Teaching STEM in Elementary school
I received an email from a graduate where she wrote: “I graduated in Computer Science and got a good job, but I want to be a STEM teacher to young children. My parents do not like that idea because I make much more as a software developer than an elementary teacher. (She described in detail the conversation with her family and her passion for teaching.) and concluded: “However, I want to be a good teacher, knowing that it will not pay well but I was torn between staying in my software job or switching to the teaching job. Please advise.”
Answer: I had read this email several times before reply to her with more details in a personal email. However, I summarized my response as follow: “As a teacher, you have the chance to change students’ lives for the better. You can help students to develop a specific knowledge and skills, and broaden their thinking so they could advance their studying in high school and college. Of course, teaching is always challenging, stressful, and demanding with little financial reward. The fact is there are no “Rich teachers” but only “Responsible teachers.” There are no “Famous teachers” but only “Dedicated teachers.” Being a teacher is difficult in terms of finances because teaching profession is not always recognized or appreciated, but the “implicit reward” when you see how well your students are doing in their lives is priceless. After all, it is a personal decision that you will have to make for yourself. It is your life, your commitment, and your career, and only you can make that decision.”
“Reading your email, I come to admire your dedication and passion for teaching. Every country needs people like you, and I wish more people have the passion for teaching like you. Since you ask for advice for being a good STEM teacher, I can share with you my opinion: Being a good teacher is more than just having technical knowledge. You will need the confidence to look calm in front of the class, even when you are tired and stressed. You will need to spend more time to prepare for the class materials, including grading tests, homework, etc. than you thought. You will need to develop the ability to explain technical concepts to young students so they can understand. You will need to teach technical things in a small piece at a time; else young students will get overwhelmed. Elementary students by nature are curious, and they need someone who can explain things to them using “simple language.” More than that, they will need you to repeat the concept several times to make sure that they understand the lesson well.
You will learn that teaching is a “two ways” not just “one-way” like lecturing but also interact with students by answering their questions or asking them questions to monitor their learning progress. Young children will ask a lot for they are always inquisitive, so you will need to be patient with them. You will learn to listen to them when they have a concern, even young children do care about something, and by listening carefully, you will develop empathy for them, and understand them better. You will find that each child is unique, and each year you will meet students who differ from the previous, so you will have to deal with different issues.
Young children are the future of our society, and being an elementary school teacher, you have a chance to shape them into the future scientists, or innovators, etc. To build a large and tall building, you need to begin at the foundation. The same concept can be applied to develop the next generation of innovators. You will need to prepare them by encouraging, motivating, and nurturing them to learn more about science, technology, and math. Elementary students are active learners; with proper guidance and caring, they can learn these concepts quickly.
There is nothing that can bring more joy than listening to these students’ answers when being asked: “Who do you want to be when you grow up?” And they say: “I want to be a scientist, an innovator, an engineer, a medical doctor, or a teacher.”
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
