologically developed there is an increase demand for students well-trained in the STEM related fields. To keep pace with this rapidly expanding area of the economy requires an adequate number of P-12 teachers with the necessary content knowledge and skills to train the next generation. Currently, Texas is facing a critical shortage of teachers with strong backgrounds in STEM. This STEM teacher shortage is impacting student learning and if too many teachers pursue degrees

The new changes No Child Left Behind laws were passed earlier in 2010 stresses the importance of education has to be our main concern to ensure that our children are getting quality education. The legislation is called “Performance Counts,” It reevaluates tenure laws and evaluation. This means that teachers are evaluated and being laid off because of their performance in the classrooms. No matter how long the teacher has been in his/her position that still wouldn’t keep them in their position because of their low performance. Over the next 10 years the focus will be to prepare hundreds of new teachers in STEM science, technology, engineering, and math (Mclatchy, 2010). The program is to encourage students in the STEM field or alternative teacher certification programs to switch their careers if they choose to. For

Teacher education is on the rise with the multitudinous grants exhibited in these releases; with more teachers, there is a greater likelihood that some of these educators will be minorities and women. According to Edward Reeve, an educator who has won three Fulbright awards, Stem Thinking is the solution to the STEM crisis. It interconnects subjects, and it explains how the knowledge the students are gaining will be used in everyday life. Reeve argues this will help the students understanding of concepts, principles, and practices, enabling them to see the “big picture”. STEM Thinking teachers use inquiry based learning strategies, and they should know the popular approaches in these fields, such as the scientific method and the engineering design of STEM. This promotes the hands on learning Obama and numerous scientists support. Students will be motivated to learn the materials in class and apply the knowledge outside of the classroom, better preparing them to for careers and bettering the U.S.’s competitive edge in STEM fields (Reeve). If this occurs, this will lead to even more individuals pursuing STEM. Bamidele states that minorities in STEM must become the norm; seeing minority and women educators will give students the notion that they too can advance in these fields. The media must join the U.S. Department of Education to present these images to the public (Bamidele). This returns us to the point made by Milgram, the return of Rosie the Riveter. Pictured below is an image of Kelly Rowland, posing as Rosie the Riveter; not only does this image promote women in the force, but it also combines this objective with ethnic minorities. This represents the achievability of the goals that are set forth by the U.S.

Evaluation is vital to education, whether it is a new reform or a back to basics approach. STEM education remains open to interpretation. Drew states that the quality and efficacy of programs across the United States require quantitative and qualitative evaluations (2011). These studies should include the long-term benefits of grant funding and best practices for sustaining effective STEM programs when the grants and funds from corporate sponsors terminate (Johnson, 2014). Ultimately, the evaluation and research requires dissemination to schools across the country in order to affect the necessary reforms.

My area of interest deals with teacher efficacy in STEM education. The article I have chosen discusses issues related to teacher efficacy, standardizing STEM education, using educational theories, pedagogical approaches, increasing teacher capacity and supports provided to teachers in STEM education. This topic is relevant because it supports the idea of building the efficacy of educators in STEM that is needed to prepare our students for the 21st century global workforce.

In America, the state of education has always been a pressing concern, perhaps now more than ever. Improving education has been proven to strengthen the nation time and time again, specifically with regard to science, mathematics and technology. Ten years after the start of the Cold War on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first ever man-made satellite, Sputnik-1. This action by the Soviets caused immediate concern for the educational system in the United States because this launch proved that the Soviet Union had superior technological capabilities (SOURCE 1). America’s first action was to improve education, and this was done through the National Defense Education Act, which provided large amounts of funding to American schools, and supported American students who showed particular skill in math, sciences or foreign languages (SOURCE 2). During the Cold War, supporting education was used to support the nation as a whole. Today the United States faces a similar problem, mainly due to the declining focus on science and math in schools. Students have been losing interest in these subjects, and as a result, America has been falling behind in the global education ranks. This decline has been hurting America’s ability to continue to be a successful global competitor. Now the government is working to reverse this trend by supporting STEM programs. STEM is an acronym for the academics concentrations of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The purpose of

STEM integration within America’s schools is a necessary requirement to adequately prepare students to compete in our future society. Although growth in STEM related jobs is quite apparent, knowledge of STEM capacities is necessary to function in the 21st century.

My decision to be a teacher did not come easily to me. This choice was dependent on a reflection about what I was passionate about and how I could make a difference. I have chosen to become a teacher, as I believe teachers have the ability to provide future generations the stimulation for one of the most significant roles in life; to become a lifelong learner. Many teachers that I have had during my education have had a positive impact on my decision to grow and develop the skills that are fundamental to pursue a successful teaching career. My aim is to be a part of an honorable profession with the optimism that one day I will become an efficacious teacher who can provide future teachers with inspiration, as my teachers have provided for me. Through personal educational experiences and peer-reviewed academic literature, I am able to shape my approach to my pre-service teaching, as it will influence my future practice. As a teacher, there is not just one singular approach to educating students; there is a need for flexibility, diversity, adaptation and reflection.

I see that you are seeking an elementary school STEM teacher. I believe I am the teacher you are looking for! I am a middle school science teacher with experience teaching technology to elementary school students and STEM to middle school students. In addition to this, I have spent many years helping elementary school teachers incorporate STEM into their required curriculum through the Professor In Residence program at William Paterson University. I hold a Highly-Qualified status and standard certificate in elementary education with subject matter specialization in science for grades 6-8. I taught middle school science for 8 years and STEM for the past year with a focus on the engineering design process. I am familiar with the NJSLS-S as

Children are with teachers the majority of the day. Children are influenced by what they see and why they are around. Not only are they teaching them academics, but also manners, sportsmanship, and self worth. These are important factors that children need in everyday life. This is why a teacher’s job is so important. Most would say that teaching would be a hard job. But, I feel that it will be easy if you win your students over. I know that the rewards in the end will out weigh the cost. Watching a student master a new task is the reward I am after.

The United States Department of Education is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education (“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math”, n.d.). Despite this commitment, reports indicate a decline in STEM proficiency as well as a lack of qualified teachers to respond to the deficiency (Holdren, Lander, & Varmus, 2009). The lack of qualified STEM teachers has resulted in critical shortage areas in many districts across the United States, prompting policy reform allowing alternative certification pathways to alleviate shortages (“Alternative Routes”, n.d.). Even with a reduction in critical shortage areas, preliminary reports continue to show little or no

As previously admitted I’ve rarely given any thought to STEM. It’s subject matter that I’m not entirely sure I’ve ever been exposed too. The lack of student exposure to STEM is a major part of the problem. There is a dire need for students to have the critical thinking and problem solving skills that STEM provides. STEM is a major component of the future of our students, but many aren’t that interested. In a study from the U.S. Department of Education says that, “only 16 percent of high school students are interested in a STEM career” (Hom, E). Our nation’s future is dependent on the skills that our students will possess. These students must learn how to build the skills of each individual discipline of STEM and combine that knowledge to effectively problem solve. This will take some creativity from both teachers and students. Simply

Being a teacher is not an easy task as many people could think. To be a teacher does not only imply to know the subject to be taught, it also includes being willing to constantly improve oneself integrally, as much as updating the resources and materials one uses in teaching. Reflecting and analyzing over and over again the best way to teach to learn and how to make students to extend what has been learned. The many hours spend in the classroom will never be enough to plan lessons, prepare materials, review pupils tasks and exams, as well, all the administrative requirements one has to cover for whatever institution we work. Besides all this a good teacher, a professional one, will have to find the time to keep preparing to improve

Much like the larger corporations supporting choice program, teaching staff in many of these schools do not have a vested interest in students of color, let alone education. Teaching in some choice schools like the Rocketship program is based on little teacher-to-student focused attention, so there is not much of a need for a full staff of qualified educators. Teachers at choice schools are not required to be certified and their curriculum does not have to be approved by an outside entity (Molnar 1998: 10). This lack of regulation allows for choice schools to stray away from academically focused professional staff. This process deviates largely from the public school system. To be specific, 95% of MPS teachers are certified, but only 69% of teachers in voucher schools are certified (Borsuk 2009). This means that students in these schools are being taught and supervised by a large groups of individuals who may have done little to no study in the area of education and ways to boost success among students of color. They are not held to the same standards as certified teachers and they do not necessarily have the same level of passion. This argument is exemplified through the Rocketship program’s use of Teach for America employees, who are not required to have received a degree in education and are only put through a five to seven week training period the summer before their school placement (Teach for America 2015). Because Rocketship schools are using Teach for