ccording to Murphy, et al (2004), teacher’s beliefs and knowledge are the ways in which an educator impart knowledge in the classroom . “The most common distinction between belief and knowledge is that beliefs are based on judgment and evolution, whereas knowledge pertains to objective, verifiable fact.”

Mageehon (2006) conducted a study to determine what makes a “good” teacher good. The study revealed that “the idealized notion of who a good teacher is and the practical notion of what it takes for a…[teacher] to succeed in attaining this…goal may be in conflict”.

It can be gleaned that a good teacher simply acts out an instinct to please others and then go beyond that basic need by doing what she/he can to bring out the best in others.

Teaching Science from Middle School to 9th Graders Today

Teaching in middle school today proves to be a huge challenge for both students and teachers alike. A number of teachers have abandoned teaching mainly for behavioral problems of students today. The power struggle between students and teachers inside the classroom proves to be the biggest hindrance in the delivery of excellent learning opportunities to the students. Added to that is the threat of misbehaving students of their rights and the fact that their parents can sue.

A teacher functions in an environment full of challenge and second-guessing. This of course could affect the teacher’s ability to teach. Discipline complains from parents are among the reality a teacher should face especially in a public school.

Discipline is a tool in teaching. It could be a potential source of conflict too. The problem in handling difficult students though is not insurmountable. Teachers should learn to make rules clear early on. Consistently enforcing little rules could eventually help curb disruptive behaviors among students (Drummond, 2002).

Teaching in middle school today requires teachers to be more than just sources of information. They need to be disciplinarians, parents and friend as well. In order to be truly effective, they need to be well-rounded and willing to face unrehearsed challenges.

The reality of classroom teaching today maybe far different from the theories taught to teachers but they need to adapt with the times and come up with new solutions for new sets of problems they encounter as carry out their duties (Drummond, 2002).

Classroom Management

Perrone (2000) in his book Lessons for New Teachers tackles the necessity of

classroom management. The author defines classroom management as the need for discipline in classrooms.

Perrone then proceeds to outline ten principles in developing and maintaining productive classrooms: 1) Be well-prepared for each day; 2) Use challenging ideas and materials; 3) Be reasonably consistent; 4) Be clear about what really matters; 5) Show respect for the students; 6) Know the students; 7) Be physically present; Maintain calmness; 9) Be culturally aware and sensitive; and 10) Keep rules to a minimum.

These principles, of course, are largely based on common sense and accepted practices in maintaining control of students inside the classroom. Perrone believes that what makes classroom management more complicated is the fact that “administrators often judge teachers by how well they control student behavior”. This need to control behavior could be counterproductive as it inhibits the practice of real teaching and learning within the classroom.

Going a step further, Perrone suggested that reviewing the materials in advance and visualizing how you deliver it inside the classroom are important elements to success. Also that “challenging ideas” allow the students to have a healthy “wonder about their world” making them make “connection” to it.

The work that teachers do is definitely awe-inspiring. Perrone’s process : preparation, using challenging ideas and materials, knowing the students, being culturally sensitive and avoiding too many rules are the key to effective classroom management.

Renner (1994) in his book “The Art of Teaching Adults: How to Become an Exceptional Instructor and Facilitator” outlines a dozen techniques to make teaching a more interesting endeavor. These include: group discussion, case studies, role-playing, small group tasks, individual assignments, field projects, learning journals, and even lecturing.

Renner discusses in Chapter 9 the need for instructive questions which encourages “careful…and thorough habits of thinking”. The new line of questioning changes the focus from teachers to learners. The teacher then plays the role of facilitator

instead of monopolizing discussions. This way, the students will become increasingly responsible for their own learning.

Practices vs. Theory

Becoming an excellent science middle school teacher is a life-long quest and challenge. Teaching is as creative as art and as exact as science.

Motivation is one of the most important concepts of teaching. It is related to other important concepts such as arousal, attention, anxiety and feedback/reinforcement. Motivation can be countered by hosts of factors such as anxiety, reward and punishment and the goal of the student (Kearsley, 2007).

Theory in teaching and the real practice could be two different things. The teacher might be surprised even shock that what he/she learns as a student could sometimes be difficult to implement inside the classroom. It is important therefore for teachers to have a plan. If they do, they can stick to the plan even if the reality poses a lot of obstacles at the moment. As the days progress, the teacher will find that either he/she needs to find a way to adjust the plan to the reality at hand or the plan is actually highly feasible.

Personal responsibility

Encouraging personal responsibility is an important part of learning. The teacher must encourage participation of the student. Students feel committed to an endeavor that they participate in. Participation is, itself, a conscious decision each student makes. Teachers can invite participation of students by : sharing common interests of the group, knowing the goals that could be attained in the future, finding what’s idea in the present and asking for commitment from each student (Drummond, 2002).

Personal Beliefs & Moral Standpoints

Personal beliefs and moral standpoints refer to the opinions of a person based on experiences in life. A great deal of learning revolves around changing or acquiring opinions or beliefs. It is the teacher’s job to guide the student’s to right thinking and doing.

In Heider’s theory, when beliefs are in conflict, there is stress and a pressure to change views or beliefs. The two basic factors contributing to balance are sentiment and unity qualities of beliefs. Balance occurs when the sentiment or unity between beliefs is equally positive and negative, imbalance when there is dissimilarity.

Another theory about belief is the one developed by Abelson where it maintains that people will work to maintain consistency among beliefs and make changes when this doesn’t happen. For instance, if a student wants to earn good grades and is confronted with the reality that those who study often gets good grades then the student will either accept this idea and adjust accordingly or change his views on studying or good grades.

Change in beliefs often leads to change in attitudes. There are factors that affect the differences in opinion. By influencing these factors, one can ultimately change a student’s attitude.

Collaboration & Shared Thinking

Collaboration and shared thinking is an important concept of learning because it forces the students to achieve a group goal. The purpose of collaboration and shared thinking is three-fold: to encourage group efforts to succeed, develop relationships among participants and psychosocial adjustment.

Mary M. Kitagawa (1994) article “Its About Time to Talk” is a study about taking time to listen to students. It says that allowing students to bond together and collaborate is critical to exploration of ideas without interruption. This will enable the students to fully explore ideas and interpretations of literature.

The advantages of collaboration and shared thinking are: attaining higher-level of reasoning, more ideas and solutions, greater transfer of learning. Collaboration and shared thinking requires five essential elements: positive interdependence, individual responsibility, group processing, social skills and face-to-face interaction. There are at least 3 members in a group for better collaboration. Groups are required to have specific goals, performance criteria and a system of reward. In order for groups to succeed, the teacher must teach them cooperative skills and uses group-self-assessment.

Elizabeth Close (1992) in her book “Literature Discussion: A Classroom Environment for Thinking and Sharing” writes that “scaffolding became the glue that connected [her] lessons”. Close asks the students to join in literature discussions by sharing their thoughts, asking questions about the literature and listen to others’ interpretations. By considering “a wide variety of interpretations” students could generate a number of benefits.

Idealization vs. Reality

Teaching is a very noble profession. It entails a lot of sacrifices but at the same time it makes you feel fulfilled.

It is not easy to become a science teacher. You hold a lot of responsibilities in your hand. Among them is the responsibility to mold minds. Being a teacher, the

ultimate goal is to help students learn things so they can become upright and productive citizens later on. To do this, a teacher has to transfer information in an effective manner.

Basically, in order to effective, a teacher needs to be conversant and passionate of the subject. It doesn’t sit well if she is wishy-washy about the whole thing. Getting the message across is not enough. A teacher’s demeanor and passion do count in generating a positive response from the students.

Being a teacher requires a lot of patience, understanding and compassion. These traits would enable a teacher to reach out to the students quickly. Trust develops. Respect becomes apparent. The student becomes more comfortable in the classroom and is eager to learn.

If there is no trust, respect and communication between the student and teacher, the opposite happens. Students do not look forward to going to school. Studying becomes a chore. Learning becomes equally arduous.

The task of teaching then goes beyond the transfer of information. Teaching becomes a mission to improve the life of the student. The whole point of teaching is to make the student grow. Providing information is essential. However, the duty does not end in the classroom alone.

For a teacher, real teaching begins when the student uses what he learns in school in real life. To use this knowledge for good and for self-improvement is the greatest reward a teacher can have.

What the student learns inside the classroom will eventually affect his/her attitudes, outlook in life, views, decisions and actions. The knowledge they acquire in the classroom is critical in their decision-making process later. The guidance a teacher provides will give the students confidence in making decisions for themselves. Learning then is no longer contained in the classroom but becomes a continuous life-long experience.