BEYOND CONTENT: BECOMING A SCIENCE TEACHER

Most preservice science teachers in masters’ education programs arrive with a solid foundation in content which will serve them well in the classroom. Far less familiar for most is how scientific knowledge can be presented effectively to diverse student populations. In order for any student to learn, they need to feel seen and heard by educators willing to build relationships based on self-awareness and respect for difference. To support these teaching dispositions, the American Museum of Natural History Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency program facilitates a workshop series called Becoming a Science Teacher: Identity, Power, and Privilege in the Classroom.

During placements in NYC high-needs public schools, residents enter environments complicated by widely varying issues of power, identity, and privilege which affect instructional efficacy and student receptivity to learning. Residents examine how identity, power, and privilege have shaped their science education, and ideally leave feeling empowered to dismantle that context with their students. Throughout, an emphasis is placed on reflection, small group discussion, and multi-modal learning in order to foster conversations about how various -isms (racism, sexism, etc.) form teacher identity, known also as an “archeology of the self” (Sealey-Ruiz, 2021). This is paramount in guiding pedagogical and interpersonal decisions to better foster teacher-student relationships, which not only optimize learning, but also lay the foundation for underrepresented students to see themselves pursuing geosciences (Núñez, Rivera, & Hallmark, 2020).

This poster will highlight the workshop syllabus and framework, resident reflections, example activities, and connections to trauma-informed pedagogical practices.