In preparation for Minds on Science, I interviewed a number of practicing middle and high school science teachers because I wanted to include their ideas---their wisdom-of-practice, if you will--as we explored science teaching. I wanted these teachers to report to you how they deal with the main concepts and ideas of science teaching. In this chapter I will introduce you to these teachers---all of whom are real practicing science teachers. The teachers are

Ginny Almeder, a biology teacher from Georgia

Bo Miller, a biology teacher from Texas

Jerry Pelletier, a junior high science teacher from California.

John Ricciardi, a physics and astronomy teacher from Nevada

Dale Rosene, a middle school science and computer teacher from Michigan

Mary Wilde, a middle school science teacher from Georgia.

In subsequent chapters, these wisdom-of-practice interviews will be found in the Science Teacher Gazette under the section entitled "Science Teachers Talk." The comments made by the teachers are brief, but candid, and are here to give you some insights into teaching from a practitioners point of view.

Many teachers report that science teaching can be a very rewarding career. What do science teachers like most about teaching? Surely this will give us some insight into the profession of science teaching, and help you formulate your own goals and strategies for making your choice of science teaching a successful and positive one.

MOS: "What do you like most about teaching?"

John Ricciardi: What I like most about science is that I can be myself, which is being part of a body of teenagers. Their spirit, ambience and energy can become the self that is mre and who I am becomes naturally part of them. For me, teaching science is becoming myself by becoming one with all that "sciencing" is in my students.

Ginny Almeder: Science is my way of questioning the universe, a pursuit we appear compelled to follow by our human nature. Teaching high school provides me with an opportunity to share my love of science with young people. Students are generally enthusiastic and open-minded about their world. It is a good time to introduce them to the joys of science. I appreciate having the opportunity to help young people realize their potential especially in the area of science. It is gratifying to observe students improving their skills, becoming more questioning, and developing a healthy self concept.

Jerry Pelletier: I am fascinated by science. It encompasses a myriad of subjects and experiences and is an every changing and developing field. Some ideas have remained unchanged for hundreds of years while others have changed many times through the centuries. I find that my excitement for the subject of science can easily be transmitted to the students. I enjoy observing students interacting while trying to understand and solve scientific concepts. Science lends itself to the inductive method of teaching. Students are constantly questioning themselves and their observations. In essence science is fun for students as well as myself.

Mary Wilde: What I like most about teaching science are the variety of ways and techniques one can use to teach a particular concept. You can prevent yourself from becoming "burned out" because there are always new demonstrations, activities and experiments to incorporate in your curriculum that can explain old concepts. It is very exciting to be part of the new discoveries, new theories, and new conceptual ideas that take place in the scientific world. What is even more "thrilling" is the sharing of these new theories and discoveries with our young people. The teaching of new scientific principles or old scientific principles in new ways, stimulates a curiosity and creative desire within the student. Thus, for me, science is a very successful tool to help the student develop creative skills, thought process skills, and problem solving skills while learning factual content and conceptual theories that explain how this world "ticks." Science is the "why" and "how," and isn't that what everyone wants to know?

These teachers believe that science can be fun for students, that they enjoy interacting with students, that it provides an opportunity to introduce students to the joys of scence. Let's begin our study of science teaching by visiting a high school classroom where science content, pedagogy, students and teachers meet---the science-teaching interface.