My name is Megan Einhaus. I grew up in a small town called Spring Valley,
which is an hour north from Normal. In elementary school I remember doing
science projects here and there. When I was in kindergarten I specifically
remember all three of the kindergarten classes doing a unit on butterflies and
their life cycle. Each class kept a caterpillar in a jar and we waited until it
turned into a chrysalis. I remember studying this every day as a class and
waiting for it to turn into a butterfly. Once it became a butterfly we went
outside and set it free.
During
my later elementary years, we mostly just followed a Science textbook. Once I
got into junior high was when we spent a lot of time in our science lab doing
different experiments and things, such as, dissecting. We were taught more in
depth about researching and forming a hypothesis. I remember spending a lot of
time on the research process, doing experiments, and collecting data. All of
this was to prepare us to participate in science fair 6th through 8th
grade. It was a very long process that I remember not enjoying. There was
a specific day set for the whole junior high to bring their backboards and present
to their assigned judge. It was set up in our cafeteria and once we were done
being judged, our families were encouraged to visit everybody’s boards. I was
very shy and presenting our project to a judge was the main part I was nervous
for. Growing up, science was always the subject I had a love/hate relationship
with. I didn’t mind it, but it was also not my favorite. Science class meant
working in groups a lot and since I was a shy student this was difficult for
me. It was easier for me to sit back and not say anything than speak up and be
wrong about something.
While
I was in high school, I did not have much experience with Science. I only took
an introduction course and biology. All I remember was mainly learning how to
use a microscope, looking at organisms under the microscope, and dissecting
many things. Science started to become less and less seen in my education as I
got older. After high school, I took global environment and a weather class to
meet my science requirements at the community college I attended, IVCC. Since
then I have not been in a science class until now.
When I started at IVCC,
I thought I wanted to be a graphic designer. My first semester I took a class
towards the graphic design major and immediately figured out it wasn’t what I
wanted to do. Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher, but once I got into
high school that idea started to fade away. Therefore, after realizing graphic
design was not for me, I decided to go back to my original plan. I took an
introduction to early childhood education course and we had to complete
observation hours. Once I was observing in different ECE classrooms, I fell in
love with everything and knew my mind was set. I was ready to apply to ISU and
start my journey of becoming a teacher.
Since I have not had
much science experience in my college career, it has been something I forget
about when teaching in an ECE classroom. Science is not seen very often in
classrooms today, because literacy and math are focused on the most. Lately, I
have realized how important it is to integrate science into the everyday
routine. It can be fun for the students to explore and experiment on new ideas.
I remember really enjoying the butterfly project that I mentioned before. It
was something that made us want to investigate everyday. Because of these kinds
of projects that I participated in growing up, I want to provide these types of
projects to my students in the future. I want to give my students the
opportunity to do hands on activities and projects that allow them to explore
on real life experiences. I also want to establish a positive classroom
community. I want my students to be able to enjoy working together comfortably.
Because of the student I was, I want to be the teacher that encourages the shy
students to participate and to make sure they know it is okay if they get
something wrong.
During observations and
clinicals, I have worked with toddlers, preschool, and third grade. I am now in
a kindergarten classroom for PDS. Last semester when I was in a third grade
class I saw some science being taught and students doing experiments. I
remember my teacher saying frequently, “If we have enough time after Math or
Writing then we will do Science or Social Studies.” These subjects were only
taught if there was enough time or extra free time at the end of the day. I can
see how it can be frustrating for teachers trying to follow the standards and
get everything else done during the day, but on the other hand I think it is
important for teachers to find fun and engaging ways to integrate science and
social studies into their routines.
All the schools I
attended before coming to ISU had little to no diversity. I grew up not having
much experience with diverse classrooms. This year is the first year I have
been starting to experience it more and become more comfortable talking about
it. I think my past in science has mainly taught me that there is only a right
or wrong answer. While being at ISU, I have started to change that view and
believe more in letting children explore, ask questions, investigate on their
own, experiment, and use techniques that they want to use. These are all things
I want my students to do when I’m teaching science in the future.
Here is a picture of one of my science fair projects. This is the backboard we presented to the judges.
