Stop holding them back
An open letter to America’s Science teachers
Picture this. You are 13 years old. You are about to receive a grade on the Science test you took last Wednesday. This test is about Magnetism, and you loved learning about it. The teacher was enthusiastic, you got together with your friends to study, and you got a full night’s sleep before the test. You feel vaguely positive. The teacher comes around the corner of your desk and plops a piece of paper with an A- on your desk. You are thrilled.
Picture this. You are 17 years old. It is spring time, so you are hearing back from the Universities you applied to in the fall. At this time, you are about to receive a grade on the Science test you took last Wednesday. This test is about Electron Configuration, and you struggled learning about it. The teacher was far from enthusiastic, you didn’t get together with your friends to study, and you were up all night before the test. You feel anxious. The teacher comes around the corner of your desk and plops a piece of paper with an D- on your desk. You are dismayed.
A story like this happens almost everyday at every school in America. A bright student’s future is challenged by complex math problems and a lack of conceptual understanding.
It is only natural right? It shouldn’t be.
If you are getting poor test grades compared to your high-achieving friends, you must be a bad Science student right?
I got a bad grade on a Science test
turns into
I am not smart enough for Science
As Pablo Picasso best put it, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” To teachers, you are the gatekeeper to the future. A world without cancer, viruses, unsanitary conditions, and poverty is up to you. Science is the key to the world.
When you see that a student’s competence is being challenged, give them a nudge on the shoulder.
You can do this.
