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Elementary Science

Advice for New Teachers

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Stacy Wilcher Stacy Wilcher 180 Points

Hi there! I had the question for teachers, "What the hardest part of teaching science to elementary students is in your opinion?"  
Tracy Galle Tracy Galle 660 Points

Hi Stacy, I am a first semester student teacher. But, I have done nearly 3 semesters of observations/student teaching now. I would say that from what I agree with the post from Isaacah. The hardest part of teaching science to elementary students is that some of them just will not have that real world experience to be able to relate what you are showing them and telling them. For instance, I was observing in a classroom and the teacher was talking about pollination, bees, flowers, plants, etc. There were many students in the class that said they had never seen a bee on a flower before. The concept was foreign to them. They were inner city kids and did not have the green space to really be able to relate to whole idea. They did get the point and understood, but some things/experiences/concepts/ideas that we may take for granted do not always apply across the board. I think the challenge is trying to overcome that and help those students find a way they can relate. Good Luck, Tracy
Isaacah Bell isaacah bell 1900 Points

The hardest part is most likely getting the students to understand what you are trying to instruct. Since its mostly experimental, a lot of the students can not compute an explanation for what is being observed.
Sydney Angell Sydney Angell 180 Points

I am a preservice teacher that is just now learning about how to integrate science into everyday curricumum. I have learned that teaching important vocabulary terms can help students grow a lot in a short amount of time. We need to remember that science should be fun at this stage in our students lives, so incorporating project-based learning would be a great place to start because it keeps it interesing.
Ana Flores Ana Flores 200 Points

I am currently a pre-service teacher (college student), but have done a various of observation hours in actual elementary classrooms. From what I have observed, the hardest thing about teaching science, or any subject for that matter, is creating a lesson plan that fits to every single students' learning style. Teachers will admit that this is one of the most challenging tasks as a teacher. As teachers, it is our duty to make those accomodations and modifications for our students to learn the best way possible.
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