A tip for improving science practices outside of your own classroom

As science instructors I feel it is important to try and reach out beyond the classroom to improve the learning experience of all students and not just those we teach.  I know that a lot of teachers have a hard time doing this especially when it comes to finding time.  Here is what I do and what I recommend: share lesson plans.  At my school we use area curriculum meetings to collaborate with other science teachers and determine what is and is not working.  Often teachers have a lot of insight to share. Not all teachers have the opportunity to seek master’s degrees or doctorates and this can mean that not all teachers stay on top of new ideas behind teaching.    Teachers with more experience can often offer great tips based on experience especially in areas like classroom management.  Newer teachers can tend to be more understanding of new teaching strategies that were not taught when old teachers were certified.  Collaborating with other professionals helps all teachers become more prepared to work with challenges in the classroom. Next time you are at a meeting with your grade level or content area try sharing some of your better lessons and you might just get a lot back.  This could lead to you ultimately saving time in the lesson design process.

I will add that the one barrier that can often come to sharing lessons is that all teachers work with different types of students.  At my school I am the only inclusion teacher so I need lessons geared towards working with special education students where others might only need lessons for gifted or advanced placement students.  Just no it is always ok to take lessons from a colleague and modify it for your own purpose.