The hardest thing about teaching science – not enough hours in the day
In a 2003 survey, elementary teachers said the hardest thing about teaching science was “I don’t have enough time in the day”?. In that survey supervisors were asked the same question. Their responses related to not enough materials or staff development opportunities. The secret is if we are going to make science a priority in our classrooms, we have to integrate science into the curriculum.
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I am a 1st – 5th grade science teacher at Timber Trail Elementary in Douglas County. Through the use of district planning time grants and creative fundraising, we have created a science program at our school. I teach each and every student in our school and I can guarantee that they get above and beyond the standard curriculum. I agree that integrating science with other content areas is a critical step in making science a priority, however thanks to the creative thinking of the administration at my school (Lisa Phillips, Principal) we have created a second to none science program. With more publicity, I feel more programs like ours can take off and give science the needed emphasis that has been so overlooked for years.
Sincerely,
Brian Hall
Science Teacher
Timber Trail Elementary
Douglas County School District
I think this problem applies across many subjects. In the UK state sector, class sizes are getting larger, along the administration work for each teacher. This combination causes many time problems.