eJournal Entry No. 3

I agree with the principles in teaching science presented in Resource 1 of Module 4. These principles serve as the backbone for establishing foundations and strategies in teaching science. I teach science for the students’ learning. Going through the different principles in the reading material, I can say that I resonate with these principles both as a student and as a teacher. As a teacher, I deliver instruction with a goal in mind that I will transform my student into productive members of society. As a learner, I study to improve myself and become a better version of myself that will serve as one of the catalysts in societal development and nation-building. I teach the essential components of the subject, especially those topics that will be included in the licensure exams for chemists. The exam coverage is comprehensive, and learning the most fundamental concepts will help them succeed in the licensure exams. Various classroom activities are implemented to promote deep scientific understanding to engage the learners in science instruction. As a student, I enjoyed multiple activities such as laboratory experiments, oral presentations, and the board works for problem-solving. These various class activities are essential in understanding the chemical concepts and eventually preparing for the licensure exams. As a teacher, I administer written exams where my students will be required to apply their high-ordered thinking skills. Aside from the usual multiple-choice questions, I am adding part of the exam, where they will create a graphic organizer such as a flow chart and concept maps, and problem-solving questions to apply their mathematical reasoning. I also ensure that students are actively constructing their learning by the teaching approaches I am applying in our class. Pursuing a career in science stemmed from my childhood fascination with scientists and inventors. And as a current science teacher, I make sure that my students are always interested in our class.

An example of an interesting activity that I always administer during face-to-face classes before is the ice cream-making activity. They are excited about using the chemistry concepts and essential ingredients. They can create delicious ice cream without a freezer. As a student before, the ice cream-making activity is one of my favorite activities in our chemistry class. We got the chance to do our very own ice cream, and we were able to bond when we ate the ice creams that we made. These experiences are worth remembering, and I hope that my students will be able to bring these learning experiences and memories as they pursue their scientific careers after graduation. We set expectations for our students since we envision quality instruction that they should obtain. The assessment of their outputs is based on high standard criteria. And what corresponds to learning a pure science is the anxiety that the subject is difficult to learn and master, and they might obtain a failing grade if they do not study well. Constant communication with the students is important, especially regarding their standing in the subject. Although the concepts discussed in chemistry are factual and based on scientific studies, I should still be careful with the delivery of the instruction. Emphasis should always be on the outcome of learning science as catalysts for the development and benefit of mankind, the environment, and society.

I am not well-versed in creating and using lesson plans since I am not a BS Education graduate, and we are not required to create lesson plans at the university where I am currently employed. Regardless, I always make sure that I am ready whenever I come to my class, especially before the remote learning setup. Students can sense if their instructors are not ready to teach the lesson. So as a teacher, I prepare for the lesson before coming to class. I ensure that my materials are complete and the classroom is organized. In teaching at a University, our reference for the flow of the discussion for each subject in the course syllabus. It also contains the teaching methods to be applied, the assessment of learning, and the time allotment. It is important to follow what is written on the course syllabus since it is designed to fit in one semester. The format of the syllabus that we prepare for each subject is outcome-based education compliant in accordance with the requirements of the Commission on Higher Education.

After finishing the module and completing the tasks, I was able to assess that there are teaching approaches that I do not know and can use for my current and future classes. Practicing chemistry can be learned through experience while teaching chemistry is another aspect I need to develop to deliver engaging and innovative instruction. Every semester, I acquire new teaching styles that I can apply in my classes. My strength as a chemistry teacher is in the practical lab skills that I gained as an analytical chemist before entering the teaching profession. This technical experience allowed me to teach lab skills to my students that are necessary for their future practice of chemistry. Aside from utilizing these lab skills in analytical chemistry, these can also be used in conducting wet lab chemistry research.

Nonetheless, I acknowledge that areas in teaching chemistry need improvement. I should be more engaging in the discussion and allow students to apply critical thinking in accomplishing the assigned tasks. Even though chemistry is a purely scientific discipline, I should find a way to deliver quality instruction that is interesting to the learners. These are the reasons why I keep on developing myself by equipping knowledge and skills that I can use to educate the young scientific minds of our nation.