Effecting Change at School and District Levels

To go above and beyond, I have an early morning help session for all 7^th grade science students. During those times I tutor students, answer questions, provide reinforcements, and give students time to work on computers. I am also involved with the Youth Department at my church. I plan trips for them and I offer help sessions on Wednesday nights.

A challenge I face when working with others is lack of time. Because everyone is so busy, it is hard to find time to schedule meetings with other colleagues. Especially those in different districts. To overcome that obstacle, I have set aside specific time to meet with other teachers. The people I work with meet once a month. During that time we think of ways to help the students.

Keeping Up With Global Competition

"The Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957 captured the attention of Americans like no other event of its time. It convinced the United States of the need to greatly enhance science education at all levels to ensure that we would never again be caught off guard in an area so critical to our national well being (Friedman, 2010)."

In the article, What's Our Sputnik, op-ed columnist Thomas L. Friedman calls for a shift in national priorities and offers his perspective on what the United States must do to sustain its competitive edge in the coming years. 

I agree with Thomas Friedman. On a local, state, and national level, we need to increase the emphasis and need for science education. Educators need to integrate STEM into their curriculum. Therefore, there needs to be an increase in the financial investment in science education. 

The United States needs a new Sputnik-like event to spark attention and commitment to science education reform to bring it back to the forefront of global competition. Other countries are already emphasizing the importance of science education. This helps them to remain competitive with other countries.

Friedman, T. L. (2010, January 17). What’s our Sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p. WK.8.