Philosophy of Teaching Statement Scientists are storytellers, using the Earth as a guide to what was once in the past, and what might come to be in the future. We call ourselves interpreters, making observations and constructing conclusions, solving problems and being detectives to find answers to fundamental questions we all ask. My favorite quote says “Somewhere, something amazing is waiting to be discovered” - Cer! Seagan. Being a scientist allows us to be that someone discovering the amacing wonders of the universe in which we live, and being able to extend that knowledge of those marvels to other people, sharing ideas of the wonderful place in which we live, ‘As an educator, not only sit important for us to share our knowledge with students, It is also important to extend the curiosity that drives us to keep searching for answers, and problem solve, and discover to our students, My goal as a teacher Is not only to get students to learn about science, but to dive headfirst into becoming scientists themselves. | want to bring ‘out the scientific mind in all of them. Too often do I hear people say that Earth science is dry and boring, or hear the phrase “Oh I hated Earth Science when | was in school”, and the weird looks and questioning as to why I would want to be a teacher. But bring any group of students to a geologic location and what do you find? You find students picking up rocks, or marveling at the scenery and asking questions about why it’s there. This is Earth Scienca, and we all wonder sometimes why something is the way it is, and by leading students in the right direction, they can discover for themselves the reasons behind how it was formed‘There are so many ways in which we can get students to become detectives, even if itis as simple as asking open ended questions. We can lead students into answering something by making them think and make connections, Students can collect data, make observations, and produce conclusions about what they see. It doesn’t have to be inquiry all of the time, but the more we drive students to self-discovery, the more meaningful it becomes, and the more connections they begin to make. ‘Along with making connections to themselves, teachers need to make it relatable to the real world, Does it affect the location in which they live? Does it relate to an activity they have encountered? Or could it simply be something that they have seen on the news? Either way, ‘the more connections that students make, the greater the solidity of their webs of information become connected. Students also have to become free thinkers. So they have seen hydrofracking on the news, and their parents think it’s a wonderful idea, but why? When students learn about what's, going on in reality, they should be able to make their own opinions about matters that occur in the world, and this extends beyond Earth Science. But the less students understand, the more likely they are too except the ideas of others, not realizing why they are doing so. When this, ‘occurs, people begin to conform to the ideas of the world, and we all being to follow the same path. When people follow the same path, real communication no longer exists because everyone thinks the same. But being able to communicate ideas is important. If students begin to create ideas in their mind they must be able to express it. In science, the skill of developing ideas and application of knowledge drives the advancement of scientific discovery. By writingreports and papers, scientists are able to effectively share information with other peers. By learning to write in the Earth Science content area students will be able to write in a variety of contexts found in the scientific community. Another problem | often find with communication is the lack of ability to use resources. Too many students todey use Wikipedia for information or are found plagiarizing, Students need to lear how to use @ variety of materials appropriately in a functional way without taking the ideas of another person. By working with a variety of texts students will be more apt to learn how to use different sources as well 2s how to document them correctly and use them to benefit themselves. “The last puzzle piece of education that is very important is having the abl to have students work together. When students can collaborate with one another they can share ideas end express opinions, working together to find the answers as a team. This Is important because students wil have to work with people for the rest of thelr lives end itis an important skill to learn, Everything that a student encounters in the classroom is something that will mold and shape them into what they become in the future, It's up to educators to use the time we have with them to help them become the best they can be. By bringing out the scientific mind in all of them, ‘we will be giving students the tools they need to be thoughtful and curicus thinkers’ problem solvers in the future. Our goal is not necessarily to make them like science, but to help shape them into intellectuals for the future.